Too perfect: Apparently the White House asked Sen. John McCain, in his capacity as incoming chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
who he'd suggest to replace Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense.
“I said Lieberman,” McCain told our colleague Steven Ginsberg as he got off the Amtrak Acela from Washington to New York. McCain laughed and said McDonough thanked him for his input, but that McCain did not think his close pal, the former senator from Connecticut, a Democrat turned Independent, would be considered for the job. (After all, he did endorse McCain over Obama in ’08.)
When Sen. Ted Cruz made the same suggestion, it seemed like trolling, but McCain is probably even serious. Then again, trolling is a substantial part of McCain's personality at this point. Trolling, and being bitter he lost in 2008, so the Lieberman suggestion is something of a two-fer. Or a three-fer, since McCain and Lieberman share a love of bombing places.
Outside Trollsville, it's being reported that President Obama will nominate Ashton Carter, a former deputy defense secretary.