A Senate panel has approved the nomination of Arizona Adjutant General David Rataczak and forwarded the recommendation for his confirmation to the full body. The confirmation hearing sailed smoothly and garnered unanimous support. A similar effort to confirm the general failed last session when Sen. Jack Harper refused to hold a hearing for Arizona's National Guard chief. But this year, Harper gave Rataczak a hearing and even voted for the general's nomination. Harper, a Republican from Surprise who chairs the Senate Government Committee, explained the reversal by saying he feels it's important to have a “continuity in command” at this time. “There is one candidate for president that, rather than advocating that the federal government will secure the border, (is) saying that the border governors will verify that the borders are secure, and that leads to me believe that it will fall on the responsibility of the border states,” Harper said. “At this time I think it is important to have continuity in command, if that is going to be our responsibility.” Last year, Harper refused to hear Rataczak’s reappointment to a 5-year term because he was angry that the general testified against his proposal in 2003 to stage the National Guard training on the border with Mexico.