http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/report-shelby-blocks-all-obama-nominations-in-the-senate-over-al-earmarks.php

Quote :

"Report: Shelby Blocks All Obama Nominations In The Senate Over AL Earmarks Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has put an extraordinary "blanket hold" on at least 70 nominations President Obama has sent to the Senate, CongressDaily (sub. req.) reports. The hold means no nominations can move forward unless Senate Democrats can secure a 60-member cloture vote to break it, or until Shelby lifts the hold. "While holds are frequent," CongressDaily's Dan Friedman and Megan Scully report, "Senate aides said a blanket hold represents a far more aggressive use of the power than is normal." Shelby has been tight-lipped about the holds, offering only an unnamed spokesperson to reporters today to explain them. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke the news of the blanket hold this afternoon after Shelby announced it to him in a letter sent today. Reid aides told CongressDaily the hold extends to "all executive nominations on the Senate calendar." According to the report, Shelby is holding Obama's nominees hostage until a pair of lucrative programs that would send billions in taxpayer dollars to his home state get back on track. CongressDaily laid out the programs Shelby wants to move forward or else: - A $40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers. From the report: "Northrop/EADS team would build the planes in Mobile, Ala., but has threatened to pull out of the competition unless the Air Force makes changes to a draft request for proposals." - An improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI. From CongressDaily: "[Shelby] is frustrated that the Obama administration won't build" the center, which Shelby earmarked $45 million for in 2008. The center is due to be based "at the Army's Redstone Arsenal." Though a Shelby spokesperson would not confirm that these programs were behind the blanket hold, the Senator expressed his frustration about the progress on both through a spokesperson earlier in the day, the magazine reports. Back in Alabama, the Mobile Press-Register picked up the story early this afternoon. The paper confirmed Reid's claim of a blanket hold, and reported that a Shelby spokesperson "did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking confirmation of the senator's action or his reason for doing so." A San Diego State University professor and "Congressional expert" told the paper "he knew of no previous use of a blanket hold" in recent history."

He has now removed some of these holds after taking heat for grid locking government just to get his earmarks. But he's not alone in the GOP.

http://democrats.senate.gov/journal/entry.cfm?id=322052

Quote :

" Who are some of these nominees that Republicans have slow-walked? * General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the forces in Afghanistan * Secretary of the Army, John McHugh - a Republican - had a hold placed on him by Republican Senators * Democrats were forced to file cloture on Chris Hill, now Ambassador to Iraq. That vote ended up 73-17. In the wake of the Christmas Day bombing attempt, Republicans are still slow-walking two critical intelligence nominees: * Philip Goldberg, nominee to lead the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research * Caryn Wagner, nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis Remarking on Republican obstructionist tactics on the president's nominees, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said, "I have no doubt our friends on the other side realize that when we keep empty a critical office in the Pentagon, State Department or Department of Homeland Security, we are not keeping the American people safe.""

I think the President's surprise press conference today was right to say that the GOP in the Congress are going beyond their role of advice and consent for nominations and that he would consider *some* recess appointments if it came to that. I'm glad the President is manning up this year.

2/10/2010 2:07:01 AM

This guy acted like a shitstain and got called out so he backed down. Yes, other Republicans threw up roadblocks to nominations. So have Democrats in previous administrations. Your thread title is misleading in that it implies that the party was behind Shelby's ass-tactics.

2/10/2010 2:48:49 AM

^I highlighted him in the first half of my post because he has been one of the worst examples, but he isn't alone as indicated by the second half of my post. But I'll add some content to elaborate.

Quote :

"The role of the Senate in the confirmation process is defined in the Constitution. Article II, Section 2 provides that the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint high government officials." The Senate gives its advice and consent to presidential appointments to the Supreme Court and to high-level positions in the Cabinet departments and independent agencies. The Senate also confirms appointments of members of regulatory commissions, ambassadors, federal judges, U.S. attorneys and U.S marshals. There are more than 2,000 of these appointments. Democrats understand their constitutional obligation with respect to the confirmation process. For proof, take a look at President Bush's first year in office: * Only 3 nominees waited to be confirmed for at least 3 months Compare these statistics with President Obama's first year: * 46 nominees waited to be confirmed for at least 3 months * 45 of Obama's nominees lingered for at least 4 months * 9 waited for at least 6 months "

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/01/18/help_wanted%20?page=full

Quote :

