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Monday, June 7, 2010 | 2:06 a.m.
As of Memorial Day weekend, 120 of President Barack Obama’s nominees to office have been idling in the Senate. Nearly all are victims of anonymous holds placed by Republican senators.
As NPR reported Thursday, there are crucial vacancies in the Homeland Security, Defense and Justice departments, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, among others, because of the holds. As well, there are five ambassadors and 29 judges who have yet to be confirmed.
This obstructionism follows the Republicans’ two infamous blanket holds on all of Obama’s nominees placed earlier this year by Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Jim Bunning of Kentucky.
Holds in the Senate are a serious matter. The senator who places a hold is telling the chamber that he will filibuster if the nominee’s name is brought up for approval. Unless released, a hold can kill a nomination, which is a setback for the administration and the country because it leaves a vital position open.
Senate rules do not allow anonymous holds, but that rule has rarely been enforced. All but 10 of the current holds are anonymous, and nine are Republican. Democrats say they don’t have any anonymous holds.
Anonymous holds are cowardly, but they’re not the only tool Republicans have been using to stop progress. The GOP has been bold about using filibusters to block legislation. In this current session of Congress, Republicans have tried 58 filibusters, tying the Democrats’ record. Republicans, however, are shy of their record, which they set during the 2007-08 session with 112 filibusters.
In response to criticism, Republicans have said that Democrats used the same tactics when they were in the minority. But Democrats never went to these extremes. Far from it, for example, current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada placed a “blanket” hold for a time on President George W. Bush’s nominees, but he allowed judicial nominations and those for the Defense Department and national security positions to move forward. And the length of the holds is growing. NPR reported that as of Memorial Day 2002, a comparable point in Bush’s presidency, there were 13 nominations that had been on hold for more than two days. Among Obama’s nominees, more than 108 have been on hold for more than two days.
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon are working to reform the use of holds in the Senate. Ironically, when they tried to bring the measure for a vote, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., objected because, he said, it wasn’t one of the “pressing issues” facing the country.
Grassley, however, said the use of anonymous holds might not have been a big deal in the past but now it is “influencing the productivity of the United States Senate.”
The Republican holds and filibusters are doing more than hindering the Senate’s work. When the president can’t fill jobs, it blocks the administration from governing. That may score points for Republicans with their base, but it harms the country. Republicans should drop these tactics and start working with Democrats for the good of the nation.
Harry Reid made his bones on obstructionism - stopping nominations and bills.
The LV Sun brags that "current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada placed a "blanket" hold for a time on President George W. Bush's nominees"
The LV Sun noted that "Senate rules do not allow anonymous holds, but that rule has rarely been enforced"
So Harry Reid could stop them anytime he wants
Perfect, the more people who are not put into office under Obama means less damage to America. The more nutcases appointed by Obama the more damage they'll do to America.
Sit back and look at who've they appointed, they've desecrated America from within and they have no qualms in further desecrating America into a human cesspool.
Myself and many others are pleased that Obama can't get more nutcases in office, thank you for not allowing Obama appointments to go through.
Imagine if Obama had a blank check and he could do whatever he wanted, America would be screwed and we'd become another third world country overnight. We'd be the land of "pinkos"!
stupid pathetic ugly lying always making a threat or fear mongering republicans are children...
itty bitty children...
who cry when they don't get their way...
boo hoo hoo...
I guess it depends on the definition of "progress". I am sure mine differs from that of the editorialists at the LVSun. Anyway, "Dissent is Patriotic".
The GOP has NOTHING to offer this country but obstructionism.....
The party of NO continues to show that they are incapable of governing.....
They had a chance (8 years to be exact) to show what they could do to move this country forward and they failed... Our currrent recession is ample proof of that very thing...
Now they refuse to work with the party in power, and they have clearly displayed their lack of respect or belief in the democratic process....
Birdie is correct....who in their right mind would vote for the "stupid pathetic ugly lying always making a threat or fear mongering republicans?"
I, Me, Mine. The Republican mantra. It's evil.
For all the allegations against former Senator Pat Geary, he would wheel and deal and people would get confirmed, one manila envelope at a time.
Enjoyed the article.
And the whole point of it all fits in with the Republican Party stated goal: They want only the complete and utter destruction of President Obama and his administration. And if the country grounds to a standstill and nothing gets done, even things that are needed to get done on a daily basis, they could care less. They would prefer to destroy EVERYTHING in America. Especially if the end result is the ability to yank back power again.
