Senator Shelby Puts Hold On ALL Obama's Nominations

[KittyWampus]

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


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: " 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 account of the 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.

[Cha]

1. Fucking extortionist!

What can be done to him instead of for him?

[DarthDem]

2. Okay - - That's It

Senate rules have to be changed, and the filibuster has to be abolished. (I realize that the filibuster is not the same thing as a hold - - what I mean is that the cloture threshold needs to be lowered or abolished entirely.) It's that simple. Holding up all executive nominations - - and thus the nation's business - - because of two pet projects? Not that I expect anything less than this from a piece of scum like Shelby, but this is the last straw.

I know that in the past, Dems have been reluctant to go down this road because they won't be able to filibuster Republican proposals, but honestly, how often do Senate Dems really use the filibuster anyway?

Time for this dysfunctional institution to mend itself. Immediately.

[LynneSin]

22. Yes because democrats will always have the majority......

:eyes:

Trust me, one day they will be back in charge and you'll be glad of some of the judges we prevent getting on the bench (which we have kept some real doozies off)

[OnyxCollie]

3. At least 70 nominations?

I'm guessing those 70 are likely US Attorney nominations.

[jaysunb]

4. Will DU'ers continue to pile on, in light of

what's "really" keeping change from happening ?

This kind of tactic along w/ the media blackout on reality should be every progressives focus and fight.

Wake up people....

[gateley]

5. Jesus. It's like a hostage situation! But it's legal for them to do this? Dumbfounded. nt

[Kat45]

6. Sounds like blackmail to me.

What is wrong with these people?!

[donheld]

7. How else whould one define it?

[Make7]

8. Senator Shelby's hypocrisy on judicial nominations

 

As a U.S. Senator, I believe that the review of judicial nominations is one of the most important responsibilities of the Senate, and I firmly believe that each of the President's nominees should be afforded a straight up-or-down vote. I do not think that any of us want to operate in an environment where federal judicial nominees must receive 60 votes in order to be confirmed. To that end I firmly support changing the Senate rules to require that a simple majority be necessary to confirm all judicial nominees, thus ending the continuous filibuster of them.


http://shelby.senate.gov/public

Question: On the Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Nomination of David F. Hamilton, of Indiana, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit.)
Vote Date: November 17, 2009

NAYs ---29

Barrasso (R-WY)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)


http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists

 

[Ardent15]

9. Racist asshole Repubican is racist asshole. nt

[BuelahWitch]

10. Obama needs to start acting like Lyndon Johnson

Do some arm twisting. Or send Rahm to do it.

[grytpype]

11. How do Republicans get away with every fucking thing?

They break every goddamn rule in sight, while the Dems just roll over because they're afraid of throwing a goddamn punch!

[gkhouston]

12. I hope they bring this up in the WH presser. I'd like to see them face this

jerk down for abusing his power as a Senator.

[grantcart]

13. Just in time to take the wind out of the Teabagger's sails

[glinda]

14. Dems need to bust this up!!!!!!!!!!! Our Country is in peril!

[GoCubsGo]

27. I'll settle for the Dems bringing it up EVERY time one of them faces the MSM

This is the first I am hearing about this. I have MSNBC on in the other room. Not a peep from them, and I have had them on for about an hour. People need to see what's going on. They won't, because exposing what Shelby is trying to pull interferes with the "the Dems are going to lose Congress in November", and the "Obama's administration is in shambles" memes they are pushing as of late.

[47of74]

15. When will the President get it?

These Republican shitbags have no interest in doing what's right, working for the common good, or any of that stuff. It's time for him and the Democrats to stop kowtowing to these no good, four flushing idiots and start doing right by the American people.

[JDPriestly]

16. Obama needs to go to town and talk, talk, talk, about Shelby's earmarks.

Shame on Shelby. What a creep. And the Republicans are the first to complain about earmarks.

These earmarks need to be the frontline in the battle against fat in the budget. Wasteful spending.

If these projects were needed or even justified, Shelby would not have put holds on all the appointments in order to get passage of the funding.

The President will have even many Republican voters behind him if he fights Shelby on this.

Don't give in, Mr. President. We in California are suffering just as much as the folks in Mobile.

[mfcorey1]

17. I am mad as h*** and I anm not going to take it anymore

When will this end? There has to be something that can be done about this blantant defiance of basic government operations. We need a massive march on Washington.

[JI7]

18. FUCKING RACIST ASSHOLE

the black guy better do what he says or elseeeeeee

FUCKING SCUMBAG.

AND THE FUCKING DEMS LIKE BAYH AND ANY REPUBLICAN WHO WANTS TO SAY THEY AREN'T RACIST BETTER SPEAK AGAINST THIS SHIT AND GIVE THE VOTES .

[zbdent]

19. hmm ... and not long ago, Repugs and Teabaggers were screaming about

Obama having to "bribe" someone to get something passed ...

Doesn't this sound like bribery?

$40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers, improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI.

$40 billion to Shelby's "constituents"? How does he expect Obama to pay for this bribe?

[KittyWampus]

21. yes,it does sound like blackmail or bribery or back room deals. But IOKIYAR.

[zbdent]

30. and watch, if he gets it, ...

he'll vote against it ...

and then rail against all the (unidentified) pork the Dems put into the bill ...

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

20. HOw do they reconcile this with their earlier outrage at the "Louisiana Purchase"

as they called it and the Medicaid infusion specific to Ben Nelson that they raised such a ruckus over?

I thought they HATED earmarks and "pork" ?

Republicans disable government when they aren't in charge. They have a long tradition of this dating back to when Newt Gingrich closed down government over being miffed at being snubbed on Air Force One. It's all about them. Screw the country. Screw the citizens. If they don't get what they want, they will shut down government over it.

If the Dems don't raise hell over this and talk about it at each and every opportunity, they are a lost cause.

[bdamomma]

23. ..............

they never stop, what scum they are.

[PoliticalOne65]

24. To the San Diego Professor

One time they did a blanket hold on nominations was when LBJ took office after JFK's assassination. Not to hurt LBJ though, but because congress was trying to figure out the ramifications of the transition. Everyone was still reeling from the death of the president It was dropped shortly thereafter.

[Odin2005]

25. This is BLACKMIAL!

:grr:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. Another Rethug annoints himself king

Sadly, there are Dems who will sit back and take this.

[Blackhatjack]

28. Are You Listening Democrats? NONE of Bush's Nominees Should Have Been Confirmed...

And if we ever find ourselves in the minority again our job will be very simple, mail in a blanket hold and everyone can sit back and toast themselves with a bit of the bubbly!

I tell you, Repubs never let hypocrisy stand in the way of getting what they want.

I hope Democrats take every opportunity to blast Shelby over this blanket hold.

And just maybe there will be some pushback ... sounds like Sen Shelby needs a change in office space which is determined by the majority Party --wonder how those coat closets would do?

[Heywood J]

29. Reid has no spine

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."

"What letter? I never received any letter?" How hard is that, Reid? Tear up any unsolicited letters from Republicans that arrive at your doorstep - it'll only be shit like this.

Besides, a Senate hold is more of a respectful tradition than anything else. Whatever happened to Bernie Sanders' hold on Bernanke? That didn't stop them from reconfirming him. Evidently there's a way to get around this, but they're just not willing to use it - except on their own side.

[JerseygirlCT]

31. Take it to the people

This is the time for public relations and press...

This should get Reid out in front of the cameras, and Obama as well. This man is holding up government at a critical time, in order to secure pork.

Might piss off some Alabamians, but the rest of the country should know about this and be rightfully angry.