Richard Shelby

Richard Shelby Drops Blanket Holds, Says They Were A Success

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 9, 2010, 9:42AM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has dropped all but a handful of the 70-plus holds he placed on President Obama's nominees last week. Shelby's office told TPMDC today that the goal of the blanket holds had succeeded three days after it was reported and roundly attacked by Democrats and the White House.

"The purpose of placing numerous holds was to get the White House's attention was to get the White House's attention on two issues that are critical to our national security," Shelby spokesperson Jonathan Graffeo said in a statement, referring to two programs that would sent billions in taxpayer funds to Alabama. Shelby will continue his hold on several Air Force and Pentagon nominees.

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Blanket holds

Dems Slam Shelby Blanket Hold: 'There Are Empty Chairs At The Pentagon' (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | February 5, 2010, 4:43PM

The Democratic National Committee has pulled together a new Web ad going after Sen. Richard Shelby's blanket hold on President Obama's nominees, saying that Republicans are holding national security hostage.

Top DNC operatives tell TPMDC they are considering some television ad concepts and want to really press the point that Republicans should pay the price for holding up nominees in the Defense Department and Homeland Security.

"We are going to make sure they pay it," the operative said.

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Richard Shelby

White House Uses Official Blog To Lash Out At Shelby

Rachel Slajda | February 5, 2010, 2:07PM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and President Obama

The administration today used the official White House blog to lash out at Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), who, as we reported today, has put a hold on President Obama's nominations in order to get two big projects done in his home state.

"This is just the latest example of this kind opposition for opposition's sake that the President talked about earlier this week," wrote White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer. "This strategy of obstruction is preventing qualified people from doing their jobs on behalf of the American people and it's preventing real work from getting done in Washington."

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Harry Reid

Dems Decry Shelby's Senate Hostage-Taking--But Did They Do The Same?

Brian Beutler | February 5, 2010, 1:49PM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and President Obama

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has decided to place a hold on all pending executive branch nominees, and that has all of Washington asking: Who does such a thing?

A Senate leadership aide even says: "I am not aware of that ever happening."

But it has happened. And perhaps the most recent perpetrator was none other than Harry Reid, before he became Senate Majority Leader.

"Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is increasing pressure to have one of his aides confirmed to a top post at the federal agency that will decide the Yucca Mountain Project," reads a June 2004 article in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

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Mitch McConnell

McConnell's Office Questions Shelby Story, Then Kicks 'Hold' Questions Back To Him

Christina Bellantoni | February 5, 2010, 11:25AM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Given all the accusations of Senate Republican obstructionism, we checked in with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell about Sen. Richard Shelby's blanket holds on President Obama's nominees.

A McConnell spokesman at first questioned the legitimacy of the Shelby story, asking if the Alabama senator had confirmed the holds.

When told about Shelby's statement detailing why he's holding the nominees, the spokesman then declined to comment.

"Sen. Shelby's office will comment on his holds," the spokesman said.

The White House is not amused.

Richard Shelby

Shelby's Office Confirms Holds, Lashes Out At Obama

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 5, 2010, 11:25AM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

Sen. Richard Shelby's (R-AL) office has confirmed to TPMDC the reports that Shelby has placed a hold on President Obama's nominees over a pair of government programs set to be based in Alabama. He did not confirm that Shelby has taken the rare step of blocking all of Obama's nominees, as was reported yesterday.

"Sen. Shelby has placed holds on several pending nominees due to unaddressed national security concerns," Shelby spokesperson Jonathan Graffeo said in a statement. "Among his concerns" are the progress on multi-billion dollar defense contract that would see planes built in Mobile, AL and Obama's decision to scrap a $45 million FBI improvised explosive device lab Shelby secured an earmark for in 2008.

Graffeo lashed out at Obama's decision to cancel the lab, which he says "impedes" the ability of the military and intelligence agencies in their efforts to fight terrorism.

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Richard Shelby

Gibbs: Shelby Holds Are 'Silliness'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 5, 2010, 10:46AM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called out Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) this morning over his rare blanket hold on all of President Obama's nominees in the Senate. Reports from this morning's press gaggle are coming in, and they show a White House that is flabbergasted by Shelby today.

From DailyCaller White House reporter Jon Ward's Twitter feed from inside the gaggle:

"Gibbs on Shelby holds: "I fear there won't [b]e a greater example of silliness throughout the entire year of 2010."

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Richard Shelby

Behind The Shelby Holds: He Thinks Obama's White House Is Biased Against Alabama

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 5, 2010, 10:28AM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) and President Obama

We already told you about the extraordinary "blanket hold" Sen. Richard Shelby has reportedly placed on all of President Obama's nominations to the Senate yesterday. Shelby's D.C. office hasn't returned our phone calls and emails looking for comment, yet, but digging around on the web a bit this morning, we found a nugget that could provide some insight into what's going on. According to Shelby, the Obama administration is biased against Alabama.

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Richard Shelby

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

Evan McMorris-Santoro | February 4, 2010, 9:19PM

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)

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 magazine reported aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were the source of the news about Shelby's blanket hold.

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."

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