Blatantly Horrible Senate Confirmation Holds

To quote Heather Cox Richardson's Substack again:

Because of holds Republican senators have put on the nomination process, the U.S. does not have a Senate-confirmed ambassador to Israel or Egypt, the two countries that border the Gaza Strip. The nominees for U.S. ambassador to Oman and Kuwait are similarly waiting for confirmation, as is the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism.

Battles during the Obama Administration led to the (correct) end of filibusters for executive appointments. 

But, that is simply the means to obtain cloture. There are other ways, as shown by  Sen. Tommy "aided and abetted by his Republican colleagues" Tuberville blocking military promotions. 

This is ridiculous. There is a basic excessive need for confirmations as is. Do we really need extended processes to obtain ambassadors to Kuwait and Oman? Or, some sub-secretary to something or other?  Not in my book. Yes, there is a constitutional rule, and it applies to ambassadors. Both sides can agree to a general rule to confirm except in glaring cases. I know they won't. But, a range of inferior officials do not constitutionally require it.

The events in Israel and the Gaza Strip provide a chance to push for a basic change of the rules here. Crying for the "Democrats" to change the rule when the usual suspects are the real problem is tiresome. This ultimately is about the Republicans, who can join with nearly all the Democrats to move forward. It is the path to sanity. Let's have Schumer on down say so.  

I have been observing these confirmation battles for decades. I know the drill. Trump's nominations were held up in various cases. I think it can be shown the Trump Administration did not care that much in many cases, fine with policy being made outside of the official positions here. 

But, as with the Democratic filibusters [which, yes, at the time, I supported in part since I felt the majority will was being denied] of lower court judicial nominees during the Bush43 Administration, what really was the ultimate value? Moves by Mitch McConnell to speed along the confirmation of district court judges was net a good civics move. 

I think it holds here too. A bad president will bring with them some bad personnel. It's part of the deal. The Senate has some role in overseeing nominations. They can vote down horrible choices. I think any extended role, however, should be limited to a small number of positions. And, even there, by mid-first term, the positions should very well be filled.  

And, Democrats and Republican senators can make fun of the mess in the House Speaker situation. Ha ha. Yeah. Democrats should hoist their colleagues on the petard of Kevin McCarthy. Republicans in the Senate have a lot to answer for too.