1115.org

The people who set up some of the Senate’s most charming practices — the filibuster, the hold — are starting to look awfully naive.

Somehow, it never occurred to them that these rules could be abused?

Not just for the kind of rampant political obstructionism that the Republicans have displayed over the last three years, but for the most blatant and flagrant political extortion.

The latest, and most colossal, example of the latter is provided by Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama:

Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has put an extraordinary “blanket hold” on at least 70 nominations President Obama has sent to the Senate, according to multiple reports this evening. The hold means no nominations can move forward unless Senate Democrats can secure a 60-member cloture vote to break it, or until Shelby lifts the hold.

“While holds are frequent,” CongressDaily’s Dan Friedman and Megan Scully report (sub. req.), “Senate aides said a blanket hold represents a far more aggressive use of the power than is normal.”

The Mobile Press-Register picked up the story early this afternoon. The paper confirmed Reid’s account of the hold, and reported that a Shelby spokesperson “did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking confirmation of the senator’s action or his reason for doing so.”

Shelby has been tight-lipped about the holds, offering only an unnamed spokesperson to reporters today to explain them. Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid broke the news of the blanket hold this afternoon. Reid aides told CongressDaily the hold extends to “all executive nominations on the Senate calendar.”

According to the report, Shelby is holding Obama’s nominees hostage until a pair of lucrative programs that would send billions in taxpayer dollars to his home state get back on track. The two programs Shelby wants to move forward or else:

- A $40 billion contract to build air-to-air refueling tankers. From CongressDaily: “Northrop/EADS team would build the planes in Mobile, Ala., but has threatened to pull out of the competition unless the Air Force makes changes to a draft request for proposals.” Federal Times offers more details on the tanker deal, and also confirms its connection to the hold.

- An improvised explosive device testing lab for the FBI. From CongressDaily: “[Shelby] is frustrated that the Obama administration won’t build” the center, which Shelby earmarked $45 million for in 2008. The center is due to be based “at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal.”

Though a Shelby spokesperson would not confirm that these programs were behind the blanket hold, the Senator expressed his frustration about the progress on both through a spokesperson to both CongressDaily and the Federal Times.

A San Diego State University professor and Congressional expert told the Mobile paper “he knew of no previous use of a blanket hold”…

What’s the difference between Shelby and a two-bit mugger? Shelby does his mugging in full public view. Not just shamelessly, but proudly. Because apparently in this day and age, extortion of this kind — informed by the maturity of a three-year old and no sense of ethical conduct whatsoever — does nothing to hurt your re-election prospects. It may even boost them, as grateful Alabamans tell themselves “He makes a great Senator, he brings money to the state!”

This is so farcical, it’s like a SNL skit on steroids.