FEC heads toward shutdown

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) just announced that the Senate will not clear four new appointees for the Federal Election Commission, meaning the panel that acts as a watchdog on political campaigns cannot function during the critical election-year period.

Reid is blaming the White House for refusing to withdraw to allow a majority vote on the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky for a seat on the commission. Republicans want von Spakovsky approved as part of a slate of four FEC nominees or they will refuse to consider any of the nominees.

Von Spakovsky was recess appointed by President Bush to the FEC, but his term expires at the end of the year. Democrats have refused to allow his nomination to move forward, arguing that his actions while at the Justice Department disqualified him for the post. Bush, though has not backed down, and the matter has been at an impasse for the last four months.

Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) placed holds on von Spakovsky's nomination, meaning Republicans needed 60 votes to approve his nomination over Democratic objections.

Now, with the Senate moving toward adjournment until mid-January, Reid signalled that Democrats will not move any FEC nominations if they include von Spakovsky, meaning the commission will only have two of its required six members. Reid said he offered the GOP a straight majority vote on all the FEC nominees, including von Spakovsky, but the White House refused to accept that offer.

Reid said he will not relent on von Spakovsky, who has come under heavy criticism from civil-rights groups, and he blamed the White House and Republicans for the stalemate.

"If they do not, the responsibility for a defunct FEC willl rest solely on their shoulders," Reid said.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters today that Democrats are unfairly trying to block a GOP nominee to the FEC, which is overseen by a panel of three Democrats and three Republicans.

"The Democrats have picked their nominees and we've picked ours," McConnell said. "What we have here — once again it happened with one of our nominees toward the end of the Clinton administration — the Democrats trying to veto one of our nominees. That isn't going to happen. They're all four going to go together or none of them will be approved."

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