tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post3596587084885983669..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Energy in the ExecutiveJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-18721502119529789712010-07-14T17:33:15.790-05:002010-07-14T17:33:15.790-05:00Given that Obama has to fight to get anything or a...Given that Obama has to fight to get anything or anyone through Congress, and that each fight takes effort and time, he has to pick the ones he engages in very carefully. He has chosen a few very big fights, intended to have a long term effect, and he has won them. Would winning some confirmation fights instead have been a better use of his finite time and energy?Rickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16932015378213238346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-75715714524560445672010-07-14T17:09:13.508-05:002010-07-14T17:09:13.508-05:00Obama is being blamed because he is not even tryin...Obama is being blamed because he is not even trying.<br /><br />It's not that the meanies in the Senate are holding up these nominations, it's that he hasn't nominated anyone.<br /><br />He might have problems getting the nominations through in the political environment, but to allow cowardice to prevent him from even trying is not an acceptable alternative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-16033506089085990422010-07-14T08:24:08.642-05:002010-07-14T08:24:08.642-05:00I'm not sure how you see this situation as all...I'm not sure how you see this situation as all Obama's fault. Given that the Senate is now institutionally incapable of dealing with even the most non-controversial appointments, how is nominating someone for the Fed anything but a losing hand for Obama. There is simply no way that the person would be approved. Whoever it is would be smeared shamelessly by the other party and it would be progressively more difficult to find good nominees. It seems to me on the Fed and judicial nominees, not playing is the only winning strategy (hat tip to WOPR, of course).William Ockhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13795149116565627671noreply@blogger.com