On The Island With Media Matters - It Depends On The Meaning Of "This Way"

Glenn links to a mysterious tweet by a mysterious twit from Media Matters:

Eric Boehlert:

what press cannot bring itself to report this week: Dems have NEVER EVER mounted a campaign to block cabinet pick the way GOP is w/ Hagel

Bryan Preston responds with two words - John Tower.

I will respond with an excerpt from the NY Times, which is one of the few media outlets that might be to the left of Media Matters:

Blocking such a high-level presidential appointee is a rare move. Since 1917, when the Senate’s modern filibuster rules were created, a cabinet-level nominee has faced a supermajority barrier to confirmation only twice: Ronald Reagan’s nominee for commerce secretary in 1987, C. William Verity Jr., and George W. Bush’s nominee for interior secretary in 2006, Dirk Kempthorne.

I guess it depends on what Boehlert means by "this way". Maybe if he is defining "this way" to be "rejecting a turncoat from their own party" he has a point.

Otherwise, we are left to conclude that the media is soft-pedaling the idea of an unprecedented-except-for-the-precedents breach of Senatorial etiquette because it was OK when Reagan or Bush were President. Tough call.

MORE: From Salon:

Simply put, we’re in uncharted territory. Look at it this way: Hagel is on course to be the first Pentagon nominee and only the third Cabinet nominee ever to face a 60-vote requirement for confirmation. But even that understates it, because the other two – C. William Verity and Dirk Kempthorne – weren’t up against serious filibusters.

Verity was a 70-year-old retired steel executive when he was nominated by Ronald Reagan in 1987 to run the Commerce department. His nomination wasn’t particularly controversial, but it did stir the ire of the far right. (Hard as it is to believe now, there were plenty of conservative leaders who doubted Reagan’s commitment to the cause during his presidency.) At issue was Verity’s enthusiasm for increased trade between the United States and the Soviet Union, a no-no for any Cold War-era hawk. Verity had previously spoken out against the Reagan administration’s policy of linking the emigration of Soviet Jews to trade goals.

This prompted Jesse Helms, who was a regular thorn in Reagan’s side in the ‘80s, to mount a filibuster. But it only succeeded in slowing down the nomination for a few days; when it was filed, the cloture motion passed on an 85-8 vote. The final tally for Verity’s October ’87 confirmation: 84-11.

The other Cabinet choice to confront a filibuster was Dirk Kempthorne, George W. Bush’s pick to run the Interior department in 2006. Kempthorne was Idaho’s governor at the time, and he was also a former senator. The filibuster against him amounted to election year grandstanding by Florida’s Bill Nelson, who was up for reelection that November. To protest the Bush administration’s efforts to encourage oil and gas drilling off his state’s coast, Nelson placed a hold on the Kempthorne nomination, forcing Republicans to come up with 60 votes. Again, this slowed the nomination slightly, but it was purely a symbolic stand. Cloture passed by an 85-8 margin and Kempthorne was approved by the full Senate on a voice vote.

A guest piece at The Hill has even more examples, including previous Republican blocking maneuvers:

Cloture was attempted successfully to end filibusters of the nominations of: Dirk Kempthorne for secretary of the Interior in 2006; Robert J. Portman for U.S. Trade Representative in 2005; Stephen L. Johnson for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2005; Michael O. Leavitt for EPA Administrator in 2003; and C. William Verity for secretary of Commerce in 1987.  Every one of these nominees were chosen by Republican administrations and primary support for each filibuster came from Democrats in the Senate including, in some cases, current President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Secretary of State Kerry and former Secretary of State Clinton.

Further, a cloture attempt was withdrawn to end a filibuster of Hilda Solis, outgoing Secretary of Labor in the Obama Administration. And by unanimous consent, the Senate agreed to a 60-vote threshold (the same as required to overcome a filibuster) for confirmation of two other Obama Administration cabinet nominees – Kathleen Sebelius for secretary of Health and Human Services and John Bryson for secretary of Commerce.

So, coming back to the question of whether to filibuster the Hagel nomination, we see that not only are filibusters of cabinet-level nominees not unprecedented, there are several such precedents. An alternate anti-filibuster argument is that there has never been a successful filibuster of a cabinet-level nominee, but this claim is also false. It is difficult – if not impossible – to show that such a filibuster has never succeeded, given the broad definition of the term.  Several cabinet-level nominees have withdrawn following delays on consideration of their nominations.  John R. Bolton’s nomination by President George W. Bush to be U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations – a cabinet-level position under Presidents Clinton and Obama but not President Bush – also was not confirmed after a concerted, Democratic-led filibuster. Bolton received a recess appointment in 2005 and left office at the end of 2006 after the Senate again failed to act on his nomination.

Comments

[NK]

TomM-- please report back to us on the number of times since 1981 when the Dem Senate has placed holds or delayed Cabinet votes pending the Repub POTUS providing 'oversight info' or some othet condition. I'd bet that's a target rich environment. PS: you're getting closer to calling the media flat out liars and Libs a mental illness. You're almost fully dark side now.

