Anonymous Senator Places Hold On Key Obama Legal Pick Koh
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 was 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.
Josh
Matt
Eric
"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."
Did the source say the senator who put the hold on is a Republican? It's implied in the write-up but it wouldn't be unheard of for a Dem to be putting the hold in place.
June 3, 2009 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
David Hayes was confirmed by the Senate on May 20 - Bennett eventually dropped his opposition.
June 3, 2009 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Senate's rules need to be drastically overhauled to eliminate all this "senatorial courtesy" crap. It's bad enough that the institution is fundamentally undemocratic by its very nature; no need to add to that problem with all this 19th century bullshit.
June 4, 2009 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. The senate long ago sailed from the shores of a courteous body. It is now a UFC cage and any quaint rules are only abused. Do the advise and consent in a straightforward manner.
June 4, 2009 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama needs to just put these folks in during recess.
June 4, 2009 9:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't it time for another TPM call your Senator quest?
June 4, 2009 9:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please, somebody explain to me why it is that supposedly even the GOP is privately conceding that they can't stop Sotomayor's nomination (in spite of the furious smear campaign waged by the GOP leaders in and out of government), yet Dawn Johnsen can't get out of the goddamn committee. It's simply not adding up.
June 4, 2009 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds to me like the problems with Dawn Johnsen are not just coming from Republicans.
June 4, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Because you're talking about two separate issues — although they do spring from the same source (senatorial perogotive). Republicans do not have the 41 votes needed to stop a filibuster. That's a separate issue from a legislative hold, which any single Senator can effect.
June 4, 2009 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Obama needs to be more of a jerk and just appoint Koh and Johnson via recess appointments in August. He should have done them over the Memorial Day recess. The hell with the Republicans. They don't even realize that they have moved so far right that they are a clear and present danger to the continued well being of the United States of America.
June 4, 2009 11:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Indeed Mitt Romney gave a speech to the Virginia Republican Party last weekend where he adamantly stated that "American is a center-right country". How clueless. Of course this is also the same group that had Sean Hannity speak. Imagine the MSM outrage if any supposed journalist gave a keynote speech to a Democratic Party group? The fact that Hannity speaking to the Virginia Republican Party did not get any MSM coverage speaks volumes.
June 4, 2009 11:16 AM | Reply | Permalink