Gates Wins Unanimous Approval of the Senate Armed Services Committee

ABC News’ Jake Tapper Reports: Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John Warner (R-Virginia), announced that the committee voted unanimously in favor of Defense Secretary-nominee Robert Gates moving forward to the Senate for a full vote.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is comprised of 24 members. Of the full committee, 21 were present today and voted unanimously, advancing Gates to a full Senate vote.

Warner recommended to the leadership that the full vote take place on Wednesday.

(Frist’s office says the vote could come as early as Wednesday, though they want to see how much time Senators want to talk on the subject, so the vote also may come Thursday.)

Ranking Democrat Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich) said the nominee — in tone and substance — indicated he was the right candidate for the job, meeting two criteria the American people showed they wanted from their leaders in the November midterm elections.

Gates, Levin says, has (1) indicated a desire to change course in Iraq, a willingness to be open to different ideas, a recognition and acknowledgment of past failures, and a willingness to consider all options; and (2) indicated he is willing to reach out to Congress in a bipartisan way.

(Levin, as you may recall, voted against Gates’ nomination for CIA director in 1991.)