Sen Inhofe blocks Commerce secretary nomination

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) on Tuesday blocked the nomination of John Bryson to be Commerce Secretary, saying the environmental views of the former Edison International executive were too radical. Sen Inhofe, a leading critic of global warming, said he was placing a hold on the nomination -- a procedural tactic that allows a single senator to block a nominee from getting a confirmation vote by the full Senate. The move -- essentially the threat of a filibuster -- can be overcome by 60 votes in the Senate, but often stalls a nomination for weeks, and can ultimately derail it.