WASHINGTON – The White House’s candidate for deputy secretary of state should sail to Senate confirmation on Tuesday evening.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is among several GOP members fiercely opposing the nomination of Tony Blinken to become Foggy Bottom's No. 2 official, says there's little the faction can to do block it.

"That train has left the station," McCain said of his and others' vows to try to block the the senior West Wing national security official's nomination on the floor.

"It's too bad because he's totally unqualified," McCain said. "In fact, he's worse than unqualified, he has been wrong on every single major issue that has come in the last six years."

At a Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week, McCain pointed to Blinken's support of President Barack Obama's decision in 2011 to withdraw all American forces from Iraq as evidence the nominee is unqualified.

The country has since descended in political chaos and ethnic violence — and that was before the Islamic State invaded.

In a Nov. 7 statement announcing the nomination, Vice President Joe Biden called Blinken "a genuine superstar — admired and respected not only by the president and me, but by his counterparts in capitals in every region of the world."

"Like Bill Burns , Tony has a style and a manner that is conducive to getting things done. He has been able to establish strong diplomatic relationships because he has absolute integrity," said Biden, referring to the man Blinken would replace at the State Department. "To know Tony is to trust and like him. I have now had the good fortune to work alongside Tony Blinken for many years. He has been tested, and he has shown grace under pressure and uncommonly good judgment. He is a good man. I'm proud of him."

Blinken was the Democratic staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2002 until 2008, where he worked closely with then-Sen. Biden.

The Senate is slated to vote on the nomination at 6 p.m. (EST) Tuesday.

Meantime, outgoing Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., is still hopeful the chamber will confirm more than 3,000 outstanding military nominations before it adjourns for the year.

"We've never had trouble with defense nominees [at the conclusion of a session] before," Levin told reporters Tuesday. "I don't foresee any problem here."

On Dec. 9, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted to move 3,579 pending DoD nominations to the floor.

Among that list is the nomination of Adm. Harry Harris for US Pacific Command chief; Robert Scher for assistant defense secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities; and David Berteau for assistant defense secretary for logistics and materiel readiness.

Of those, Levin said none is politically controversial.

Just when the chamber might take up those pending military nominations — which it could do in one or multiple blocs via a unanimous consent or voice vote motion — is still somewhat murky.

The Senate is working through several other Obama nominations and several bills, including one on terrorism insurance.

While there is scuttlebutt on the Hill that the chamber could finish its business late Tuesday and adjourn for the final time, Levin believes "we'll be here for a couple more days." ■

Email: jbennett@defensenews.com.

Editor's note:

Blinken was confirmed, 55-38.

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