Why can’t we get anything done? Well extreme partisanship is certainly one of the reasons. News that a “hold” has been placed on 70 of the President’s nominees is certainly disappointing.
Even more so when you note that the same Senator issued this in a press release in 2005:
As a U.S. Senator, I believe that the review of judicial nominations is one of the most important responsibilities of the Senate, and I firmly believe that each of the President’s nominees should be afforded a straight up-or-down vote. I do not think that any of us want to operate in an environment where federal judicial nominees must receive 60 votes in order to be confirmed. To that end I firmly support changing the Senate rules to require that a simple majority be necessary to confirm all judicial nominees, thus ending the continuous filibuster of them.
The best part is that the Senator is apparently holding out for billions *more* in pork for Alabama. He took a play out of his Nebraska colleague’s playbook and then seemed to multiply the dollar amounts by a few factors. Wow.
Say what you will, but this speaks volumes for their belief in their American people’s ability to get punched in the face and take it.