The Early Word: Vetting

Today's Times

• The nomination of Chuck Hagel to be the next secretary of defense, which could come as early as Monday, is already encountering opposition from Republicans who question his support for Israel and his seriousness about the Iranian nuclear threat, Scott Shane and David E. Sanger report.

• With no Democratic Party endorsement, the candidates looking to replace Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. in Chicago's special primary election say the support of black ministers is particularly important in the remapped district, Steven Yaccino reports.

• Representative Paul D. Ryan's support for the tax deal sought by President Obama aligned the congressman with House Spe aker John A. Boehner, but put him in conflict with other close colleagues, Ashley Parker writes.

• The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, said that he would oppose any effort by the Obama administration to raise more tax revenue while sidestepping questions about whether he would favor a government shutdown in the fight over raising the debt limit, Brian Knowlton reports.

Around the Web

• All 19 living men who had the job of presidential chief of staff will be featured in a new documentary, Politico reports.

G.O.P. Senate Leader Says No to More Tax Revenue

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, made clear on Sunday that he would oppose any effort by the Obama administration to further increase tax revenue and that he remained focused on finding ways to cut spending as the government grapples with debilitating debt.

“The tax issue is finished. Over. Completed. That's behind us,” Mr. McConnell, of Kentucky, said on the ABC program “This Week.”

Mr. McConnell's appearance on three Sunday morning programs came just days after he, along with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., helped broker a resolution to the latest fiscal crisis, and as Wash ington was already bracing for a series of further confrontations over debt and spending.

Mr. McConnell's stance on taxes seemed to conflict with calls from Democrats, and even some House Republicans, to revamp the tax code in order to close loopholes and raise new revenue, although Mr. McConnell did say he would favor reform if it was “revenue-neutral,” meaning that any new tax revenue would be matched by spending cuts.

Mr. McConnell's focus on the need for serious spending cuts was relentless in his appearances on ABC, NBC and CBS. He was equally insistent that President Obama must l ead on the matter.

His spending-only stance stood in contrast to comments from the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, who said on the CNN program “State of the Union” that there was still plenty of room to increase revenue by closely examining “deductions, credits, special treatments under the tax code.”

Mr. McConnell's position also contrasted with remarks on Saturday by Mr. Obama, who said in his weekly address that he remained open to both spending cuts and further tax increases, following the fiscal agreement last week that made tax cuts permanent for most households and put off but cuts.

Mr. Obama, who was speaking from Hawaii before returning Sunday to Washington, emphasized his own line in the sand. Now that the government has reached its st atutory borrowing limit, Mr. Obama said that Congress had no choice but to raise the limit before late next month to avoid a damaging default. He said the matter was not up for negotiation.

“If Congress refuses to give the United States the ability to pay its bills on time, the consequences for the entire global economy could be catastrophic,” Mr. Obama said. “Our families and our businesses cannot afford that dangerous game again.”

Mr. McConnell, asked whether he supported those Republican senators who have suggested that a default, and even a brief government shutdown, might be necessary to secure deep spending cuts, repeatedly side-stepped the question.

“My answer is, hopefully we don't need to get to that point,” he said on ABC. “The president surely must know we're spending way too much. So why don't we do something about reducing spending?”

Mr. McConnell also suggested that other Obama administration priorities â€" including a ne w push for gun restrictions in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting â€" might have to wait.

Mr. McConnell was asked about reports that Mr. Biden, named by Mr. Obama to develop proposals to address gun violence, was confidently predicting passage of gun-control legislation this month.

Mr. McConnell seemed to cast cold water on that notion.

“The biggest problem we have at the moment is spending and debt,” he said. “That's going to dominate the Congress between now and the end of March. None of these issues, I think, will have the kind of priority that spending and debt will have.”