This proves beyond any doubt that the GOP/TPers are hooked on drama and game-playing ~ they have totally tanked their own credibility ~ I don't know what their problems are with the two candidates for the National Labor Relations Board, but they've now agreed to confirm two new nominees ~ and I'm VERY happy about Richard Cordray heading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ~ he is one tough cookie ~ so ... to avoid the "nuclear option" being threatened by Harry Reid, the GOP/TPers have agreed to confirm 7 nominees, 5 as stated below and 2 currently unknown ~ wouldn't it make more sense to stop playing games and just hold up-or-down votes where everyone is free to vote "no"? ~ ~ Sooz

Nuclear Option Averted: Senators Strike Tentative Deal To Confirm Nominees Without Reforming Filibuster
Sahil Kapur- July 16, 2013, 11:00 AM

Senate leaders struck a tentative deal in the 11th hour to confirm seven presidential nominees to executive positions without the use of the nuclear option.

In short, Republicans would confirm nominees to all seven positions, a big concession for the GOP. But in a concession for Democrats, they would replace two recess-appointed nominees to the National Labor Relations Board — Sharon Block and Richard Griffin, pictured below — with new nominees under the following condition: Republicans pledge to confirm any two replacements by President Obama to the board by Aug. 27.

The deal, outlined by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) office, also ensures that Reid retains his right to revert to the nuclear option in the future to change filibuster rules by a simple majority vote.

Reid announced on the Senate floor Tuesday morning that there was a tentative deal, less than an hour before procedural votes on the nominees were to begin. He was he was “confident” about its prospects and thanked Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for spearheading the compromise.

“We still have a few more i’s to dot and t’s to cross,” he said, mentioning that he still plans on talking to Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders. “It is a compromise. I think we get what we want, they get what they want.”

The nominees who would be confirmed in the deal are Richard Cordray to run the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Gina McCarthy for the Environmental Protection Agency, Tom Perez for the Labor Department and Fred Hochberg for the Export-Import Bank. Under the terms of the deal outlined by Reid’s office, Mark Pearce would be confirmed to the NLRB while Block and Griffin would be replaced.

“Given what he heard in joint caucus yesterday, Sen. Reid and the Dem leadership feels it has to give the negotiation a serious shot before pulling the trigger,” a senior Democratic aide said. “This confrontation was always set up in such a way that the Republicans chose their own adventure — if they wanted to meet all our requirements, then there was no nuclear option.”

A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the Republican had previously admitted four of the seven pending nominees had the votes to be confirmed, and wanted the White House to send two new “legal” NLRB nominees after the D.C. Circuit Court invalidated some of President Obama’s recess appointments.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/07/nuclear-option-filibuster-deal-nominations.php?ref=fpa