Alabama Senator Jeopardizes National Security in Order to Get Some Pork

Theoretically, the Democratic Party, has sizeable majorities in both houses of Congress, and controls the White House. But sadly it is not the major party.

The dictionary defines "major party." A political party with enough electoral strength to gain control of the government or to effectively oppose the party in power." In the United States the Republican Party, a political minority controls the government.

A perfect example of this appeared today in the New York Times today. In The Caucus, the politics and government blog, there was a column "White House Blasts Shelby Hold on Nominees."

Apparently Sen. Shelby has placed "a blanket hold on dozens of President Obama's nominees. Senators can and do place holds on nominees, but according to the Times article Sen. Shelby's blanket hold "is considered rare."

This hold really has to do with political pork. "Senator Shelby placed the holds over concerns he’s raised about a proposed contract involving a tanker (Northrop Grumman has interests in Alabama); and over financing he’s sought for building a counterterrorism center in Alabama." the Times reported.

Marc Ambinder blogging in in Politics for The Atlantic writes, "if you're trying to really hammer the point home that the reason why it seems that your party can't govern or get results is due to factors beyond your control... you'd turn Richard Shelby's unprecedented blanket hold on 70 nominees for reasons no more pure than the preservations of two favorite programs into not only a talking point... but also a way of justifying recess appointments for these nominees."

Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall, describes Shelby's stunt,
"In this case, we're not dealing with a stand on partisanship or ideology or simple political shiv play which I guess can each be respected in their own place. This is more like just a stick up. Gimme my money and I'll give you your Senate back! Worse than a squeegee man and not much better than a bank robber, Shelby is shutting down the president's ability to appoint anyone to anything until he gets his way."

Sen. Shelby's stunt is just one of many examples of the dengeneration of American political culture due to corruption, false political ideology and rabid partisanship. According to Michael Winship in his column ''My State Legislature's Crazier than Yours. Oh Yeah?'', which was re-posted on Bill Moyer's PBS web site. "It’s all a nasty game that puts cronyism, partisan bickering, and corrupt, despicable self-interest above the needs of increasingly desperate citizens."

It's important to note, that such behavior has been exhibited by Democrats as well as Republicans. But Sen. Shelby's recent attempt to hold up Pres. Obama's appointments for posts in the Departments of Defense, State and Homeland Security so he can get make sure that Alabama gets a couple of Federal projects, is not only outrageous it jeopardizes the national security of the United States.

Capitano Tedeschi

30

Source: Official Photo of Sen. Shelby, http://shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressRoom.OfficialPhoto

Copyright Feb. 5, 2009 by Jamie Jacks