"One year into the Bush administration, there were 70 appointees awaiting confirmation. One year into the Obama administration, there are 177. And dozens of those holds are directly affecting the agencies responsible for the United States' security and foreign policy, amid two wars and an amped-up terrorism threat. The United States has no ambassador to Ethiopia, no head of the Office of Legal Counsel, no director at the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, no agricultural trade representative. Indeed, the TSA spot wasn't the only one left empty when it was most needed. For instance, during the worst of the Honduran constitutional crisis, in June, the United States had no assistant undersecretary for the Western Hemisphere -- the position responsible for coordinating the response of the United States' policymakers for South America. Sen. Jim DeMint, a Republican from South Carolina, had slapped a hold on Georgetown University professor and longtime diplomat Arturo Valenzuela to protest the Obama administration's relations with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and its response to Honduras. (Valenzuela finally won confirmation in November.) The most absurd hold of 2009, perhaps, was on Miriam Sapiro, whom the Obama administration appointed to become a U.S. trade representative. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Republican from Kentucky, held up the respected Internet policy specialist's nomination over -- really -- candy-flavored cigarettes. Big Tobacco, with Bunning on its side, wanted the Obama administration to lobby against Canada's banning of flavored cigarettes like cloves, which are particularly popular among underage smokers. According to the New York Times, Bunning lifted the hold only when Democrats agreed to put a Republican, Michael Khouri, on the Federal Maritime Commission. (In the end, Bunning didn't even attend the vote that confirmed Sapiro.) Other holds have had only tangential relevance to the position in question. For instance, Southers isn't on hold over concerns about his work performance, political leanings, or employment history. DeMint (one of Congress's most avid holders, by reputation at least) is blocking Southers over concerns over unionization. TSA employees aren't permitted to bargain collectively, over fears that labor negotiations or strikes might disrupt airport security. Southers, Obama, and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano have said they would review the policy -- and thereby precluded the United States from having a TSA chief on the day of the attempted terrorist attack. Since the Flight 253 incident, DeMint hasn't backed down, telling Fox News, "[Allowing unionization] is the last thing we need to do right now." Then there's Lael Brainard, a former MIT economics professor and Brookings Institution fellow. The lauded economist was tapped to be the undersecretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department, spearheading U.S. economic policy relations with international governments and institutions such as the World Bank. But her approval was held up over muck-ups on her taxes. This year, she has not been present to negotiate the vital issue of currency exchange rates with China, for example, leaving ongoing talks to other members of the Treasury's staff. The Senate Finance Committee only just approved her, and Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa has said he might put another hold on her before the vote reaches the Senate floor -- not due to Brainard's politics or policies, but due to what he believes to be unfair Internal Revenue Service levies on small businesses. The hold on Brainard's and others' key trade posts isn't just harmful in Washington. It is attracting international attention. Foreign officials have voiced concerns that the United States' inability to sew up its higher levels of office demonstrates that the country isn't going to be a reliable and committed partner in trade talks, like the still-incomplete Doha round. Diplomatic officials in other countries also lament their empty embassies. The ambassadors to Andorra, Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Hungary, Mauritius, Mozambique, Serbia, the Seychelles, Spain, and Uruguay -- most entirely noncontroversial -- only won approval the day before Christmas. Indeed, in general, past confirmed diplomatic officials explain, the congressional process is harmful to the agencies impacted and, frankly, harmful to foreign relations. "

When I said GOP I meant GOP, not just the one guy.

2/10/2010 3:38:31 AM

Looks like showing some backbone got the ball rolling... somewhat

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/12/senate-confirms-27-high-level-obama-nominees/?fbid=CeukDESvFZn

Quote :

"Senate confirms 27 high-level Obama nominees Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama called Thursday for the Senate to continue acting on his nominations for high-level federal positions that have been stalled by politics. In a White House statement, Obama said the Senate confirmed 27 nominees on Thursday, "many of whom had been awaiting a vote for months." "At the beginning of the week, a staggering 63 nominees had been stalled in the Senate because one or more senators placed a hold on their nomination," Obama's statement said. Noting the nominees had received "broad, bipartisan support" in committee consideration, Obama's statement said "many holds were motivated by a desire to leverage projects for a senator's state or simply to frustrate progress." "It is precisely these kinds of tactics that enrage the American people," Obama's statement said. Earlier Thursday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters that former President George W. Bush had six nominees waiting more than a month for a Senate vote at the same point in his administration. Calling Thursday's confirmations "a good first step," Obama's statement repeated a threat he made earlier in the week to use recess appointments to temporarily fill positions if the Senate failed to act in a timely manner on remaining nominees. A recess appointment allows the president to temporarily fill positions without Senate confirmation when Congress is in recess. If the Senate then fails to subsequently confirm the appointment, the position becomes vacant again at the end of the congressional session. The current session of Congress ends in early January 2011."

