Reid, new Senate Minority Leader, scores first major political 'victory'

[WilliamPitt]

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/1_1/breakingnews/7512-1.html

Deal on Reid Pick for NRC Ends Nominee Standoff

By Emily Pierce
Roll Call Staff

Monday, Nov. 22; 03:00pm

Sen. Harry Reid (D) scored his first major political victory as the new Senate Minority Leader by securing a post on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an opponent of the government’s plan to send highly radioactive nuclear waste to his home state of Nevada.

With the White House becoming increasingly worried that Reid’s “hold” on nearly 200 nominees would prevent them from staffing their administration as they head into a second term, President Bush agreed this weekend to use his recess appointment powers to put Reid’s science aide, Greg Jaczko, on the NRC.

As part of the last minute agreement reached in the early hours of Sunday morning, Reid lifted his objections to confirming scores of Bush nominees, and the Senate unanimously approved 172 nominations to various posts including ambassadors, judges, and positions at various Cabinet agencies.

“I am extremely pleased that we were able to reach a deal that places a strong, independent voice on the NRC, while ensuring that nearly 200 other federal posts will be promptly filled,” Reid said in a statement.

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) — a strong backer of building a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain near Las Vegas — also hailed the agreement, despite his earlier efforts to prevent Jaczko from joining the commission.

Domenici, in a statement, called the deal with the White House a victory because “We made clear that a nominee as controversial as Greg Jaczko will not be confirmed by the Senate for the sake of political expedience regardless of the pressure exerted by his advocate, Senator Reid.”

Indeed, the White House has to use the recess appointment option because Domenici steadfastly refused to allow the Senate to confirm Jaczko to a full five-year term on the NRC.

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[Skidmore]

1. Okay, what was traded for that horse?

[sangh0]

2. But, but, but

Reid's a Repuke! He must be because everyone on DU says so!!!

[JohnKleeb]

4. ha

people use that label way toooooooo freely :).

[DuaneBidoux]

3. WTF? Earned the right? Nevada EARNED the right to have the dump!

He ought to tell his own people..."I'm going to enforce the will of Bush." This state voted Red, as far as I'm concerned you can glow.

[ibegurpard]

5. Well, that's great for Nevada

And how many of those "scores" of nominees he agreed to release his "hold" on are good for the rest of the country?

[Spinzonner]

6. Threw him a bone

[flpoljunkie]

7. Let's see. We traded one nominee approval for 172 Bush appointees...

including judges and ambassadors. And this is a big victory?

[WilliamPitt]

10. I forgot to add my (irony) tags

[Ducks In A Row]

11. but remember what Reid traded for

"Reid’s science aide, Greg Jaczko"

I guess it's a better title than "personal assistant"

Remember that's how it started for the NJ Gov, ending with his resigning.

[ooglymoogly]

20. w-r-o-i-e-g-h-t

[bowens43]

8. Senate unanimously approved 172 nominations to various posts

I fail to see how this can be spun as a victory.

[mcscajun]

9. He rolled over...

"We give you one big thing You want...we get a whole lotta what We want. Deal?"

Political victory...uh-huh.

[welshTerrier2]

12. that should help lock up Nevada as a red state in 2008 ...

here we go again ...

we had the same bullshit with Daschle ... Daschle had to lean right if he had any chance to get re-elected ... and year after year, he sold the democrats down the river ...

reid is less vulnerable politically than Daschle, but he had something to sell and he sold it ... and down the river we go again ...

a win, fellow democrats, is when Reid stands up and fights something that's a core part of the neo-con agenda ... like cutting off funds for Iraq ... like not supporting the bloated deficit spending bill ... it's not about calling Reid a republican or any other name; it's about being an opposition party ... if this is the best the democrats have, and I hope it isn't, I'm outta here ...

if elected democrats don't want to fight against the neo-con agenda, I'll be looking for somebody who does ...

[Padraig18]

13. *GASP!* But, but, but....

You mean someone actually stood up to the Republicans and wasn't struck down by lightning??? Holy cow, Batman, who'd have ever thunk it?

:P

[WI_DEM]

14. ok, so he scored a coup for his homestate

that is good. Now let's hope he works just as hard to advance democratic principles on other vital issues.

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. boy if these are what passes for victories these days

:eyes:

He basically looked out for his home state. Big wheeee!

Meanwhile, 172 yahoos just got a foot in the door.

Go us!

<sigh>

[The Wielding Truth]

24. Looks like it --- what are we missing?? Are they being hypnotized???

[Teaser]

16. but...But...But Reid is gonna roll over...

*yawn*.

So many political novices on this board

[ibegurpard]

17. Ummm...did you read the article?

He DID roll over...for a nice "pork barrel" concern.

[Skidmore]

18. Yep, spent all his political capital in one place.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

19. umm did you read the article?

He did roll over

[ooglymoogly]

21. gee maybe next he will roll over on all the judicial nominations

to get on some more commissions and committees and the repubs can trumpet another dem victory. all the while chorteling in their fists

[LimpingLib]

25. The judicial issue actualy hurts us.

It is causing us to loose more Senators than even the DLC economic conservative policys and foreign policy elite domination of our party is causing us too loose. (though its a close call , maybe weve lost most of the looses we had coming over abortion)

Maybe if we made civil libertys a judicial litmus test we wouldnt be hurt so bad.But all Schumer and others ever care about is abortion , infact Schumer amitted he is "conservative" on police state issues. The southerners and others take notice.


WE might hold West Virginia in 2006 when Byrd retires because the Democrats in that state are pro life , pro civil libertys progressives and the top GOPer is Pro Choice.

Reid actually is the type of Senator that if there were more like him (refering to the economic issues and to some extant social issues) we would do alot better.

[LimpingLib]

22. Face it , Reid IS progressive by Senate standards.

The US Senate is corperate controlled territory.

Reid aside , we let the DLC cash cows select our Senate nominess in almost every Democratic state.

We were able to get an economic liberal like Reid in a then red state like Nevada in 1986 because we had a GOP incumbant to defeat and the DLC (less organized then and infact might not have even existed as such, but still around never-the-less) spends less time influencing elections in which the general isnt a sure thing.


People juts want a whipping buy with Reid. Its our party that sucks , structure wise.

People dont understand that the Senate is like 10-1 moderate Democrat unlike the evenly split House.

[Shakespeare]

23. Helps the people of NV, but the rest of us are fucked.

Gee, thanks, Reid.

[Skink]

26. Of course

It's my contention that the few honest politicians left reside in the house and they are vastley outnumbered.

[pmbryant]

27. So what concessions would you have wrung from the GOP?

The Senate "unanimously" passed these other nominations. Clearly they weren't going to be blocked no matter what.

Yet Reid somehow managed to wring a concession out of the GOP on nominations that were, by all appearances, totally non-controversial.

Fact it: Democrats have extremely little power in Congress right now. We don't have the numbers to block much of anything, and thus we don't have any negotiating power. We're going to lose virtually every legislative fight over the next two years.

We simply cannot trash our own every time we lose. If we do, we will have eaten ourselves to the bone and will not be able to mount the necessary counterattack.

It's time for to apply the 11th commandment to ourselves now: No more criticism of Democrats; all criticism should be of Republicans. They have the power; not us.

Peter

[DancingBear]

28. Gosh, I feel so much better now

that Dancin' Harry Reid has given away the store to make sure he gets re-elected.

Zell, come back, we're doing everything you asked for.

This party is so fucked...