The righty rhetoric even stretches the bounds of credibility. They not only interpret issues how they want, but they slam into President Obama for reading from a teleprompter, bowing to a foreign dignitary, ridicule him for receiving a Nobel Peace Prize and other ridiculously over inflated events. The most recent idiocy was when John Boehner screamed and jumped up and down calling for Sir Paul McCartney to take back comments made about President Bush. This stuff all stretches beyond common sense. For some inexplicable reason, they believe everyone thinks like them. And then they look around in consternation when you scratch your head and wonder what planet these people come from. Oh. Wait. I know. Planet GOoPiter.
The editorial outlines the government obstruction, but that is pretty much the tip of the iceberg. The echo chamber of ultra right wing TV/radio churns on relentlessly. With the same goal. For every one hour of rational news, there is about 10 hours of neo-conservative blather. Fox News head Roger Ailes has made absolutely no change to his stated purpose in the sole intent of destroying President Obama's administration. The righty propaganda is spewed out by the minute on his station. And, don't get me wrong, they have a right to do this, but it's like they all trip all over each other for one upmanship on some contrived topic to make sure to slam into President Obama and his administration.
But what's hilarious is the more you ignore them, the more they spew out incredible lies, untruths, re-writing of history, shill for campaign contributions and fallacies.
We're driving them crazy. I can tell.
They blew it before. This President and his administration are fixing things. The track record clearly proves it.
And they are still blowing it. They are blowing it so bad that an offshoot of the Republican Party is doing a purity test to cleanse them (the Tea Party). And in the process, it is destroying the Republican Party.
All they can do is point to the past and say they will take over.
But this isn't the past.
In November 2010, we'll see the Republican Party die off, strangling in their own failed agendas and unintelligible rhetoric. And they'll be dead for at least a generation of so.
Rightly so, too. They need to wander around aimlessly. Til they figure out how to help the nation. And not destroy it because they want the power and the money again.
Democrats and their supporters are beginning to catch on that plain ole regular American citizens have had it with Odummer and his minions.
120 less socialist on the public payroll.
how com the republicans stopped saying: "drill, baby, drill?"
shill baby shill
Republics are still whining because of the humiliating voter rejection of 2006 and 2008 that moved them to the back benches after they had controlled the House, Senate and White House for years.
The GOP failed miserably so they're doing everything possible to make the Democrats fail. Problem is, unlike the republics, the Democrats aren't idiots and will keep fighting hard to move the country forward.
A must read: 'Propaganda Techniques of German Fascism." Just type into your search bar. After reading compare that to what propaganda techniques the radical extremist republicans and their political propagandists are using.
Republics are still whining because of the humiliating voter rejection of 2006 and 2008 that moved them to the back benches after they had controlled the House, Senate and White House for years.
LastThroes,
At least everyone was working back then. It's been all down hill since reid and pelosi took over.
Republican Obstructionism
Aren't the democrats the majority in the House and Senate? Didn't they have enough votes to cram that health care bull through without one Republican vote and against the will of 60% of the American people?
Now the Republicans are obstructing?
Republican Obstruction? Is that what the democrats are hiding behind..when they are starting to fear the voters so they won't proceed with their agenda of crap energy bull and amnesty and spend baby spend?
It ain't gonna fly..
These greedy republican crooks still don't
get it.
Republicans ruined our economy.
If they think voters will forget what these
liars did to our country, they are sadly
mistaken.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
xtra....
I guess, in your mind, the GOP is working hard with the Democrats to move the country forward...
Do I have that right? Absolutely no obstruction from the Republicans? Right?
The problem must be with the Democrats and the Democrats alone......do I have that right?
I'm all ears....fill me in!
EL_Lobo
Lets Sing
He looked 'round and said to his black greasy fireman,
"Just shovel in a little more coal,
And when I cross that old White Oak Mountain
You can just watch Old 97 roll."
It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville,
And the lie was a three-mile grade,
It was on that grade that he lost his air brakes,
And you see what a jump that she made.
EL_Lobo
To the 60% of Americans that opposed that health care reform..the Republicans did not obstruct enough
xtra....
Great song but only great when sung by Johnny Cash.....I don't think you & I could pull it off the way Johnny did....
xtra....
You didn't answer any of my questions....
EL_Lobo
Yes, the problem is with the Democrats and the Democrats alone..
xtra....
You're smarter than that....At least I think so?
Republicans destroyed our economy.
No amount of republican lies will ever change
that fact.
"progress in government"? Thanks for the chuckle!
The Democrats spent 8 years obstructing Bush's nominees, now you want to blame everything on Republicans?
The liberal media again cries foul when their own tactics are used against them
Lasthroes, come November the libs will be doing the same crying as you call it...
No law should be passed without a 2/3 majority. That way the people are represented.
shuttdlrl
Shoe is on the other foot and man does it hurt.
The Democrats are the party of minions.