Hagel still hasn’t provided information about his recent speeches and who paid for them

As we noted, per the questioning of Ted Cruz, Chuck Hagel had not, at the time he testified, provided the Senate Armed Services Committee with all of the speeches he has delivered over the last five years, including the identity of who paid him for them. I suggested that there should be no up-or-down vote on Hagel by the Committee until he is more forthcoming.

Apparently, Hagel still has not provided the information, missing a Monday deadline imposed by the Committee Chairman Carl Levin (a Democrat). Thus, two senior Republicans on the Committee (said to be Sens. Sessions and Inhofe) have said they won’t consent to a vote on Hagel’s nomination at this time.

Good for them.

Sessions also cites the need for more information into allegations of sexual harassment by a former Hagel staffer against a more senior Hagel staffer. Importantly, the allegations are not made against Hagel himself.

I guess I see nothing wrong with the Senate obtaining more information about this matter, but it doesn’t appear to cast negative light on Hagel, much less affect how Senators should vote on his nomination. Lou Ann Linehan, Hagel’s chief of staff at the time, says she handled the matter without calling it to the Senator’s attention, and that the two staffers continued to work together without further incident.

Unless there is much more to the story, Senators should move on, or rather move back to the hugely significant issues raised by the Hagel nomination.

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