Cornyn Leads Senate Republicans Calling for Obama to Withdraw Hagel Nomination

Texas Sen. John Cornyn fights against the inevitable, calling for President Obama to withdraw his nomination of Chuck Hagel to lead the Pentagon.

Right Turn has learned that a third of Senate Republicans, led by Minority Whip John Cornyn (Tex.), have called on President Obama to withdraw Chuck Hagel’s nomination as defense secretary, citing “serious doubts about his basic competence to meet the substantial demands of the office.”

Cornyn cites Hagel’s erratic record on Iran and North Korea and his past statements regarding Israel, which reflect on the nominee’s judgement. In response, Hagel is said to have burst into tears.

I may have made that bit up.

But I’m not making up the fact that while Cornyn is leading this charge, another Republican, Sen. Richard Shelby, is running the other way and will vote for Hagel. Four other Republicans are prepared to vote for Hagel, enough to ensure that he will become the next defense secretary. The man can barely utter a coherent sentence when under gentle questioning about his own past statements in the Senate. Now Obama will dispatch him to go toe to toe with the likes of Vlad Putin.

The fact is, Republicans just don’t have any real leadership right now. There are pockets but nothing broad. The Congressional leaders aren’t leading, the RNC isn’t leading, no outside force — governor, pundit, etc — is leading. They’re all running in several different directions, and ultimately in no direction at all.