Richard Shelby Has Put Holds on Every Obama Administration Nomination

Without 60 votes to break the deadlock, apparently placed over some earmarks Shelby wants for his home state of Alabama, no nominations can move forward. The debate over this will focus on politics and on the deficit, and the optics of Shelby throwing a fit over earmarks at a time when the Republicans are hammering the administration on spending. But I really wish that some politician, somewhere, would talk about the impact of agencies not having leaders because of this kind of move. Holds aren't cost-free, but because most politicians and most Americans don't see the costs to agencies, they feel free to ignore them.