Why is the refusal of the GOP to confirm the Surgeon General

[edhopper]

not a Media Outrage. With all the reporting on Ebola, do they not know this is important?

Can they only be outraged about inconsequential garbage?

[malaise]

1. The Obama administration and the rest of us have not made this central to

the national debate. It should be raised every day of the week.

[Chemisse]

2. For some reason, the Obama administration is just not making the effort to point this out.

Does he feel PR is beneath him? I can't argue with that, but he should at least have a crew of spokespeople out there making these points for him.

Half of the troubles with his presidency is due to a failure to dominate the political dialogue.

[former9thward]

6. It would backfire on him.

That is why Obama does not raise it. Reid refuses to allow a vote. He would have to attack Reid if he raised it.

[B Calm]

3. Same reason why the corporate media is not reporting about the ebola patient

who died and why did not have health care coverage in Texas.

They don't wan't to make the GOP look bad before the mid terms.

[former9thward]

4. The GOP has nothing to do with it.

Maybe that is why it is not a Media Outrage. Reid refuses to bring it to a vote. It is all on Reid. He could bring it to a vote today if he wished.

[Fred Sanders]

5. You are not aware that he did not have the votes? Do you know why he did not? If you were to know

you would not say that. Please research it.

The GOP had nothing to do with it.....are you on the right site?

[former9thward]

7. The OP is about the GOP.

They are not stopping a vote. If he does not have the votes he has a problem with his caucus.

[Fred Sanders]

8. Yes, he does. Do you know why he has the problem on this single nomination?

Other than not a single R will vote for any Surgeon General?

[former9thward]

9. No, but I don't care.

Let him have a vote and put people on the record -- both GOP and Democrats. He has 55 Dems.

[Fred Sanders]

10. You do not care to know....then I am done here, sir.

[JaneyVee]

11. GOP threatened filibuster because of NRA

[former9thward]

13. Not true.

The filibuster rules have been changed. There are no more filibusters allowed on Presidential appointments. Straight up or down votes now. That was an old excuse used over and over. No longer can he use that excuse.

[madokie]

14. Only on judicial nominees has the rules changed

Not on all Presidential appointments. You really need to get out more

[former9thward]

15. Really???

I think you should try to keep up with current events if you are going to post snarky posts. It can come back to bite you.

Democrats used a rare parliamentary move to change the rules so that federal judicial nominees and executive-office appointments can advance to confirmation votes by a simple majority of senators, rather than the 60-vote supermajority that has been the standard for nearly four decades.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-poised-to-limit-filibusters-in-party-line-vote-that-would-alter-centuries-of-precedent/2013/11/21/d065cfe8-52b6-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html

I doubt I will see a reply....

[JaneyVee]

24. Good info. Only thought it was judicial.

Either way, PBO doesn't seem like he's even mentioned surgeon general.

[rhett o rick]

18. What's with the, "You really need to get out more ". This poster is bringing up

some legitimate questions.

[840high]

20. Perhaps you need to get

out more.

[rhett o rick]

16. True but if that were the problem what would Democrats have to lose to bring up the vote?

What a great campaign tool for Democrats. "All Republicans are against the appointment of a Surgeon General at this critical time."
Maybe the problem is that Sen Reid doesn't have all the Senate Democrats behind him. That would certainly explain it.

[toddwv]

25. The NRA opposes the appointee

So there are some Blue Dog Dems joining the GOP. You can bet that Reid tallied the votes he had.

[former9thward]

27. Then expose them.

Up or down vote and let everyone be on the record. If it is a down vote then Obama can appoint someone else. What is the alternative? Let the nomination hang there forever?

[Fred Sanders]

28. You are not understanding the many posts that are trying to explain it to you kindly.

It is already exposed. The major media do not give a shit about Republican blockades.

You think the major media will cover a vote on an appointment being blocked, yet another one?......if you made it about Ebola only and not about appointments being blocked, ignore the NRA and the red state problems, then you may have a point. A complex political chess game, Reid knows what he is doing.

[former9thward]

30. You just don't want the Democratic Senators exposed.

That is the reason Reid won't do the vote. Got it...

[bklyncowgirl]

29. Put them on the record nt

[tritsofme]

12. Senate Democrats refuse to confirm him.

Since Reid went nuclear last fall it only takes 50+1 votes to confirm a nominee.

There are 55 Senate Demorats, but more than 5 have indicated they will not support the nominee, so Reid has not scheduled a vote he knows will fail.

[rhett o rick]

17. Who are the Democrats and do we know their reasons? nm

[tritsofme]

19. IIRC the NRA opposes the nominee

And Reid had no real desire to force the issue before November.

The vote was also scheduled only a week or so after another Obama nominee failed, and I think he was also looking to avoid repeat losses.

[Lee-Lee]

21. Red state Dems up for reelection

Don't want to touch anything even remotely close or related to gun control, and voting for an outspoken proponent of it for Surgeon General would be on that list.

I'm really surprised that the President didn't take that into account when choosing a nominee.

Here in NC a vote for him would be all over the airwaves against Kay Hagan before the end of the day.

[YoungDemCA]

22. My guess is they come from red states

And fear the consequences of defying the NRA.

Just a guess....

[jeff47]

23. Don't have a list handy, but they're the ones wetting their pants over the NRA. (nt)

[Rex]

26. Because the M$M works for the same paymasters as the GOP. nt

nt