Nussle confirmed as OMB director

The Senate Tuesday approved the nomination of former Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa, to be the next OMB Director, allowing the combative former House Budget Committee chairman to be the point man for President Bush's fall spending negotiations with Democratic leaders.

The 69-24 vote saw a surprising number of Democrats -- 23 plus Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn. -- cross the aisle.

Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, Nussle's home-state colleague, praised him as "superbly qualified" and particularly in tune with agricultural issues important in the Midwest. Others voting for Nussle included Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.

Nussle has a reputation for sharp elbows left over from his days in the House, but he was able to smooth over that image with a charm offensive, including a pledge to be open to negotiating with Democrats over fiscal fiscal 2008 appropriations. Bush has threatened to veto nearly all of the 12 spending bills because of their combined $23 billion increase over his overall $933 billion request.

In a statement following the vote, Nussle said he was "humbled and honored" to have received such support but did not offer any immediate concessions on spending. Rather, he echoed the administration line about the "need to hold the line on spending to maintain a pro-growth, low-tax environment that allows American workers to keep more of their hard-earned money."

Notable "no" votes were those of Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., who will be doing the lion's share of the negotiating with Nussle on the Democrats' behalf.

"I am heartened by Mr. Nussle's pledge to work in a cooperative way with the Congress and the Appropriations committees. However, I do not foresee any real change in policy in the offing, and so I must oppose this nomination," Byrd said in a statement.

Objections to Nussle centered mainly on Bush's economic and fiscal policies, not on Nussle's personality or qualifications. Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., claiming "I do not take this decision lightly," said he was opposing Nussle after voting for him in committee because he is an "architect of this fiscal policy" that has led to the "largest deficits in our history," record foreign-held debt and bigger tax cuts for millionaires.

"My goal today and the reason I put a hold on the Nussle nomination is simply to make the point that the Bush administration is completely out of touch with the economic realities" facing American families, said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who briefly held up the nomination before the August recess. "President Bush needs a budget director who is willing to compromise with those of us in Congress who are fighting to help America's working families ... unfortunately there is nothing in Jim Nussle's background to suggest he is that person."

Republicans argued that the economy has improved under Bush's watch and that the wealthiest taxpayers have paid ever-increasing percentages of the total tax burden, including a 4 percent increase in taxes paid by the top 20 percent of ratepayers since Bush took office. "Why is that? Human nature. Create a fair tax policy, people will pay taxes," said Budget ranking member Judd Gregg, R-N.H.

Taking a jab at Sanders' socialist principles, Gregg added that Bush's policies were more in line with the mainstream: "Even France has rejected the senator from Vermont's philosophy."