General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Republican Congressman Is Unaware There Is No Surgeon General To Head Ebola Response [View all]branford
(4,462 posts)A hold is an informal agreement among Senators, and Reid is not exactly known for his courtesy, particularly after the nuclear option.
The simple fact is that Reid likes the hold. He does not want to bring the nomination to a vote since he lacks of majority for confirmation. There are 55 Democrats in the Senate. He only needs 50 Democratic votes (plus Biden to break a tie) to confirm Murthy. As the NYT article clearly describes, as many as 10 Democrats will not vote for confirmation, particularly before the election.
If you want me to take claims of Republican obstructionism seriously in this particular instance, you first need to demonstrate that Murthy can be confirmed but for the Republicans. You need to convince members of our own Party that Murthy should be confirmed before you point a finger elsewhere.