Long-Term Holding Pattern at OMB

If the federal budgeting process gets bogged down over the next few weeks, you know who to blame: Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. She's sticking to her hold on the nomination of Jacob Lew to head the Office of Management and Budget, just as agencies enter the heavy season of planning for the fiscal 2012 budget.

And Landrieu admits that her reason for the hold -- she wants the Obama administration to lift a moratorium on offshore oil drilling -- has nothing to do with Lew, his qualifications or his nomination.

Now, Ezra Klein points out, to make matters worse, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has cut a deal with Republicans that will prevent President Obama from even giving Lew a recess appointment to the OMB job. In exchange for approval of 54 other Obama nominees, Reid agreed to keep the Senate in pro forma session over the next six weeks during the election season, meaning there won't be an official recess in which to make appointments.

I certainly understand the need for a senator to stand up for her constituents on an issue of major economic importance. But isn't whatever support Landrieu gains by taking on the administration outweighed by the fact that she's doing it with a clumsy, inside-baseball maneuver that is both difficult to explain and likely to cause damage to the government's ability to get its business done? She may get a short-term win here, but at what cost to the reputation of Congress -- and government as a whole?