[narciso]

How about subcabinet officials

http://freebeacon.com/flashback-obama-questions-boltons-temperament/

[narciso]

Or here's another example;

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politics/2001-06-13-biden.htm

[Fen]

It would help Hagel's nomination if he could locate Iran on a map.

/without prompting from Dems on the cmmte

Seriously, I don't think he can. GOP should call him back and provide a map. Then televise it so the country understand why Hagel is a subpar nom.

[Neo]

If you just do a little research on the ole internet, you don't have to look long to find an example of where a Cabinet nominee had been blocked, and the Senate was forced to use a cloture vote to bring about final confirmation.

That was back on May 26 2006, when the Senate had to get 60 votes for a cloture motion to force a final vote on President George W. Bush's choice for Interior Secretary, Dirk Kempthorne.

And like Hagel, Kempthore was a former Senator.

"I know this nominee is a person deserving of our respect," said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) just before the 2006 vote, "But I must stand on my principles to oppose this nomination."

While other Democrats like Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) had placed a hold on Kempthorne's nomination, it was Nelson in 2006 who ultimately refused to allow action on the Kempthorne nomination, so the Senate was forced to vote on a cloture motion, which was approved on a vote of 85-8, well above the 60 votes needed to bring about final action.

Joining Nelson to vote for a filibuster of a Bush Cabinet nominee were, Sen. Joe Biden - now the Vice President, John Kerry - now Secretary of State, and both Senators from New York, Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer.

[NK]

Thanks Narc-- This is a very old Dem Senator game, Mitchell, Leahy and Biden were prime offenders. The difference here is the Repubs legitimately have a right to find out what happened at Benghazi before they approve a SecDef.

[Captain Hate]

a mysterious twit from Media Matters

Does that filter anybody out?

[maryrose]

Neo:
Thanks for that update. When I think about all the judges the dems held up or filibustered I grow dizzy. They hate when repubs use their tactics against them. How come all dems on the committee voted in favor? They really are a bunch of lemmings that can't think for themselves.

[narciso]

Obama opposed Bolton, because he gave the Clean Toga crowd, the vapors, and he happened to be right about Syria, Iraq, etc. With Reich, Biden was the front man, for Dodd, Harkin, Kerry, who
did everything but wear Sandinista bandannas on the Senate floor.

[Neo]

a mysterious twit from Media Matters

Does that filter anybody out?

Not all the twits there are mysterious.

[narciso]

Well the latter was really the reason, for Obama,
the former was why Murkowski, Voinovich, et al
opposed him,

[Jim Eagle]

But wasn't it a Republican Senator from Ahia, Crying George Voinivich who put the dagger in the heart of the Bolton nomination? Or was he just part of the donkey tail game crowd?

[Captain Hate]

Yes, narc has identified the Vichy Repukes who scuttled the Stache.

[narciso]

This is how they roll, how they have always done it, meanwhile it's like that scene in ZD 30, where the base chief at the Afghan post, takes a cake to the supposed AQ informant who turns out to be the Jordanian suicide bomber. And she doesn't have him searched, because that would be unpolite, as a result everybody dies.

[Jim Eagle]

Wasn't the big (unspoken) reason the Dems, particularly, opposed Bolton was because of his activist legal work during the 2000 Florida recounts? I think it was Bolton who led the "Count All The Votes" cheering section at the Palm Beach County Board of Elections, wasn't it?

To the Dems he was part of the blame for handing W the victory. He always had a target on his back since then.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

Ask Ray Donovan how fair and sweet the Dems are with Republican cabinet picks.

[NK]

Otto Reich-- wasn't he the victim of a 'hold' or filibuster as well?

[Jim Eagle]

Just when you thought the left and their media cheerleaders couldn't stoop any lower, you get this

Slurring an American Hero and one who probably saved hundreds, if not thousand of llves. Somehow I feel Port Charlotte is going to lose a newspaper and well deservedly so.

[Captain Hate]

Remember when the donks found John Tower unacceptable and ended up with Cheney as Secretary of Defense. Hahahahaha!

[matt]

It's not about the truth. It's about the smear. They come out with some outrageous BS and the Menendez kiddie hooker scandal gets lost in the brouhaha.

Then, the uneducated muddle can repeat it to each other on Facebook and Twitter until they all believe it's true.

[Captain Hate]

The father of the Children of the Cornhole is not happy: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324880504578299863042281122.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion

[narciso]

Draper is not always a hack, about 50/50

http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/02/ny-times-digital-trolling/#comments

[Jimmyk]

"Remember when the donks found John Tower unacceptable and ended up with Cheney as Secretary of Defense. Hahahahaha!"

There may be a lesson in that for the Repubs.

