Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank, could recall only one other example.
In 2003, then-Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, used a blanket hold to prod the Air Force to furnish more planes to an Air National Guard unit. Craig backed down after the maneuver became public, Ornstein said, adding that it affected military officers whose promotions needed a Senate signoff.
"It disrupted a lot of people's lives," Ornstein said.
According to Lachapelle, the four candidates blocked from a final confirmation vote Thursday included nominees for positions at the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.
Although the Senate can overcome a hold by mustering 60 votes -- and did so this week on two other nominations -- senators are usually loath to break with a tradition that favors the rights of the minority. For Democrats, corralling 60 votes could also be more difficult now that newly elected Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., has taken his seat.
Shelby's move comes as Northrop Grumman Corp. is threatening to pull out of the tanker contest on the grounds that the draft bid package is skewed in favor of rival Boeing Co.
Should Northrop win the high-stakes competition, Mobile could gain up to 1,500 jobs.
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