Wapo's Jonathan Bernstein: You want a scandal? Here's a scandal.

[flpoljunkie]

You want a scandal? Here’s a scandal.

By Jonathan Bernstein, Published: May 13, 2013

Want a real Washington scandal — one worse than the (phony) Benghazi scandal and the (apparently real, but apparently limited) IRS scandals combined? Try the continuing, and possibly accelerating, obstruction of executive branch nominees by Senate Republicans.

Don’t think it’s a scandal? It’s pretty basic: Republicans, by abusing their Constitutional powers, are — deliberately, in several cases — preventing the government from carrying out duly passed laws.

The New York Times yesterday highlighted two of the more recent ways that Republicans have manipulated loopholes in Senate rules to delay confirmation of Secretary of Labor nominee Thomas Perez and Environmental Protection Agency nominee Gina McCarthy. It’s worth stepping back and realizing: what’s happening here is that Republicans are delaying these nominations beyond their eventual insistence that almost all nominees must get 60 votes. In other words, they’re filibustering on top of their own filibusters.

That’s just two examples. There are numerous others; again, with virtually all nominees required to have 60 votes, one can accurately say that Republicans are filibustering every nomination. But perhaps the worst are the “nullification” filibusters, in which Republicans simply refuse to approve any nominee at all for some positions — the National Labor Relations Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — because they don’t want those agencies to carry out their statutory obligations.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/13/you-want-a-scandal-heres-a-scandal/

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

1. Kicked and bookmarked!!

[blm]

3. The scandal that corporate media REFUSES to cover.

They serve their fascist masters, not the people.

[NewJeffCT]

2. but, that scandal is so boring

Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi just rolls off the tongue, and everybody hates the IRS... so, it just makes it so much easier for the media.

[leftyohiolib]

4. tag

[mountain grammy]

5. And yet, mainstream talking heads will sit there and be serious about the BULLSHIT!!

They are truely aiding and abetting the enemies of democracy!

[Blue Owl]

6. Where is this "Liberal Media" the right wing speaks of?

n/t

[blackspade]

7. Shocking!

[Nancy Waterman]

8. This is so true

kick, kick, kick!!

[Gregorian]

9. One could say they're not upholding the Constitution. They are not SERVING the nation.

They're doing a disservice to the nation. In fact, the Republicans are the biggest threat to America.

I resist posting this because of how sweeping a generalization it is. But it's true.

[libodem]

10. FN good

Somebody besides me finally FN noticed. Obstructionists are defiling the intent and purpose of our government, for political gamesmanship.
And you can't shame them. They are not embarrassed. They stand right up on their hind legs and get on your face, even though they are clearly ignoring the peoples business. Criminal.

They all need impeachment or recalled or however you punish them!

[Cha]

11. Thank you, flpoljunkie!

And, Jonathan Bernstein!

[yourout]

12. Tora Bora and the fact Bush and Cheney purposely let Bin Laden go should have been.....

one of the biggest scandals ever.

But alas Iraqi oil is more important.