Anonymous Senator Places Hold On Key Obama Legal Pick Koh

[babylonsister]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/06/koh--like-so-many-others--all-tied-up-in-the-senate.php?ref=fpb

Anonymous Senator Places Hold On Key Obama Legal Pick Koh
By Brian Beutler - June 3, 2009, 6:44PM


Add Harold Koh to the list of Obama nominees whom Republicans have decided to slow walk to confirmation. At least one senator is, anonymously, holding Koh's nomination, according to a Senate source.

Koh, who if confirmed will serve as legal adviser to the State Department, was reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about three weeks ago, but has languished ever since--a fact which, I'd imagine, makes him thrilled that he resigned as Dean of Yale's Law School in order to serve in government.

Recall that before the committee vote, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) also placed a hold on Koh's nomination. That delay only lasted a week.

David Hayes--an Obama Interior Department nominee--is was also being held, though in that case the responsible senator (Bob Bennett of Utah) is acting publicly. Their problems, though, are different from Dawn Johnsen's. In her case, Democrats simply don't have enough votes to overcome a filibuster.

Late update: A previous version of this post suggested that David Hayes' nomination was still being held by Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT). It is not. David Hayes was confirmed last month.

[sharp_stick]

1. This anonymous hold shit has to stop

I have no problem with somebody putting a hold on a nominee if they think they've got a legitimate point but at least have the fucking grapes to come out and tell people what you're doing.

Anybody that would do this anonymously is a gutless shit plain and simple. It should be posted in the record and on the holders web page for all to see and comment on.

[Vidar]

2. A pity they hadn't put a hold on his financial picks.

[ejpoeta]

3. they should have to do it openly and put their name on it if they are going to do this stuff.

they should give a cogent reason for it to. i agree that this anonoymous bullshit should stop. it's like the earmarks... now that folks have to put their name to it, they aren't as eager to do it. so let's put it all out in the open so that we can all be on the up and up.

[groundloop]

4. It's assinine that a single senator can hold up a nominee

Secret or not, it's absurd that one single solitary senator can keep a nomination from coming up for a vote.