0 grandstand. that was not was chuck hagel was in the senate, but maybe in some previous -- i don't know. i kind of prefer that they would focus -- that they focus on differences, and that's what they were trying to do. they were trying to tease out the differences between their views and his. there are real differences. obama is nominating him not because he agree with republicans, but because he differs on them. one of the things they should have talked about probably the biggest area of difference where a lot of the -- is from defense contractors whose, you know, contracts he wants to cut. >> let me get this straight. you think the whole yes or no back and forth between john mccain and chuck hagel on the 2007 iraq surge was actually par for the course, that that was -- >> in fact, kind of interesting, right? >> in terms of a psychodrama. >> the republican party was over the iraq war, where they are attacking him as for opposing the iraq war. >> it's not that i don't think we can talk about the iraq war or the war in afghanistan for that matter, but the notion that you should have a yes or no answer to the iraq surge, which in many ways -- john mccain thinks the history books have been written on this. i believe -- >> no, it's still an open debate. absolutely. >> it's ongoing. sit on their hands on this nomination, and the israel, not the jewish lobby, hasn't really weighed in in a meaningful way on this is a big deal for the white house, but, you know, part of this, i think, reflects the basic reality is they don't want a strong secretary of defense. i think what you are looking at here is somebody who is not at least initially seeming to position himself as a strong secretary of defense, does not have deep connections necessarily within the infrastructure itself, clearly doesn't have a lot of the bridges to the republicans in the senate. they want to run policy out of the white house, and that's one of the reasons they picked dennis mcdonough, who has a national security background to be the new chief of staff. >> sam, what of the republicans who already said they will not vote for him? now, we know roy blunt said he will not filibuster the nomination, but marco rubio released a statement opposing hagel five hours before the hearing was over saying in an op ed, this is a normal nation i can't support, and james inhoff said on january 13th he would oppose hagel. lindsey graham remains reluctant, and john calls him weak and wobbly. did they get any points for -- >> they get grandstanding points, for sure. >> i guess so. which apparently is -- >> that's apparently the whole point. it's here we have a very dramatic ungentlemanly fight on the floor, and as i said at the beginning, in the end he will be confirmed. >> the nominee. >> what does it say about the republican party? i mean, if he is no longer really considered a member of the republican party? is that what we are to learn? >> i think he crossed them in a sort of -- there's a profound loyalty situation here, and not only did he not campaign with john mccain, he went to afghanistan, i believe, with barack obama. >> endorsed barack obama. >> endorsed barack obama. of course. so, yeah, i think they're mad. i think john mccain is mad that this isn't his second term, and this is their chance to show it. >> he also broke very dramatically with the republican party during the iraq war, did not just -- was not a kind of loyal disenter, but was a loud, outspoken dissenter who got a lot of mileage, and they thought was sort of a publicity hound around being the official republican voice. that's -- this is where the republicans -- the bad blood for him begins. >> it should be said that john kerry has expressed a lot of the same doubts about the iraq surge as him, but he didn't commit -- >> that's it. the treatment of john kerry by john mccain versus chuck hagel and john mccain is night and day. we have to leave it there, but after the break top republicans m house and senate part way on a key debt ceiling bill. will the intraparty scism end in heartburn or heart break? for over 75 years people have saved money with...ohhh... ...with geico... ohhh...sorry! director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable lahtuger). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me.