GOP blocks environmental protection

We continue to see the fruits of Harry Reid's handshake agreement with Mitch McConnell that derailed filibuster reform. Today Senate GOPers prevented a vote on a new EPA chief by refusing to show up, thus denying the committee a quorum:

Today, the eight Republicans on the Environment and Public Works Committee will not attend the nomination vote of Gina McCarthy to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On April 25, 2013 the Committee Republicans asked Chairman Barbara Boxer to postpone the nomination vote because they had not received answers to their questions.

They blocked the vote essentially over only five unanswered queries, after the nominee Gina McCarthy, had already answered over 1,000 questions. Moreover McCarthy has been head of the Clean Air division for several years and had been easily confirmed to that position in 2009.

She's highly qualified for the job, had in saner times been lauded by Republicans for her work and has the support of the business and science community. Apparently the real problem is she believes in climate disruption or refuses to buy into climate change denialism or something. And besides, the GOP base hates the EPA, hates science and this grotesque grandstanding will piss off liberals.

The rubes love that crap, so no-brainer for the GOPers. Or more like the brainless Republicans still rule our world thanks to Harry Reid's apparently endless supply of patience.