Sen. Shelby to release most of his holds on Obama's nominees

[IndianaGreen]

News just broke on ABC Evening News. Apparently Shelby is feeling the heat!

[Jennicut]

1. Hmm, I wonder what made him do that....

[brewens]

4. I know, kind of makes you wonder if they gave him something.

They better not have. That situation would have looked uglier the longer it went and ended up in Obama's favor.

[IndianaGreen]

5. It sure was not out of altruistic motives

According to ABC News, they have been pushing Shelby's office for an explanation for holding 80 nominees hostage. The ABC correspondent held a press release by Sheby's office in which Shelby is quoted as saying that he only put a hold in order to get Obama's attention. Now that he has, according to Shelby, there is no need to keep holding up 80 nominees.

A bullshit excuse. Exposing this asshole for what he did is what turned the trick!

[Cali_Democrat]

10. He did it to get Obama's attention?

Our goverment is so broken it's not even funny.

[Enrique]

9. maybe his own party leadership

holding up national security nominees over EARMARKS for chrissakes. For PORK. That could be used against every republican, and the dems were showing signs that they were going to do it.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. I won't release my absolute hatred of the man, however.

[NewJeffCT]

3. Did Reid threaten to go into recess

so Obama can recess appoint them all?

[eShirl]

8. he should anyway

[merh]

11. That doesn't do any good.

Bush did that with Pickering on the 5th circuit, when congress came back they still refused to affirm the nomination.

It did personally benefit Pickering, he was able to retire at the rate of pay the 5th Circuit judges are paid which was a step up from the US District Court.

[NewJeffCT]

12. Pickering was a far right radical, though

Obama's picks are considerably more moderate.

[merh]

14. Not all of them.

And that doesn't matter. The republicans are just being obstructionists.

The nominees still have to be approved when congress comes back into session.

[NewJeffCT]

15. I meant moderate

in terms of how far left they are in comparison to Pickering. There are certainly some liberals in the group, but nobody nearly as far left as Pickering is right.

[merh]

19. Again, that doesn't matter.

They still have to be affirmed by the senate.

Pickering was not, that is why the recess appointment failed to stick, it failed to do anything more than allow Pickering to claim the title and the retirement pay.

On May 25, 2001, during the 107th Congress, President George W. Bush nominated Judge Pickering for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated by Judge Henry Anthony Politz who had taken senior status in 1999, but Judge Pickering's nomination was not acted upon favorably by the Senate Judiciary Committee then under the control of Democratic senator, Patrick Leahy D-VT. Nevertheless, on January 7, 2003, President Bush renominated Pickering to the same position. With the Republicans now in charge of the committee during the 108th Congress, Pickering's nomination was voted out to the full Senate. With no way to stop his confirmation, the Senate Democrats chose to filibuster Pickering in order to prevent him from receiving a straight up-or-down confirmation vote.

...

Senate Republicans failed to overcome a filibuster of Judge Pickering's nomination on October 30, 2003, when he did not receive enough votes to invoke cloture and end debate on his nomination. Frustrated with the obstruction of the Senate Democrats, on January 16, 2004, President George W. Bush gave Judge Pickering a recess appointment to the Fifth Circuit.

[euphoria12leo]

6. Most of them.

Why not release holds on all the nominees? Maybe he's holding back just enough to
see if he can still get something.

[msongs]

7. obama keeps appeasing repubs, so shelby is satisfied who is really in charge nt

[8 track mind]

13. I'm seeing an image of

two big thugs holding Shelby by his legs out of a 10 story window, asking him to "reconsider".

:rofl:

[AwakeAtLast]

16. About damn time

Pretty bad for Repukes when they can't get any more use out of holding up appointments though, huh? :D

[Clio the Leo]

17. Awww! Someone give him a candy heart! NT

[David Zephyr]

18. It didn't happen from the goodness of his heart.

It's "the heat" as you say.

[Catshrink]

20. What's the matter, Shelby?

Can't stand the light of day?

[quiet.american]

21. So, he's releasing some of the hostages, eh? How considerate of him. nt

[Dinger]

22. Well, Well, Well. I Like It : ) (nt)

[BlueIdaho]

23. Shelby is a political terrorist.

There is a special place in hell for thugs like him.