"My expectation and hope is that Chuck Hagel, who richly deserves to get a vote on the floor of the Senate, will be confirmed as our defense secretary," Obama said in a Internet question-and-answer session hosted by Google+. "It's just unfortunate that this kind of politics intrudes at a time when I'm still presiding over a war in Afghanistan."

The US Senate voted narrowly on Thursday to block a vote on Hagel's confirmation but is planning another vote for Feb. 26 - when it is expected to pass. It was unclear whether Obama, when he addressed the issue, was aware of the Senate action, which happened in the middle of the question-and-answer session.