title:  Thanks To Republicans, Obama Nominee Dies Waiting For Confirmation
text: It s no secret that Republicans have used their obstructionist tactics to block anything and everything President Obama has tried to do   including nominees, from judicial to State Department.In a blatant attempt to hurt his ability to have a legacy, Republicans have targeted nominees, holding them hostage politically unless their demands are met. Some nominees waited hundreds of days for just a hearing, and others have waited even longer for a confirmation.And with that, one nominee, who has waited over 820 days for a confirmation, has died.The New York Times reports that Cassandra Butts, a worker in government and non profit entities, died suddenly at the age of 50 on May 24 of acute leukemia, which she did not know she had until shortly before her death. President Obama and the White House, recognizing her passion for helping others through public service, tapped her to serve as the United States ambassador to the Bahamas.Butts had worked for multiple branches of the government, including lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the White House counsel.Butts sailed through hearings in May 2014, and all seemed on track for a swift confirmation to a seemingly unimportant position, which urgently needed filling. So far, the Bahamas hasn t had a proper ambassador for 1,647 days.But, in typical Washington form, Republicans held up her nomination, not because she wasn t qualified, but because they literally hate President Obama.And it isn t fair to link all Senate Republicans to this hold up. Only two Republicans can be single handedly blamed for this: Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz.Is anyone surprised? Cruz, up in arms over the Iran nuclear deal, placed a hold on the confirmation on all State Department nominations, which of course included Butts.Cruz couldn t get his way, so naturally he unleashed a scorched earth policy on all those even remotely associated with the President.But it was Senator Tom Cotton   better known as  Tehran Tom  by progressive advocates   who proved to be a nefarious monstrosity in the whole matter. In seeking to punish the Obama Administration over a Secret Service leak of private information about a member of Congress, specifically targeted Butts and the Norwegian and Swedish ambassador nominees. After making a fool of himself, Cotton lifted the hold on the Scandinavian ambassadors. But he kept the hold on Butts.As the New York Times reports:Cotton eventually released the two other holds, but not the one on Butts. She told me that she once went to see him about it, and he explained that he knew that she was a close friend of Obama s   the two first encountered each other on a line for financial-aid forms at Harvard Law School, where they were classmates   and that blocking her was a way to inflict special pain on the presidentAnd there you have it. Because Republicans hate the President so much, they upheld a qualified, dignified, and devoted public servant from serving in a position that yields almost no political power.And now she has died, never getting the grace of a confirmation vote.That s how the Republicans have chosen to govern. They should be so proud of all their  accomplishments. Featured image via Mark Wilson/Getty Images