In what became an increasingly personal Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Chuck Hagel this afternoon, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) called out Republican Ted Cruz for his "over the line" attacks on Hagel.
The committee eventually voted to send Hagel's nomination for Secretary of Defense to a vote along party lines. While the committee debated, Nelson scolded Cruz for questioning whether Hagel had taken money from "radical and extreme groups" to whom he has given speeches.
"I want to put on the record that this Senator feels like that Sen. Cruz has gone over the line," Nelson said. "He basically has impugned the patriotism of the nominee — in your conclusions, which you are entitled to come to, about him, in essence, being cozy with Iran."
Nelson accused Cruz of "taking it too far." He was rebutted by Sen. Jim Inhofe, who has been a leading Republican critic of Hagel's nomination. Inhofe claimed that Hagel had been "endorsed" by Iran.
Watch the video below, courtesy of Talking Points Memo: