Republicans won't budge on secret holds on Obama nominees

[sabra]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) – Frustrated Democrats went to the Senate floor Friday to seek Republican approval for a long list of administration nominees currently blocked by controversial secret holds placed by GOP senators.

But a Republican senator objected to each of them as they came up.

"Most of the people on the list, we don't know why they're sitting there. We don't even know who's making them sit there," complained Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, who is spearheading Democratic efforts to banish secret holds. "Enter stage left, the anonymous hold. Or as I like to call it, nobody can blame me cause they don't know who I am."

McCaskill said the delay in approving these nominees is particularly agonizing because most of them passed out of committee with little or no opposition.

"If there is a legitimate complaint or grievance against any nominee, I think any senator has a right to be heard and appeal to the body for a vote," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat, said Thursday. "But secret holds, I think, have become a reprehensible part of the process here and need to end."

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/07/republicans-wont-budge-on-secret-holds-on-obama-nominees/?fbid=VP2LgjjHQ1T

[damntexdem]

1. Time for some recess appointments.

When's the next Senate recess?

[OnyxCollie]

2. How many U.S. Attorney nominees have holds on them? nt

[Tx4obama]

5. Here's a link to a list of the holds

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126528338&ps=rs

[OnyxCollie]

14. I gave Obama the benefit of the doubt

that some of the holds were US Attorneys, but apparently he's OK with the good bushies that were left behind.

[Tx4obama]

16. There have been some U.S. District Attorneys confirmed recently

Look on these links and do a Control F and search for ATTORNEY, and you'll see some.
April 2010: http://democrats.senate.gov/calendar/2010-04.html
May 2010: http://democrats.senate.gov/calendar/2010-05.html

[OnyxCollie]

17. That's cool!

Thank you!

[Zenlitened]

3. What is the downside, at this point, to just making the obstructing Senators' names public anyhow?

Maybe the Dem leadership should tap into the public's disgust with these parliamentary games... stand up loud and proud... and say, "Yeah we just blew up 'Secret Hold.' How ya like me now?"

:shrug:

[SpiralHawk]

4. Republicons & occultism go together

Like rentboys and evangelists.

[leftynyc]

6. I'd do ten recess appointments this week

20 next week and so on until the madness stops. And make a big public stink about it the whole time.

[ashling]

7. Pass a Senate Resolution

naming each one of the positions stating that it is the sense of the Senate that these positions do not require the approval of the Senate ... at least as to the perfunctory administrative positions.

[SoapBox]

8. Well of course they won't budge...

because, when the Party of NO, says NO...they mean NO!

2010 and 2012...just say NO to the Party of NO.

[Scuba]

9. The Republicans are shameless

[Vidar]

10. The last refuge of cowards.

[justgamma]

11. Up or down vote!

Up or down vote! Up or down vote! Up or down vote! Up or down vote!

Isn't that the Repubs mantra? Maybe the Dems should use it every single time they are on the air. Yell it out. Get outraged.

[24601]

18. That might be a good argument had Senator Obama not personally

filibustered a USSC nomination. But after you vote to deny an up or down vote, you lose your credibility to insist on any vote.

[NJmaverick]

12. K&R

[Thor_MN]

13. Shame the sensibilities of the 6th Ammendment can not be applied

Granted, that is for criminal prosections, but why shouldn't appointees be afforded the right to confront their accusers?

[classysassy]

15. What happened to american democracy?

Every one of those southern dixiecans should be shipped off to gitmo.