The "unprepared" media theme is just--bullshit. Quoting anonymous White House "advisors" on Iran who insulted Hagel--also smells like bullshit. The neocons, Kristol, Abrams, and Adelson are pulling the levers in a panic now. They never thought he would get this far.

a good analsis here http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/02/03/1184379/-Was-Chuck-Hagel-Just-Plain-Bad-in-His-Confirmation-Hearing

A couple of quotes from the lengthy article

What was Hagel's main task in the confirmation hearing?

Wasn't Hagel's main task to avoid saying anything that would give any Senator a reason or excuse to vote against his confirmation? In particular, wasn't it to avoid saying anything that contradicts current Administration policy, or that might unnecessarily put the Democratic Senators and reasonable Republican Senators who are expected to vote for his confirmation - people like Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand - in a politically awkward position? Whatever one may think of Schumer and Gillibrand otherwise, they're playing on the Hagel team now. Wasn't it part of Hagel's task to protect all the players on the Hagel team, by avoiding unnecessarily saying things or behaving in a way that would make their vote for his confirmation politically more difficult?

If Hagel is confirmed as Secretary of Defense, as people in Washington overwhelmingly expect, doesn't that mean that he successfully completed his assigned task?

Wasn't part of Hagel's task to show that he will have no problem acting publicly as a loyal lieutenant to President Obama? Doesn't one want from a loyal lieutenant that he keeps his focus on the assigned task, keeping his cool even as arrows rain down upon him?

What happened in this exchange? In clarifying that terrorism can never be justified, Hagel said exactly what he had to say. But in defending the principle that you can't separate innocent Israeli and Palestinian victims, Hagel didn't give an inch. In fact, it was Senator Lee who had to give ground, conceding that in considering victims, one cannot morally distinguish between Israelis and Palestinians.
And this is about as close as you can come to a pure test of character in Washington. Because everyone knows that there is absolutely zero political price to be paid in Washington for throwing the Palestinians under the bus. If someone presses you to throw the Palestinians under the bus, you know that political expediency says: go ahead. There's no price to be paid for this. There's no-one who'd like to punish you for it politically who has the capacity to do so.

There is exactly one reason and one reason only not to throw the Palestinians under the bus in Washington, and that is that throwing the Palestinians under the bus is not the act of a righteous man. And that's why Chuck Hagel didn't do it.

Now tell me again how Hagel flubbed his hearing. I'm thinking that maybe some of the people saying this don't follow these issues very closely.

[\blockquote]

I heard that pundits on MSNBC and elsewhere were repeating the same "unprepared" "hesitant" "fumbling" talking points within the first couple hours of testimony. 5 hours left to go, they had already decided what happened at the hearing. Kind of almost...coordinated. But since it's a subjective assessment, it's hard to argue with, isn't it? No mistakes or bad statements on the record to reject him, just a "sense" that he was unprepared? Had he tried to defend himself more forcefully (had they even let him) it would have been all about his combativeness or hair-trigger temper, of course.

That exchange between Lee and Hagel in the article you posted was more representative of what I saw--rational and correct answers being given. He said the right things to get confirmed, over and over again, because Hagel certainly knows how Senate confirmations work--play it safe, avoid mistakes, say what you need to say to overcome opposition to you.

Show me a spineless Democrat and I will show you a corrupt politician! Both sides are bought and paid for, with few exceptions. We need COMPLETE CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM (CCFR)!!!

There are times when a Senator can use the filibuster to declare themselves king, so to speak, whether they are a member of the majority party or not. I don't think Senator Reid ever really had his heart into filibuster reform, but most of his fellow Democratic Senators certainly share the blame.

is holding our form of government hostage so he might. Can. Get. His. Way

they pre-emptively destroy Susan Rice, one of the two candidates, now are throwing a conniption over the REPUBLICAN the President picked.

BO could reanimate fucking Eisenhower and these morons would stone it.

But, tune into the "liberal" media nodding obediently as republicans blame the President for their being jackasses because he won't invite them over to the white house for tea (which they decline when he does ...)

But I hear ya

right ...

This shite just pisses the fuck out of me.

Only reason they took it so easy on Kerry was their thinking it handed the job to Brown.

I have NO doubt in my mind, if these scumbags knew Brown was not going to run, they would have raked Kerry over the coals.

He is in the senate, so they could not have done to him what they did to Rice, but, they still would have been jackasses about it.

The NEVER ending stream of complete, brazen bullshit the republicans pull, and the "liberal" media spends the last few days ... Harping about the a picture of the President skeet shooting.

Just Follow The Chicken Droppings

Save us from this jerk. Then maybe you'll get someone you REALLY don't like at the Pentagon and we LGBT*.* people will be happy, too. Win-win situation for us. Do it.

a filibuster and get to a confirmation vote--he would have 55 Dems plus Cochran, McCain, Johanns, and Roy Blunt (who said he wouldn't support Hagel, but also wouldn't support a filibuster. Time to call Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski.

This just illustrates that you're whimpiness on stopping the GOP obstruction through filibuster reform will now enable it to continue on for at least two more years. WAY TO GO! Maybe it's time to retire, old man.

They are and have been holding a whole nation hostage. There should be repercussions for it. We need Representatives and Senators who are willing to get the business of running the nation done. I'm beyond disgusted with these games. Congress is not a chess board and the people are not the pawns of kings, queens, knights and bishops.

And Harry!