i'm joined by steve clemens and peter beinart. these people are disreputable.eter beinart, why on god's earth would a united states senator whose purpose is to help the republic work, knowing this guy is going to be secretary of defense, knowing there's going to be a vote on it, vote publicly to deny him even a vote today? why would they do that? >> well, i think it's because they wanted to somehow show that they are more militantly in opposition than anybody else. but the whole thing is absurd. >> they already did that. >> that's right. >> they already did that a week ago, two weeks ago. you know, peter, they did it. they did all that. they dumped all over this guy's nomination. they attacked him in the hearing, issued all the press releases, made their point. why would they do it the very day they knew he'd be confirmed knowing they would be dumping on him as secretary of defense, not as a nominee, but actually as secretary of defense? >> because we have so debased the idea of the filibuster that i honestly think people think of not voting to allow a vote as

let's go to peter beinart about this. thank you for joining us tonight for some analysis. why do you think -- you're looking at this with a deeper political background on the motivation, what is the motivation of people like lindsey graham? why are they leading the charge to screw the nomination? >> it's because he's petrified he's too moderate to win the republican nomination for senate in 2014 in south carolina, and so he's desperately moving to the right. for a lot of other republicans, they feel like if they can drag this out longer and longer, that maybe some shoe will drop, there will be some scandal, something they haven't unearthed that will destroy this nomination. in the meantime, we don't have the person who is supposed to be secretary of defense going to a very, very important summit next week in europe because it's being held up on this fishing expedition. >> i was listening to kelly's report there, and it squares with everything i have been able to figure out. but they keep changing the question. first of all, there was legitimate questions on the republican

we have more reaction to the hearing now from peter beinart, editor of the daily beast.ou're always interesting to watch. here is lindsey graham, one of the amigos you might say, not an amigo of hagel, also grilling the witness. listen to how he went after his past reference to, quote, the jewish lobby. let's watch. >> name one person in your opinion who is intimidated by the israeli lobby in the united states senate. >> well, first -- >> name one. >> i don't know. >> well, why would you say it? >> i didn't have in mind a specific person. >> name one dumb thing we've been goaded into doing because of the pressure from the israeli or jewish lobby. >> i have already stated that i regret the terminology. >> what is he trying to do there, peter? i mean, he's trying to bait him it seems to me -- i'll answer my own question -- into saying something against a fellow senator. first of all, if he were to name a fellow senator, that would be the headline tomorrow morning and tonight on the news, it would be mccarthyism. this guy got prodded into voting a way he didn't want to vote

thank you peter beinart. >>> coming up, the fight over the massive automatic job killing spending cutset to take place this week. the fifth fiscal showdown between congress and president obama just since 2011. now it's true gridlock and it could be taking the country down economically and that's what i fear. we have two normer members of congress, a democrat and a republican, coming here. i want to know what they'd do if they were president in one case house speaker in another. we have to figure out a way to work together in this country because split government looks like it's here to say for a while. >>> another sign of how far this country has come on marriage equality. good news for progressives. a group of republicans has signed on to a brief to the supreme court supporting gay marriage. >>> and the rising stars of the democratic party. tonight we're going to bring you someone i have been keeping an on, pennsylvania attorney general kathleen cain. she's one of the several women i'm watching who will soon be in the national on-deck circle. hp let me finish with my growing concern t