Barring some last-minute snag, the Senate is expected to vote to end a Republican filibuster on Tuesday and then move on to confirm Chuck Hagel as defense secretary. The filibuster was pernicious from the start, and Mr. Hagel should be approved without further delay.
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Nothing in the public record remotely warrants disqualification, despite a vicious and long campaign by Republicans against him. In particular, Mr. Hagel has been pilloried by former Republican colleagues in the Senate who proclaim devotion to the nation's defense but thought nothing of politically battering Mr. Hagel even if, as many admit, they could not defeat him.
Mr. Hagel already has enough on his plate managing the budget cuts that start kicking in on Friday, leading the troops and representing the United States globally.
Yet the debate rages on. Senator John McCain, a Republican who can't forgive Mr. Hagel for opposing the Iraq war, once again called him a friend on CNN on Sunday and said he deserved to have the Senate vote on his nomination. But Mr. McCain declared that a man he once suggested should be considered for defense secretary is not qualified and wouldn't have his vote.
The Senate has a constitutional duty to review top executive appointments. But it's one thing to raise serious questions about a candidate's character or political views; it's quite another to distort a nominee's views on Israel and Iran as some conservative Republicans and the most rigidly pro-Israel groups have with Mr. Hagel. Some accused of him of receiving money from a group called "Friends of Hamas" — a rumor that started with a joke about a nonexistent group.
In addition to blocking a vote for two weeks, the Senate has demanded that Mr. Hagel answer some 162 question submitted after the confirmation hearing. The vast majority came from Republicans, and the White House says, are way in excess of previous nominees.
Mr. Hagel did himself and Mr. Obama no favors with his lackluster performance at his confirmation hearing. Still he has strong backers, including Bob Dole, the former Republican Senate majority leader, who called him uniquely qualified to run the Pentagon.
A decorated Vietnam veteran, Mr. Hagel is one of a fading breed of moderate Republicans whose independence and past willingness to challenge Republican orthodoxy on Iraq, sanctions on Iran and other issues is admirable.
If confirmed, Mr. Hagel will have to try to mend at least some fences in the Senate. But it would be a tragedy if the confirmation process stifled his willingness to speak out and provide Mr. Obama with the best advice possible.
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