[NK]

that's something I've been meaning to mention-- part of the reason opposition Senators don't often filbuster lousy cabinet choices is why bother? if they really stink, let the POTUS have them. BUT-- in this case, the HOLD has to be in keep Benghazi demands in the news. The truth needs to come out, and when it does Benghazi is bad news for JEF and Hillary.

[maryrose]

jimmyk:
this time we have a qualified woman Michelle Flourtnoy who should be nominated. Of course Bammy is stubborn and probably threw a tantrum and stamped his feet, even after Hagel's deplorable performance at the hearing. I still believe all Bama wants is a repub to pin the blame on. Rush is right. Obama will never be held accountable for anything that backfires. Example : Benghazi.

[centralcal]

The World According To Dick Cheney

Links to trailer of upcoming documentary.

[centralcal]

Oh, and that Hagel filibuster? Sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Chad Pergram ‏@ChadPergram

Sen Lindsey Graham says he may be willing to vote for cloture, but not Hagel's actual nomination, after President's Day break. [snip]

Graham says he'd be willing to advance Hagel nomination after a breather "unless there's some bombshell that he likes blood sucking vampires [snip]

Sen Lindsey Graham says some requests Sen Cruz made of Hagel were "out of bounds, frankly."

[Old Lurker]

Our gal just cannot refrain from reminding us why we dislike him so. The sooner we are rid of him and his ilk, the sooner we can get on with the required repairs.

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

--Sen Lindsey Graham says some requests Sen Cruz made of Hagel were "out of bounds, frankly."--

A common complaint of men who wear lace thing panties.

[BB Key]

NK @ 1:18 , Have you seen the clip of Sen. Richard Burr questioning Lew yeaterday on who was briefing Obama on the day of the Bengazi attack ? Priceless .

[Ignatz Ratzkywatzky]

lace *thong* panties
Wish I had an ipad or iphone to blame.

[maryrose]

BB Key:
Do you have a link? Lew's answers must be very telling.
Also repubs should keep Menendez scandal in the news.

[centralcal]

Wish I had an ipad or iphone to blame.

Ha. Do you have a cat? Works for Clarice.

[BB Key]

maryrose, No link but you can find it at The Blaze that is the site The Carolina Plott Hound (NC version of Drudge) linked and of course there always CSPAN

[TallDave]

Has any other appointee ever demonstrated Hagel's level of incompetence?

[jimmyk]

Possibly not, TallDave, but would you rather have incompetence or competent and evil?

But I agree that if the confirmation process can be used to extract info on Benghazi, by all means.

[Jane: Mock the Media]

Have you seen the clip of Sen. Richard Burr questioning Lew yeaterday

He backed off before he got an answer. That blew my mind.

I loved the part when Lew said his $930k bonus from Citibank was just a "typical" employee bonus.

[BB Key]

Maryrose, Burr vs Lew also at The Weekly Standard

[centralcal]

Wash. Free Beacon ‏@FreeBeacon

RT @BostonGlobe: Breaking: Republican Sean Bielat enters US Senate special election

[Dave (in MA)]

Excellent. I'll finally get a chance to vote for him.

[NK]

BBKey-- no I did not. I read a brief blurb about it. seemed like it was a briefing, but nobody was actually, you know, briefing JEF. I took that to mean it was a normal briefing, staff trying to get a word in to JEF, between him taking CHOOM hits.

[NK]

TomM-- "WE"RE NOT WORTHY....!!!" another InstaHit with this post. The all powerful Maguire.

[sherlock]

The MRM (Moldy Republican Mainstream) has joined the MSM in becoming totally useless and uninterested in the job they claim to have a mandate to do: protecting us from liars and traitors in government. They have become them.

[Chubby]

((Sen Lindsey Graham says some requests Sen Cruz made of Hagel were "out of bounds, frankly."))

and I was worried about what the Democrats would do to him ...

Republicans will try to hold him back, motivated by pure envy I'm sure

[maryrose]

Thanks BB Key:
I will check those sources out.

[BB Key]

Burr-Lew LUN
What I found interestimg was the number of people who testified that they did not brief Obama on Benghazi .

[daddy]

BB Key,

I saw your 04:58 link on FOX yesterday, and it struck me how no one can answer any definitive questions whatever about who briefed who. They were all there but they all refuse to take responsibility, or name whoever did do the briefing. Thats what provoked me to wish I could waterboard the SOB's to get some answers out of these weasels.

[Jim Miller]

I wonder if McConnell had any spare votes, any Republicans who would vote with him, if he needed them to get to 40.

It's not unusual in close votes for the leader to have spares, though more common in the House than the Senate.

(That's important in thinking about the next vote.)

[sbwaters]

Sen Lindsey Graham says some requests Sen Cruz made of Hagel were "out of bounds, frankly."

Lindsey "You ass!" Graham is out of bounds, frankly.

[narciso]

There is something about Hagel's insistent flacking for Islamist causes, from Ankara to Tehran, that should properly offend every Senator.

[Frau Neinsagerin]

narciso @8:55 - a good reason our Dear Leader wants him, no?