Reid Agenda: 50 Obama Appointments (Harry Reid, Congress, enemy, legal)

[LauraC]

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to confirm 50 of President Obama’s nominees and move an omnibus spending bill in a last hurrah before Democrats give up power in the Senate. The nominees are part of a packed lame-duck schedule that Reid is furiously planning, and that will be a topic at Friday’s White House lunch meeting between Obama and congressional leaders."

Reid plots final days in power | TheHill

My question: What was he waiting for? If he had the votes to get them done immediately after the elections, he could have gotten them done before the elections. It's not like he was so busy doing something else. He sat on all of those House Republican bills so he wasn't busy there.

Are the nominees so awful/controversial that he didn't want to do this before the elections? Seriously, I don't know who they are or why he waited to vote on them. Will the Dems up for re-election in 2016 be likely to vote for Obama's nominees?

Also, unrelated to the above, if you were one of those nominees would you quit your current job and take a job knowing it was only good for about a year and a half and also tie yourself to a President that is now damaged goods? They go out with Obama, who is term limited, so they'd technically have 2 years but they'll all be job searching, and maybe quitting, in about a year and a half.

[BentBow]

Don't let them see what is really going on, or there will be a revolt. - Harry Reid

[~HecateWhisperCat~]

Originally Posted by LauraC

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to confirm 50 of President Obama’s nominees and move an omnibus spending bill in a last hurrah before Democrats give up power in the Senate. The nominees are part of a packed lame-duck schedule that Reid is furiously planning, and that will be a topic at Friday’s White House lunch meeting between Obama and congressional leaders."

Reid plots final days in power | TheHill

My question: What was he waiting for? If he had the votes to get them done immediately after the elections, he could have gotten them done before the elections. It's not like he was so busy doing something else. He sat on all of those House Republican bills so he wasn't busy there.

Are the nominees so awful/controversial that he didn't want to do this before the elections? Seriously, I don't know who they are or why he waited to vote on them. Will the Dems up for re-election in 2016 be likely to vote for Obama's nominees?

Also, unrelated to the above, if you were one of those nominees would you quit your current job and take a job knowing it was only good for about a year and a half and also tie yourself to a President that is now damaged goods? They go out with Obama, who is term limited, so they'd technically have 2 years but they'll all be job searching, and maybe quitting, in about a year and a half.

I don't think people care given that being in a top cabinet position for even 2 years assures a lifetime of good opportunities after they leave office. You also have to remember that half of those positions are judicial which carry life terms.

[legalsea]

Of course, there are quite a few nominees awaiting action.

Here is an interesting article about three Texas Federal court nominees, all nominated by President Obama in June 2014, and all three nominees supported by Senators Cruz and Cornyn (whom I believe are conservative?):

Texas judicial nominees could get Senate committee vote in November | Dallas Morning News

But I guess for Senator Reid to put them to a vote would be 'wrong'.

Here is an interesting website that tracks Federal judicial nominees:

In the News | judicialnominations.org

If you read through it, you gain some sense of how long the Senate takes to examine nominees, and how a single Senator may delay any action at all.

[Spaten_Drinker]

Originally Posted by Lucidkitty

I don't think people care given that being in a top cabinet position for even 2 years assures a lifetime of good opportunities after they leave office. You also have to remember that half of those positions are judicial which carry life terms.

Yep. Being associated with "Obama" is not good for your future job prospects. It shows you were hired because of your idealology and willingness to lie and not because you were the best qualified for the job.

[Ponderosa]

Republicans will prove to be their own worst enemy. It sounds like Cruz is already making trouble for McConnell (you have to read the article not the headline in this thread). The first act of the McConnell senate could well be the shutdown of the government. After that, we will have the spectacle of Republicans filibustering their own agenda.

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by legalsea

But I guess for Senator Reid to put them to a vote would be 'wrong'.

Here is an interesting website that tracks Federal judicial nominees:

I'm questioning the timing and why the Obama nominees weren't taken care of before the elections since there is no difference in the House and Senate make-up December 2014 versus all of the rest of the months of 2014.

[pghquest]

Originally Posted by Spaten_Drinker

Yep. Being associated with "Obama" is not good for your future job prospects. It shows you were hired because of your idealology and willingness to lie and not because you were the best qualified for the job.

I dont know about that.. Look at all of the lying the Clintons have done over the years.. havent hurt them one bit.

[legalsea]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I'm questioning the timing and why the Obama nominees weren't taken care of before the elections since there is no difference in the House and Senate make-up December 2014 versus all of the rest of the months of 2014.

I cannot make a person understand. However, read this simple article:

http://www.newsweek.com/judicial-nom...-slowly-260029

There is a process that the Senate follows. Simply because the 'nuclear option' was invoked by Senator Reid, does not mean that a lone Senator cannot slow down the process, such as returning the blue slip for nominees from his or her state.

Indeed, I doubt that Senator Reid will, when all is said and done, actually speed up much of anything. I doubt there will be last-minute confirmation of a bunch of judicial nominees, although there should be. I believe that judicial nominees selected by the President should be confirmed by the Senate, unless good cause (such as moral turpitude) exists.

I will note that President Obama has been surprisingly conservative in choosing his nominees (he also has been rather slow in picking nominees; I imagine he actually studies the names provided to him, as opposed to rubber-stamping approval as other presidents tended to do; I do not know, but I suspect). The fact that his three Texas nominees were blue-slipped by Senators Cruz and Cornyn is some evidence of such.

Here is an article from last May, about liberals complaining about the 'pro-business' nominees of Obama's.

Liberals Complain Obama's Judicial Nominees Are Too Conservative - Businessweek

I wish that life were as simple as some believe. "Obama only appoints liberals to the courts", etc.

[Globe199]

Originally Posted by LauraC

I'm questioning the timing and why the Obama nominees weren't taken care of before the elections since there is no difference in the House and Senate make-up December 2014 versus all of the rest of the months of 2014.

Probably because it's politics!