OVERNIGHT DEFENSE: Hagel gets a grilling

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said that
he thought Hagel had done “very well” — when he was allowed to answer questions
without getting cut off.

“I thought he was responsive. I thought he kept his cool,”
Levin said.

{mosads}Republicans on the committee were less impressed.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he was “shocked” at
Hagel’s inability to respond to GOP questions, while Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
was dismayed at Hagel’s refusal to answer his question on the Iraq surge.

The exchange between Hagel and McCain was the most heated of
the day. McCain wanted a “yes-or-no” answer from Hagel on whether he
believed the Iraq surge was still the wrong strategy.

Read The Hill’s coverage of Hagel’s defense
of his record, the Republican
attacks on the nominee and Hagel’s shaky
performance.

Committee vote could come next Thursday: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said that former
Sen. Chuck Hagel’s (R-Neb.) confirmation vote in the
committee could come as early as Thursday, although he said that was still
tentative at best.

He said the Thursday vote could happen following a hearing
on Benghazi that has been set up for next Thursday.

That would be contingent in part on whether Hagel had
answered all senators’ questions that were submitted for the record by Monday
evening, Levin said.

The Armed Services chairman wouldn’t predict when Hagel
might get a vote on the floor, saying that was up to the leadership.

McKeon opposed to
Hagel: The House Armed Services Committee chairman came out against former
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) in a
statement Thursday afternoon, saying the Defense nominee had “created more concerns than he
allayed.”

“Unfortunately, in confusing and contradictory testimony, he
created more concerns than he allayed,” Chairman Buck
McKeon (R-Calif.) said in a statement. “His refusal to shut the door on further defense
cuts put him at stark odds with the current Defense Secretary and military
leaders. His ambiguous and evolving positions on Iran raised more questions
than answers. And his shifting, evasive answers on the future of America’s
nuclear deterrent were deeply troubling.”

McKeon, of course, does not get to vote on
Hagel’s confirmation as a House member. But he joins House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor (R-Va.) as being on record against Hagel’s confirmation.

Panetta to testify at
Benghazi hearing: Current Defense Secretary Leon Panetta will
testify at the Armed Services Committee hearing on Benghazi that’s set up
for next week, committee aides confirmed to The Hill.

Panetta’s testimony on the roll of the Pentagon in last year’s
Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, will nullify the threat
made by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) this week to block former
Sen. Chuck Hagel’s (R-Neb.) nomination for Defense secretary.

Graham had threatened to block Hagel unless Panetta
testified on Benghazi.

The Benghazi hearing could be Panetta’s last trip up to
Capitol Hill as Defense secretary.

In Case You Missed
It:

— Hagel delivers shaky
performance

— Rubio says he will vote against
Hagel

— Gitmo judge bans
outside censors

— Biden defends
Hagel, Kerry

Please send tips and comments to Jeremy Herb, jherb@digital-staging.thehill.com, and Carlo Muñoz, cmunoz@digital-staging.thehill.com.

Follow us on Twitter:
@DEFCONHill, @JHerbTheHill, @CMunozTheHill

You can sign up to
receive this overnight update via email on The Hill’s homepage.