Bitter, party of one.....

[marmar]

Republican Bunning stirs anger with WTO block
By Doug Palmer, Reuters

2 hours ago


WASHINGTON — A Republican senator who held up action earlier this month on a bill to renew jobless benefits faced more criticism on Wednesday for blocking approval of President Barack Obama's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization.

Senator Jim Bunning, a Kentucky Republican, has delayed the Senate from approving Michael Punke to be ambassador to the WTO in Geneva. This has fueled criticism that the United States is not fully engaged in the Doha round of world trade talks, which have already dragged on for eight years.

"This job is too important to remain open because one senator has a flimsy policy beef," said Senator Jon Tester, a Democrat from Montana, complaining on the Senate floor about Bunning.

"Our trading partners use his absence as an excuse to stall progress on serious negotiations," said Tester, whose frustration with the delayed nomination is shared by the Obama administration.

Both Punke and Isi Siddiqui, Obama's choice to be chief U.S. agricultural trade negotiator, won unanimous backing from the Senate Finance Committee in December. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20100310/POLITICS-US-USA-TRADE-NOMINEE/

[msongs]

1. repubs will keep this up until some dem demonstrates strength lol nt

[Atticus]

4. Agreed. Either do something about it or STFU. nt

[laughingliberal]

2. Hmmm. Perhaps time to renew the threat of recess appointments. nt

[femrap]

5. Why don't the Dems

do this? Why are the Dems so pathetically spineless/scared? Someone got a gun to their kid's head or what?

[laughingliberal]

7. That's the $64,000 question. Perhaps congenital?

If we knew the answer to that we might be able to affect some change.

[xchrom]

3. He makes this bitter queen - me- looks positively festive. Nt

[Political Heretic]

6. What? Is my table ready?

:)

[laughingliberal]

8. Now, that was funny. I don't care who ya are! nt