Might I suggest having top Air Force procurers and others call up Shelby personally, or rather on national TV, and hammer him? It would make damned good tv.

aimai

I don't want to see this asshole or the state he represents get one plug nickel out of this.

Sorry Alabama, but you should pay for the extortion attempted by your senator. Next time, don't elect assholes to represent you.

Next time, don't elect assholes to represent you.

But that's all we ever get offered;>

He's up in 2010. Maybe we can take him out.

I suppose that was effective -- the scheme was hard to miss -- but ultimately futile.

I disagree. The Republican strategy has always been to throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. If Shelby had been successful, he'd have successfully derailed Obama's ability to make nominations with an absolute minimum effort.

So now he's only blocking some nominees? All he's doing is putting a hold on the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force; Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics; and Under Secretary of the Air Force?

That is not progress for the Democrats. The fact that the Democrats might be patting themselves on the back for this is evidence that the Republican strategy is working just fine.

Now why would you suggest limiting the tactic of publicly embarrassing assholes to those of the Rethug stripe? Embarrass them ALL.

The only logical thing to do now is fill every open appointment during the recess if they have not been filled yet. After that begin the process of moving the NASA facility out of Huntsville to a nice warm very democratic area in California of New Mexico. Then tweak the tax code to have an effect on wealthy Alabamabians.
If Shelby wants to play hardball, then fuck him up. Its the only thing they will understand.

Two points--First, Shelby used to be a Democrat. Second, the job market is intensely bad down here in Alabama, and we really need that tanker contract.

I'm surprised to have both heard about this story in the mainstream media and see that widespread awareness of it is beginning to have an effect.

But Shelby is acting like a toddler who is told not to touch something, so they remove their hand only to put their finger on it in defiance. He's testing the boundaries. I say put him in time out.

Any holds he still has during the next recess should be appointed, no question.

I suppose it is a good sign that these guys are at least embarrassable.

Second, the job market is intensely bad down here in Alabama, and we really need that tanker contract. -johndri

Ah, then it's perfectly acceptable to halt progress and threaten national security and attempt to shut the government down. It's a good thing jobs are so secure and plentiful in other states or who knows what would happen.

Alabama is already in the top 10 'welfare' states when it comes to return on tax dollars receiving well over $1.50 back for every dollar spent, so spare us the sob story. Shelby knows this is not the way to bring jobs to his state, and anyone with half a brain knows that was just his bullshit excuse for business as usual from the party of no.

"Shelby knows this is not the way to bring jobs to his state, and anyone with half a brain knows that was just his bullshit excuse for business as usual from the party of no."

Well at least you admit you only have half a brain. Keeping something from you until I get what I want is exactly how politics works.

Rest assured, this tanker contract is a very big deal here. If you "enlightened people" from other states want Alabama to quit being a welfare recipient, then you'd want us to have these jobs as badly as we want them.

The notion that a Democratic administration and Congress are going to steer a huge airplane contract to a foreign supplier, teamed up with an American operation in a state the Democrats have no chance of carrying is self-evident nonsense. Especially when the American competitor has its headquarters in the president's home town, and the planes would be built in a safe Democratic state.

Even given the Democrats propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, steering a huge tanker contract away from Illinois and Washington State to Alabama would be sheer political insanity. Not gonna happen.

Elections have consequences. Boeing won the the 2008 election.

I admit I haven't read into the details, but just on first glance, I'm wondering - aren't those three jobs ones that would have sign-off on a tanker deal? So, isn't keeping them vacant actually delaying a consideration of the deal? Sounds like Shelby's holding these three until they agree to decide the deal his way. It's not White House attention he wants, it's White House capitulation.

And not that I have any particular fondness for the Boeing Company, but as a Northwesterner I do have to point out that western Washington could really use the jobs, too.

I really don't see recess appointments controversial if they appointees have been in front of the Senate for a month or more.

If they were atrocious choices, the Senate could have rejected them. They can reject them any time they like, but while they're waiting, they can get necessary work done.

Bush's offense was putting in appointees who were never presented for confirmation. They ere never on any "waiting list."

It's apples and oranges. Sure, both fruits, but pretty different.

"Even given the Democrats propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, steering a huge tanker contract away from Illinois and Washington State to Alabama would be sheer political insanity."

Uhm, perhaps I'm a bit too much of a romantic, but I find your statement to be repulsive. The government isn't a cash cow and the victors aren't supposed to steal the spoils for themselves; and I was as offended when Republicans talk this way as I'm offended now. What next? Will we have our new head of the GSA give lessons to employees in how to best help Obama in 2012?

Government contracts should be awarded to the company that can do the best job at the cheapest price; not as rewards for what state they're located in. Kickbacks and payola are no way to run a government.