2/14/2010 12:03:54 PM

so, Obama will threaten recess appointments. Even though both he and Biden railed against them when dubya used them. I like how you conveniently forget this fact. Call your boy out for being a douchebag politician

2/14/2010 6:24:37 PM

Based on the relative number of appointees dems let Bush have and the gop are letting Obama have, I think such a threat to grease the wheels is fine when consider the filibuster everything, gridlock everything, hold up everything GOP actions of late.

2/14/2010 6:34:04 PM

whatever dude unless the GOP bows down and gives in to everything the Obama Admin and Dems want people like Supplanter Boone and moron won't be happy. If Obama wouldn't have appointed all his Czars maybe the GOP would be willing to work with him on his nominees that need confirmation.

And once again I love how this all gets thrown on the GOP wouldn't 60 votes in the Senate have caused these nominations to go through. So once again some blue dogs and Lieberman also have to share in the blame too, but to make your point Supplanter you blame the entire GOP.

2/14/2010 7:14:23 PM

Quote :

"If Obama wouldn't have appointed all his Czars maybe the GOP would be willing to work with him on his nominees that need confirmation."

haha, wow

tell me, what do you think a "czar" is in the context you're using?

And assuming your premise wasn't blatantly idiotic (but i assure you, it is), do you honestly think there is any scenario where the GOP would "work with" Obama on anything? lol

2/14/2010 7:17:36 PM

so, it's OK for Obama to do what he complained about Bush doing, Supplanter? So much for the CHANGE we had all HOPED for. Guess you can't BELIEVE everything a politician says, can you?

2/14/2010 9:32:13 PM

^ weren't you and your cohorts complaining that Obama didn't have enough posts appointed a few months back?

And now you're complaining when he takes actions to push congress towards getting people approved?

Do you realize this game you're trying to play is only clever to the slack-jawed retards like Wolfey?

2/14/2010 9:58:03 PM

Quote :

"One year into the Bush administration, there were 70 appointees awaiting confirmation. One year into the Obama administration, there are 177."

If the GOP let them vote on 107 of the 177 people before the recess and then President Obama actually goes through with the recess appointments, I will be disappointed in him.

2/14/2010 10:01:59 PM

you're the one with the username moron, which is a perfect fit for you.

Also I do believe the GOP controlled both Houses during GWB's first two years, I could be wrong though since I am a slack jawed retard.


I think of a Czar like a President appointed lobbyist, they bring policy ideas to the White House and have influence over the President, but they don't have to be confirmed, which means they can be of questionable character by getting around that rule. Obama has appointed more Czars than any President beating GWB by 3 so far, both of which had more than 5 times the average of any President before them.

Its not the GOP's fault that the Obama administration are trying to pass huge policy changes that are far to ambitious. Unlike you though I don't agree with everything the GOP does. I think they should have passed the bipartisan budget regulation committee to curb spending. I agree with their hardline stance on the versions of health care reform passed by the Senate and House. I am not willing to be taxed on my pay check so the people of Nebraska and Louisiana can get better Medicare benefits. I want to see some form of tort reform, but that will never happen because half the politicians are lawyers that made their fortunes in civil court.

Obama ran on a platform of change and until recently its been politics as usual, just in the last few weeks has he made a conscious effort to reach across the aisle (Though I think this is a ploy to try and save Dems seats in both houses), but if he wants the GOP to work with him he has to be willing to compromise just extending the hand is not enough. Both sides are going to have to compromise to get anything done.

2/14/2010 10:39:23 PM

I agree, reaching across the aisle? It's a trap!

2/14/2010 10:43:23 PM

^^ so in in other words, you agree that the GOP has been blindly opposing everything the democrats/obama have been trying to do. thanks.

2/14/2010 11:38:27 PM

Quote :

"you're the one with the username moron, which is a perfect fit for you. "

SICK BURNNNNN!

2/15/2010 2:30:46 AM