Obama Nominee Moves Forward After GOP Hold Forces Dems To Take Anti-Filibuster Measure

The Washington Independant:

On Monday, nearly four months after President Obama nominated Harold Koh to become legal adviser to the State Department, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) filed cloture and moved his nomination to the floor. Confirming the dean of Yale Law School to a powerful but usually uncontroversial position had proven harder than either his supporters or his detractors could have expected.

Read the whole story: The Washington Independant

Comments

[Paisano]

Where is Dawn Johnson?

[onepotatotwopotato]

Harold Koh is a vociferous hoplophobe who should be barred from ever holding any kind of office in the United States of America!

[TJCole]

As I wrote once already Howard Koh should have been Obama's pick for the Supreme Court...!

An Jonathon Turley said the same thing...

[bygollymissmolly]

President Obama needs to wait until the legislators take their break and then do a recess appointment of everyone the GOP is obstructing.

[Dbos]

Sen Dimwitt of SC held it up. Southern repugs making themselves look like fools.

[weatherwaxx]

It's a pity he didn't go hiking with Governor Carmen Sandiego.

[dems08]

Please email Senator Reid and tell him you support his decision to file cloture for Harold Koh.

Feel free to copy my short message, or change it as you wish, which I listed as "Foreign Affairs" under 'Subject'.

Dear Senator Reid,

Thank you for your action on behalf of the American people to move forward President Obama's nomination of Harold Koh to the State Department.

Sincerely, .....

[dems08]

oops, here the webpage to email Senator Reid:

http://reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

[RedDogBear]

Thanks for the link. I sent him an email.

[GeoLee]

I wish he would do the same thing with a National Health Plan, too as that is the only way that will get through if he can find 51 senators not totally bought out by the inisurance lobby.

[springsm]

I don't think "they had the vote" for cloture.

[RedDogBear]

I don't know the specifics on this case but the democrats often behave like frightened rabbits giving up whenever the repubs even threaten a filibuster. Nice to see them showing some spine for a change.

[lynettema]

Let's see more of this activity. We have to move the Bushies out of Washington.

[Mysticalsister]

what bothers me is, now that we've seen how easy it is for a minority of rethugs to hold the government hostage -- wtf were the dems doing when bushco ran us into the ditch? where were these dirty tricks then? How do they explain it?

i think we need to clean the house and the senate and get rid of the collaborators who let the thugs get away with all but destroying our country. It's a disgrace.

[ProtectTheBabies]

Dems are cowards. They did nothing but vote to keep funding the Iraq War, even when they were telling the press and public that they would "stand firm on requiring a timetable for withdrawal".
Dems are cowards. Look what Obama is doing to handle Iran and North Korea - nothing. Throw a spotlight on a group of Dems and they go scurrying for cover, hoping that the press and public won't look too closely at the results of the legislation they pass. It's all lies coming from Obama and his cabinet.
And now we find out that Michelle Obama is gutting the whistle-blower programs that watchdog spending and transparency. How CONVENIENT after her husband has QUADRUPLED the federal budget deficit.

[lokipuck]

Isn't your name ProtectThe­EmbryosEve­ryOneElseC­anGoToHell­RonaldReag­anRonaldRe­agan?
I know you well.

[dems08]

What do you propose President Obama do about Iran?

Bomb it?

If he speaks out forcibly in favor of protesters, he risks getting many more of them killed. Is that what you want?

[weatherwaxx]

Go look up how the GOP tied war funding to other crucial funding. Go do your homework. We'll wait.

And enough of the "EEK, the BUDGET!!" Bush dug the country into a hole your great-grandchildren will be paying for. You tell me how President Obama was supposed to fix it without increasing the budget.

Any answers? Not Rush Limburger propaganda, real answers.

I'm pretty sure President Obama is a lot smarter than I am, and I KNOW he's a lot smarter than you are.

[Chapmanp2]

It's about fricken time!!! I hope this is indicative of things to come. The American people voted Democrats in to a strong majority so that we would see change. It's time for Dems to flex their muscles & start forcing the issues. The only thing that will keep Harry Reid in the Senate as leader is acting in the best interest of the American people. Any slight of hand & he will fall (as evidenced by recent polls showing his dismal approval ratings). Time to get er' done!!!

[KevinLoyalAmerican]

Whoa, Harry!

I think I see a tiny little pair growing there. Do you think they will get any bigger by the time we REALLY need you to do the same on health care-WITH a public option?

Let's hope.

[bigguy12]

they have to start small to grow bigger lets hope the little pair don't deflate

[bighat]

And the slippery slope begins. The dems use a power play for this position. But no action on healthcare. Have they forgotten things run in cycles and now they have set a precedent

[lynettema]

This could be the warning shot for the GOPers. Either work with us seriously or this will be happening more often.

[dcree77]

A slippery slope?!?! Power play?!? WTF!!! The democrats waited for four months before Harry Reid finally got the nerve to cut off debate and ask to take a vote. Although it should never have taken this long to do it, voting on a nominee is what is suppose to happen. Refusing to call for the vote because the minority party merely threatens to filibuster was never part of the rules. There is no trickery or power play going on here. The democrats are not threatening to use the "nuclear option" or suspend the right to filibuster or anything. They are merely taking the pulse of the Senate by finally voting on a four month old nomination. If the republicans have the forty votes to block the confirmation, let them vote that way. If they do, then the debate continues, no harm, no foul. If they don't have the 40 votes, they should never have been representing to the majority that they had the 40 votes.

[weatherwaxx]

IF you're going to parrot catch phrases, it's helpful to apply them in a logical way. You're babbling like Palin.

[Bush-Rolled]

Clearly Prof. Koh is too qualified for the opposition. And Sen. Reid, more of these demonstrations of spine, please.

[Big0725]

I think, after some media scrutiny, the Dems in the Senate are finally growing a set. They're seem to get the idea that they are there to represent their constituents, not their personal agendas.

[BUTCHER111]

That’s good. Now if only Harry would do that with all the other nominees the GOP is blocking.

[LeeCalif]

That's not leading on Harry Reid's part.

Another example losses coming because of this lack in leadership.