See, that's why I wouldn't make a very good president. I tend to be small-minded and vindictive, and I would fuck Shelby over so hard that he'd be sitting on the corner in rags, selling pencils from a tin cup. I'd also starve Alabama until they blubbered for mercy, as punishment for electing him.

That's the road to personal satisfaction, but it's no way to run a country. Thank whatever Gods you worship, Shelby.

The fact that the Democrats might be patting themselves on the back for this is evidence that the Republican strategy is working just fine.

This is ridiculous. When this story came out, we were assured that Democrats sucked because they have no messaging and nobody would ever hear about this story. Now here we are a few days later, after the media HAS run stories on it, and Shelby is embarrassed and has to lie about what he was doing; and now we're told that the Republicans won and we fell into their trap yet again.

What the hell is the matter with you people? Shelby got his plan stuffed into his face, yet you turn it into yet another Republican victory. And of course, I predicted the whole thing. I knew that Democrats would hit Shelby and that he'd retract his hold more quickly than I'd want him to, and then we'd be assured afterwards that Democrats suck and always lose and this would all be forgotten about.

The funny thing is, I always thought this was some big fear people had about Rove. Back when Rove was a political god, every move he made was considered by you people to be some masterstroke, and that we'd lose no matter what we did. But now I see that it wasn't just Rove. It's you guys. You see defeat in every action and your only solution is to cynically attack Democrats for not acting like Republicans; as if the hugely successful political dynasty they once crowed about ever happened.

It can't be stressed enough: Republicans are losers who lose far more than they win. Just because Dems don't always win doesn't mean we always lose. Proclaiming defeat after every victory isn't realism; it's a character flaw. There's nothing wrong with admitting that Democrats sometimes win.

Keeping something from you until I get what I want is exactly how politics works. -johndri

That's exactly why politics doesn't work. That kind of small, pettiness is what has dragged our country down for decades. It's exactly what the country said it did not want when it elected Obama. Only small minds devoid of nuance think that taking their ball and going home is a successful long term strategy. Justifying that idiocy simply as the way things work will only ruin us all.

Rest assured, this tanker contract is a very big deal here. -johndri

Again, you selfishly act as if Alabama is the only state in need of jobs, and mistakenly think that getting this contract would help minimize the need for tax income from other states. On the contrary, it's the tax money from other states the subsidizes the corporate tax breaks given out like candy on Halloween in many southern states.

It is not 'politics' to hold up the daily work of our government, to hold the entire country hostage, for what amounts to a convenient excuse, and despite needing jobs as badly as Alabama, the representatives of many other states have been able to not act like arses.

As I said before, this is par for the party of no's course, and Shelby would have come up with any justification for his behavior, but his course of action was determined long before his reason.

...you'd want us to have these jobs as badly as we want them. -johndri

I can't think of something I want less right now than for Alabama, by virtue of the country at large, to give a subsdized contract to a foreign company, especially given the boorish and inane behavior of its representatives and present residents.

Would that I only had half a brain, that would still leave you infinitely unarmed in this battle of wits as you pursue a defense for the indefensible.

I'm with Mark. I lived down there for long enough to know how the game is played. The victor always indulges in serious payback.

Shelby is holding out for a "counterterrorism center" in Alabama, of all places. Of course, if you suggested moving any actual terrorists there he would wet his pants.

You know what would be really great? If Harry Reid said to XXXX: "Oh, so you have placed a hold. Well I am ignoring you: all in favor of the nomination say 'Aye', all opposed 'Nay'. Done. Nomination confirmed. Let the record show that the majority was opposed by XXXX. Now on to other business."

Yes, that would be great. The Republicans would scream like they were being boiled alive, of course, but they would know in the carbonized black pits where their hearts used to be that they would do the same thing if the situation were reversed; and be afraid. Those among the American Booboisie who were paying attention would respect Harry Reid for his eleventh-hour display of toughness, and perhaps his wagon-rut-level ratings would go up a little. The business at hand would be accomplished, and the only real loser would be XXXX, who would suddenly feel like he had shit his pants in public.

Unfortunately, Harry Reid has a spine of purest al-dente fettucine, and he will continue to cling senselessly to the familiar senate procedures which have so dramatically failed him.

I'm glad the info got in the MSM, but I did notice that it only did so AFTER it was reported in liberal blogs. If the Democrats had done this to a Republican president, my experience leads me to very much doubt it would have taken so long for the MSM to report it widely.
And when did Shelby start this nomination boycott, anyway?

"Would that I only had half a brain, that would still leave you infinitely unarmed in this battle of wits as you pursue a defense for the indefensible."

What I am defending is the needs of my friends, neighbors and family. You are defending a Democratic strategy to try and embarrass republicans. I could care less about either party, and I seldom vote for their candidates (wrote in Kinky Friedman for president). I do care a great deal about my hometown, as I'm sure you do yours.