Reid, White House to discuss deal on nominations

REID, WHITE HOUSE TO DISCUSS DEAL ON NOMINATIONS
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Manu Raju]
The White House and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) will make a last-ditch attempt Thursday to resolve an impasse over executive branch nominations, but prospects for reaching an accord appear murky. Sen Reid wants the White House to help install eight Democratic nominees to federal regulatory agencies and boards in exchange for his support for moving about 40 Republican nominees pending in the Senate. If Reid reaches a deal Thursday with Josh Bolten, the White House chief of staff, he will forgo holding so-called “pro forma” sessions during the upcoming spring recess — a move that Reid has employed in recent recesses to prevent Bush from making appointments without Senate consent. But looming over the discussions is the nomination of Steven Bradbury to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bradbury has faced enormous criticism from Democrats because of his role in crafting the administration’s legal opinions on interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects, and Democrats want assurances that he won’t be appointed to the post during the recess. A Democratic leadership aide said that Bradbury is “off the table” and that the White House should instead work toward installing the eight Democratic nominees. But the White House disagrees, saying that the criticisms have distorted the record of a well-qualified nominee.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/reid-white-house-to-discuss-deal-on-nominations-2008-03-12.html