I heard something on NPR this morning that irked me, to say the least.
Since PBO took office over a year ago, there are still some 200 or so positions that are to be filled by his appointments. He has named people to these positions--don't misunderstand--but apparently there seems to be a little problem in getting the various Director-level folks into these positions. The little problem is ... partisan politics on the part of the Republicans.
Positions that normally are not required to go through the "hearing" phase are now being forced to do so because there is a certain faction in Washington DC that is hell-bent on bringing this country to its knees. It has become a matter of policy and political expediency over the years to not require certain positions (presumably less high-profile) to have to go through this phase, probably because the general sentiment has been that the longer a position is vacant, the less that gets accomplished in the agency since no one is "minding the store."
For instance, the individual named to take the Director position at the National Labor Relations Board -- for the first time in two decades -- now has to go through a hearing process. This notice came one day before his actual appointment was to start. And the Senator who decided to stall the process? None other than the esteemed Sen. McCain.
These appointments are now all subject to filibustering. How efficient and in the best interests of the people! It could take weeks, months or perhaps years to fill these at this rate. As someone here has said before, you just can't make this stuff up.
As someone else once said: "You people make my ass twitch."
Sign me up. I am TOTALLY ready for Obama to go on TV and announce that he was eleced to run the country and that the GOP is doing nothing but stand in the way. He should say what he said in the SOTU but eliminate all the niceties.
I think, if he would do that, his popularity would soar to 60% +. BUT.....and this is a BIG BUT, he and the democratic congress MUST proceed immediately and get things done. WHATEVER IT TAKES. Leave the republicans in the dust, NOW!!!!!
The GOP and others on the conserative fringe like the birthers, etc. are in denial that Obama was elected president. Frankly, I would like to see Obama grow a pair and just move on with his agenda. The GOP is not going to work with him and his administration and will continue to throw up road blocks every chance they get. Time for us to move on and move ahead without them.
"Palin is 'real" and Obama needs a teleprompter?"
I want to vomit, thinking that so many people actually believe that shit.
I firmly believe that what the GOP/TeaBaggers honestly want is for the country to absolutely implode.
Fail.
So they (backed by the Religious Right, which is neither) can come riding in on their white (gotta be white, you know!) horses and "save the country."
And then bring in their prayer in schools, evangelistic, conservative, Republican-is-good, gays-are-bad, no-abortions-allowed Christian government, thereby making America a theocracy.
One not much different from Iran. Only the name they refer to God is different.
I wish I had the words, or the startling insights my brother had. He would have been tearing this up.
REID: I mean it’s disgraceful. The Republicans are holding these people up for reasons that have nothing to do with their background, morality [or] competency of these people. … I think, frankly, the President should recess [appoint] all of them. All of them. He has been given very little recognition for the importance of the job that he has trying to find the best people in America to fill this position. No one can say Democrats did this when we were in the minority — we didn’t do this. There were people that were held up, but this something that is beyond the pale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMrKM8vednI&feature=player_embedded
hopefully, Sen Udall's bill to make each session of the senate make their own rules, disposing of all the old rules (and conforming to the way the House does it) will pass and we can have a working Senate again....
after all, don't they each make about $165,000 a year (remember times 100) on our dime? (and have the audacity to whine about how they have to struggle???)
Rarely a day goes by that the Republicans don't reinforce my opinion of them. "Lower than pond scum" sometimes doesn't even quite fit.
Were this England, I would say "Here, here." But now, I say, "You go girl."
Voice, the Party of No holding up the nominations isn't even based on ideology but just pure naked self serving pork greed.
Richard Shelby of Alabama put a blanket hold on 70 nominations because he didn't get his Federal government handout his party has been railing against.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/05/shelbys-blanket-hold-puts_n_450934.html
Not too concerned about "government waste" or even the best technology for our military fighting two wars. Nope, true to form, it's all about what's best for Richard Shelby.
MT4,
That segment includes my college educated engineer buddy. I told him that when I see Palin on camera I'm nearly brought to tears when I consider that many people see her as viable political leader material.
He responded that at least she's "real" and Obama needs a teleprompter...
The sad part is that "people are waking up and recognizing how bad a president Obama is"
The polls continue to show Republicans gaining ground on the Democrats?!??!??
This goes way beyond the crap as was practiced before. The Dems did hold up bush judicial appointees -- based on the highly politicized, partisan appointments many of them were -- anyone remember the qualifications "heck of a job Brownie" came with? or the hundreds of judicial appointments that began the dismantling of our judicial branch of government beginning with Reagan? Do you really think it merely coincidence that the five supremes just threw out 100 years of precedence to invent a new right for corporations? The holds put on Obama's appointees have NOTHING to do with honest differences or worry over political or philosophical positions...when the holds have been overcome, the appointees have gone on to confirmation by votes of 92-6 - demonstrating the lie of any basis for serious, committed oversight. The republicans are nihilists - interested only in destroying the USA as it was from the beginning up to Reagan -- and they are in the final stages into remaking into their own banana republic....
Regrettably, this goes back many, many years. So far, that I don't think anybody knows for sure who started this.
But, I know for a fact that the republicans did this to Clinton. And, the democrats did this to Bush 43 either in retaliation or in keeping with the age old tradition.
In this instance, the dis-organized democratic party, as des remarks, below, were as much to blame for their poor planning and lack of unanimity.
This wil not be the last we hear of this ridiculous practice.
You're right, and unfortunately there's a large segment of the population that will buy that hook, line and sinker. Same people that think TelePrompTers are elitist but writing on your hand is patriotic and mavericky.
Regardless of who is/isn't to be blamed for this, I think the net effect is we are going to have some really qualified people passing on appointments just because they can do without all the BS.
Before we hang this all on Republicans, Ben Nelson and Blanche Lincoln voted against cloture on the NLRB nomination.
It was also not a real smart move to hold the vote on a day when 4 Democrats and Bernie Sanders weren’t even there.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00022
Republicans will then blame Obama for not being able to achieve the simple task of filling admi positions...