The United States Senate, with a vote of 54-45, confirmed Gina Haspel as the new CIA Chief yesterday. And with that, one glass ceiling that most thought unattainable was shattered into a bazillion pieces.

Here’s a breakdown of the key votes that swung the nomination in her favor.

On the Senate 54-45 vote to confirm Gina Haspel as CIA Director:

SIX DEM YES VOTES:
Donnelly
Heitkamp
Manchin
Nelson
Shaheen
Warner

TWO GOP NOs:
Rand Paul
Jeff Flake

Senator Not Voting:
McCain

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) May 17, 2018

Jeff Flake voting against someone …anyone that Trump nominates? SHOCKER.

Gina Haspel conducted herself admirably during the Senate hearings. Especially when you consider that many of the questions were essentially political diatribes and several of the questions were just plain stupid. I think 33 years of navigating the CIA was a definite plus for how she handled herself.

However, I still think her response to Diane Feinstein was THE BEST EVER.

Feinstein and her staff were OWNED by Gina Haspel … BIGLY.

Did y’all catch that? She stated bluntly that she was never part of the interrogation/torture program that everyone is having so many problems with. Not only that, but she states that she was only read into the program but DIDN’T RUN the program until over a year after it was in place. Furthermore, if you catch the back and forth at three and a half minutes in, you’ll see/hear Gina subtly slam the New York Times for their expose of intelligence activities that put so many lives at risk.

Many publications and blogs have offered up multiple opinions regarding Gina’s record whether pro or con. However, if you read all the news media headlines or Twitter feeds since yesterday afternoon, all one would think is that she is the leading torture queen of the world! 

Haspel is a veteran CIA official who has been with the agency for more than 30 years and by all accounts is well-liked by her colleagues. But her nomination received roughly half the support from Democrats that now-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former House member, received last year when he was confirmed as President Trump’s first CIA chief.

Her nomination was immersed almost immediately by controversy because of her involvement in the agency’s post-Sept. 11 use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” — now widely viewed as torture. In particular, senators homed in on her time spent running a CIA black site and role in the destruction of videotapes documenting the interrogation of an al Qaeda suspect.

The pearl clutching at Twitter is quite laughable.

Congratulations USA for putting another psycho in the White House
Gina Haspel confirmed as CIA director after key Democrats vote in favorhttps://t.co/YVD8yQMu90

— John Locker (@JohnLocker4) May 18, 2018

Good grief. Drama much? Wowzers. Then again, I’d say these comments in support of her confirmation probably ticked more than a few folks off.

It’s about time we have a woman heading the CIA + she’s the 1st in 60 yrs from w/in the org since she knows the CIA inside &out no bureaucrats will b hoodwinking her like they do political appointees Congrats Gina Haspel

— ChuckGrassley (@ChuckGrassley) May 17, 2018

I’m very glad the Senate has confirmed Gina Haspel as the new Director of the CIA.

Ms. Haspel is highly qualified and has worked her way up through the ranks. She’s a seasoned intelligence professional at a time of great danger facing our nation.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 17, 2018

Senator McCain, who was unable to vote for or against Haspel’s nomination had made it clear in recent days that he was not a fan of Haspel nor of her nomination.

“Ms. Haspel’s role in overseeing the use of torture by Americans is disturbing. Her refusal to acknowledge torture’s immorality is disqualifying,” McCain said in a statement.

Meanwhile other Senators, including Feinstein who should absolutely know better, had been demanding (as you can see in the video above) that Haspel declassify everything including all that she worked on in order for them to determine her fitness.

“Congress needs to be able to provide fully informed oversight. My questions about Ms. Haspel’s role in the destruction of videotapes relevant to discussions occurring in Congress regarding the program have not been adequately answered,” GOP Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) said in a statement.

The summary was shared with members of the Intelligence Committee.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), shortly before the vote, accused Haspel and the agency of trying to hide the more contentious aspects of Haspel’s career.

“Haspel has been exercising the unprecedented power to personally censor any facts about her that might get in the way of her nomination. When the Senate votes on a nomination, when all the relevant information is by design kept secret, how is this any different than a coverup?” he asked.

Oh good grief. Get a reality clue bat will you?!! Declassifying crucial information on the Senators’ whims would open a Pandora’s box that would blow back on us all. In spite of all of the political games, Gina Haspel persevered and is now the new CIA director.