Alabama Senator Blocks Obama Appointments until he get his own way... - New England Patriots Forums

***DarrylS*** · 02-05-2010, 04:29 AM

Another congressman with the Beltway Disease, its symptons include excessive belching, frequent whining, need for excessive cash and stamping their feet unless they get their own way.. power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.. no where is it more evident than it is in the Senate..

Ala. senator blocks nominees over Air Force tanker contract - FederalTimes.com

Quote:

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., has placed "holds" against several of President Obama's nominees in an effort to force presidential action on the Air Force refueling tanker and other matters.

A hold means that the Senate cannot vote on the nominee. An aide to Shelby confirmed that the holds had been imposed, but he did not identify the nominees.

Shelby is particularly peeved about the refueling tanker because a tanker contract worth up to $35 billion was awarded to Northrop Grumman and Airbus last year, but later voided in a bid protest filed by Boeing. The Northrop tankers would have been assembled in Mobile, Ala.

Shelby also wants Obama to release funds so the FBI can build a Terrorist Explosive Devices Analytical Center in Alabama, the statement said.

Report: Shelby Blocks All Obama Nominations In The Senate Over AL Earmarks | TPMDC

Quote:

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has put an extraordinary "blanket hold" on at least 70 nominations President Obama has sent to the Senate, according to multiple reports this evening. The hold means no nominations can move forward unless Senate Democrats can secure a 60-member cloture vote to break it, or until Shelby lifts the hold.

"While holds are frequent," CongressDaily's Dan Friedman and Megan Scully report (sub. req.), "Senate aides said a blanket hold represents a far more aggressive use of the power than is normal."

The Mobile Press-Register picked up the story early this afternoon. The paper confirmed Reid's account of the hold, and reported that a Shelby spokesperson "did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking confirmation of the senator's action or his reason for doing so."

A San Diego State University professor and Congressional expert told the Mobile paper "he knew of no previous use of a blanket hold" in recent history.

PatsFanInMaine · 02-05-2010, 05:09 AM

The programs in question are not earmarks. If the nominees are qualified, certianly the Democrats could find at least one moderate Republican(Snow, Collins...) for the 60 votes.

***DarrylS*** · 02-05-2010, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsFanInMaine

The programs in question are not earmarks. If the nominees are qualified, certianly the Democrats could find at least one moderate Republican(Snow, Collins...) for the 60 votes.

So you assume that the Northup Grumman Tanker is superior to the Boeing Craft, perhaps Earmarks is a poor choice does not diminish the gluttonous behavior of Shelby..

PatsFanInMaine · 02-05-2010, 05:53 AM

The only assumptions I make is that this has nothing to do with airplanes and everything to do with politics. There are no political downsides now to opposing the Obama administration.

***DarrylS*** · 02-05-2010, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsFanInMaine

The only assumptions I make is that this has nothing to do with airplanes and everything to do with politics. There are no political downsides now to opposing the Obama administration.

Guess the situational ethics of the right rears its ugly head once again, this whole tanker is a bloated golden calf.. pitting various political forces, against an extablished bidding system..

Perhaps they should circumvent the whole congressional process to achieve their goals, rather than going through established competitive processes..

No downside??? not sure about that the party of no may take a few hits on these types of shenanigans.. opposition for the sake of opposition or for personal gain is not a very endearing process...

Imagine how the folks from the northwest feel about this type of thing..

Better still delete the whole thing from the defense budget.. there are enough tankers to go around, and they are not all that effective fighting the wars we are facing right now..

Shelby has been in the senate for 23 years now, and has considerable power and all of these folks make term limits a salient discussion..

***DarrylS*** · 03-09-2010, 02:47 AM

What is going to do now that he has held up 237 nominations and Northup has dropped out of the running...???

Shelby is one of those congressional dudes, aka nihilists, who whines about Congress being broken, all the while he helped break it..

Northrop drops out of bidding for $35B tanker - TheHill.com

Quote:

Northrop Grumman has dropped out of the bidding for the $35 billion tanker contract.

Northrop Grumman said Monday that it would not compete for a $35 billion Air Force refueling tanker contract after complaining the bidding process favored its competitor.

The decision is a huge victory for rival Boeing, which is now expected to be the only company to bid for the lucrative contract.

Mrs.PatsFanInVa · 03-09-2010, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatsFanInMaine

. There are no political downsides now to opposing the Obama administration.

Like all things done out of spite eventually it comes back and bites you in the azz.