GOP (specifically Ted Cruz) throws new roadblock in Hagel's way

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Obama's choice to lead the Defense Department, has generated some controversy, but is nevertheless well positioned to earn Senate confirmation. There's been some chatter about an unprecedented Republican filibuster -- no modern cabinet nominee has ever faced such obstructionism -- but there are more than enough votes to overcome the opposition.

So, it's over? With Hagel set to clear the Senate Armed Services Committee today, it's only a matter of time before the Nebraska Republican is sworn in, right? As Ali Gharib reported late last night, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has put a new roadblock between Hagel and confirmation -- and it's a doozy.

The problem is that the "committee's review of the nomination" will never be completed to the liking of Hagel's Republican opponents, because they've set an impossible bar for the nominee to clear. A Democratic official working on Hagel's confirmation told me: "What they're asking is unprecedented, and it's clear that it's information that he's unable to provide." The official noted that the U.S. had myriad national security concerns on its plate, not least of which was the 66,000 American troops deployed in Afghanistan right now.

Though it appeared the review process, and the scrutiny of Hagel's background, was complete, Cruz launched a new salvo, asking for financial information about private companies he was affiliated with but does not control. Hagel's already provided as much information as he has access to, including everything from his own personal holdings and investment portfolio, but he found some of Cruz' inquiries literally impossible to answer.

For the right-wing Texan and 24 of his Senate GOP allies, this means Hagel is being uncooperative and secretive.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/02/07/16884989-gop-throws-new-roadblock-in-hagels-way

Republicans seem to spend a lot of time and effort coming up with new ways to obstruct things. They remind me of a student who spends more time coming up with reasons not to do his homework rather than actually doing the work.