That leaves about 150 other nominees stalled on the floor, most all of them, under current rules, requiring eight hours of floor debate (though the Dems can cede back their four hours.)

AD

Given the press of some pretty urgent business — such as keeping the federal government open and dealing with the administration’s request for approval of its planned actions against the Islamic State — that leaves little time for confirmations this week.

AD

So that leaves you in the post-election “lame duck” period in November and December when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may call the Senate back into session for a few weeks before Thanksgiving and before Christmas. But confirmations aren’t going to be a priority.

That means a new Senate will have to deal with you (assuming you want to keep trying) next year, as well as new nominees as Obama people start heading for the exits.

AD

So there’s two outcomes that could get you your dream job. One would be if, by some miracle, the Democrats manage to hold onto the Senate and Reid really cracks the whip or the Democrats change debate rules (again) to push nominees through faster.

If GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – assuming he wins his tough re-election battle – becomes majority leader, who knows?

As long as you don’t want job as a judge or at one of those ultra-liberal operations like the National Labor Relations Board or the Environmental Protection Agency — and you were approved unanimously in committee — perhaps you could squeeze through.