The Hagel Confirmation Ordeal: It's All Politics

Despite looking as though he has been forced to witness Dobby's death on replay, Chuck Hagel, Obama's 

hotly-debated nominee for Secretary of Defense, will likely be confirmed next week after Congress' recess. 

We've been hearing about this since early Jan., and, unsurprisingly, not much has changed in the world of nomination/confirmation politics.

Today, however, GOP's Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.), announced that he would indeed vote to confirm Chuck Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense, securing at least 58 of the 60 votes required. Shelby is only the third Republican Senator, along with Sen. Thad Corchan (R., Miss.) and Sen. Mike Johanns (R., Neb.), to say he intends to support the nomination. 

Chuck Hagel's nomination has been fiercely opposed by many of his own former GOP colleagues who cite concerns about his positions in regards to Iran and Israel. Many were also unimpressed (on both sides) with his Senate hearing; reactions have run the gamut from Democrats' accusations ("It's pretty obvious that the political knives were out for Chuck Hagel," says Panetta) to Republicans' outrage ("The Worst Performance by a Cabinet Nominee in Decades," reads a Fox Nation headline). 

However, what those opposed seem most upset about is the fact that no one, it seems, is heeding their vague warnings, gosh darnit! 59 senators voted to end the Senate filibuster last week, which is only one vote less than the 60 needed to proceed (ironically, Shelby voted against ending debate last week "as a courtesy to his colleagues who needed more time to examine Hagel's record," because, obviously, the issue at hand is a lack of sufficient time). 

In their letter to the White House calling for the withdrawal of Hagel's nomination, 15 GOP Senators wrote, "In the history of this position, none has ever been confirmed with more than 11 opposing votes. The occupant of this critical office should be someone whose candidacy is neither controversial nor divisive." In response, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney stated that it is "unfortunate... that some Senate Republicans put political posturing ahead of our nation's security." 

Turn that frown upside down, Hagel. This political tiff is almost over. 

So, what's your take on Hagel, the political discourse surrounding his nomination, or nomination/confirmation politics in general? Do you think this fosters frustration with Congress, or is it a necessary facet of the democratic process? 

TL;DR? After much political hullabaloo, Chuck Hagel will likely be confirmed as the new Secretary of Defense next week.