White House preparing to defy GOP in pushing through Holder replacement

[herding cats]

The White House is preparing to defy Republicans and possibly push through the confirmation of a new attorney general in the lame duck session of Congress if Democrats lose control of the Senate in November’s midterm elections.

Though refusing to speculate on the exact timing of a replacement for Eric Holder, who announced his resignation on Thursday, Obama administration officials began laying the ground for such a strategy by listing precedents under previous presidents. The stakes have been heightened after a recent rule change under Senate majority leader Harry Reid which means that only 51 votes are required to confirm White House nominations rather than the 60 previously needed to avoid a filibuster.

The examples being cited by the White House include Robert Gates, defence secretary under George W Bush, who was confirmed in December 2006 despite the Republicans losing control of the Senate in the previous month’s elections.

“There is a precedent for presidents making important cabinet nominations and counting on Congress to confirm them promptly, even in the context of a lame duck session, if necessary,” Obama spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Friday.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/26/eric-holder-replacement-lame-duck-confirmation-vote

[Fred Sanders]

1. Boehner stalls any war approval legislation, immigration legislation, etc. but of course the major

media will only want to babble about this.

[CBHagman]

9. Wait. Boehner doesn't get a formal job here.

It's the Senate who confirms Cabinet members.

[Fred Sanders]

11. Really, good to know...GOP obstruction all over as the only plan is what many do not connect.

[Scuba]

2. So now we have Obama spokesman Josh Earnest calling the Presidency a "lame duck session". Hmmm.

[Greg K]

3. Congress's lame duck session, the period between the election and the start of the next Congress.

Not the Presidency.

[Scuba]

6. Better, thanks.

[onecaliberal]

4. Robert Gates?

Seriously? Can we get an actual democrat?

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. I don't think he's being suggested as a nominee

Just talking about previous nominee precedents

[onecaliberal]

8. I must have misunderstood what I read.

[CBHagman]

10. Earnest discussed the timing and timeline of previous confirmations.

He used the examples of former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and former SECDEF Robert Gates, both of whom were nominated and confirmed within a period of weeks.

[msongs]

7. searching high and low for a suitable republican candidate lol nt

[blkmusclmachine]

12. "White House preparing to defy GOP"

[msanthrope]

13. Well...that would explain the Holder is teh evil posts....way to kill support

for the replacement......