Stunning!

The Senate Republicans in the first time in living memory filibustered a cabinet appointee. By a vote of 59 to 39 with Orrin Hatch voting present, Senator Hagel's nomination was held up another ten days. President Obama in a Google forum talked about how rare filibusters had been in the United States and how the Republican strategy has affected the nominations of judges as well as cabinet nominees. The problem President Obama said was that it was getting difficult to get people to agree to serve in government. The Hagel filibuster was unique because no nominee for Defense Secretary had ever faced such a situation, particularly when the country is at war and the Defense Department faces the cuts of sequestration.