Mitch McConnell's Senate actually accomplished something this week. They
confirmed Ash Carter as Defense Secretary on Thursday.
After a weeks-long delay while he recovered from back surgery, Carter's nomination sailed through the upper chamber with a final tally of 93-5. He testified for around five hours on Feb. 4 before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) submitted additional answers to the panel on Monday, and it voted unanimously Tuesday to send his nomination to the floor. […]
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Thursday he would support Carter's nomination—with a caveat.
"But my support is conditioned on this request: the incoming secretary needs to have the courage to speak truth to power," McConnell said on the floor. "To Congress, yes. But also to his commander in chief."
Five Republicans
voted "no": Roy Blunt (MO), Boozman (AR), Mike Crapo (ID), Mark Kirk (IL), and Jim Risch (ID). Probably just to be jerks.