Secret Holds

[Bikewer]

NPR this morning ran a segment on the use of "secret holds" by congress:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127368817&ft=1&f=1014

This in regards to Obama administration appointees needing confirmation. Over 100 of these nominees, many for rather critical positions, are being held up by these anonymous "holds" which any senator can invoke.
The disparity is pretty obvious; Bush administration appointees were almost always confirmed within a couple of days of nomination, and only 10 "holds" were used.

This is not a legal matter, it's senate rules. Some senators are trying to change the practice or to abolish it altogether, including Claire McCaskill.

Doesn't seem very democratic.....

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

I came here hoping to find a 2 day course in ultimate choke outs and deadly arm locks.

As you can imagine, as a trainee cage fighter, this is very disappointing to me.

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Throw this news article on the pile of "everyone suddenly against everything they were never against when the other guy did it" we've seen so much of this last year. Careful though, it's liable to topple and bury you alive.

 

[Lurker]

I'm with the Dems on this one. "Secret" should only rarely be used when it comes to Congress. Transparency all the way. I see no utility in a "secret" hold and we should know what our Senators are up to and what their views are.

 

[Brainster]

NPR this morning ran a segment on the use of "secret holds" by congress:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127368817&ft=1&f=1014

This in regards to Obama administration appointees needing confirmation. Over 100 of these nominees, many for rather critical positions, are being held up by these anonymous "holds" which any senator can invoke.
The disparity is pretty obvious; Bush administration appointees were almost always confirmed within a couple of days of nomination, and only 10 "holds" were used.

I'm not surprised that someone would get that impression from the article, but this is a skeptic board, right? The article says:

At a comparable time in 2002 when George W. Bush was president and Congress left for its Memorial Day recess, only 13 nominations had been pending in the Senate for more than two days.

But this ignores the differences in Bush's circumstances in early 2002 (still riding his post-9-11 high in popularity polls, with Democrats frightened to challenge him). It also doesn't tell us, for example, how many holds there were in, say 2006, which would be a much more comparable time period.

That said, I don't see why the 6-day rule mentioned in the article shouldn't be enforced:

Two years ago, the Senate voted to require that the names of those placing secret holds be made public within six legislative days. But the rule has rarely been honored.

 

[MattusMaximus]

I don't think whoever is hiding behind these holds is going to have any cover for much longer. It seems Sen. McCaskill is only 3 signatures away from basically getting a rules change on the secret hold in the Senate - and she's got bipartisan support for it.

Once the rule change takes place, it will be interesting to see how quickly those holds are released.

 

[Jekyll's Guest]

I don't think whoever is hiding behind these holds is going to have any cover for much longer. It seems Sen. McCaskill is only 3 signatures away from basically getting a rules change on the secret hold in the Senate - and she's got bipartisan support for it.

Once the rule change takes place, it will be interesting to see how quickly those holds are released.

To hell with that. If they've got them in a good grip, their opponent should have to tap out.

 

[theprestige]

Personally, I'm holding out for the most ironic interpretation: The dreaded BusHitler was actually more moderate, bipartisan, and inclusive than the great Obamassiah.

 

[leftysergeant]

Personally, I'm holding out for the most ironic interpretation: The dreaded BusHitler was actually more moderate, bipartisan, and inclusive than the great Obamassiah.

Actually, people were still in a post traumatic state of induced stupidity during the Shrub's time in office.

 

[Beerina]

What goes around comes around. Things will flip and the Republicans will be in control. Perhaps this November even.

 

[Puppycow]

That said, I don't see why the 6-day rule mentioned in the article shouldn't be enforced:

Oh, they got around that. Every 6 days a different senator puts a new hold on the nominee. They take turns. That way they can do it forever.

I think it's total BS whichever party does it.