Senate Budget Committee chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) issued an unorthodox statement yesterday regarding the expected nomination of Jim Nussle to succeed Rob Portman as OMB Director: Representative Nussle and I had a very frank discussion today. While I understand the President's desire to appoint an OMB Director of his choice, a number of Members have spoken with me about their very real concerns about his nomination. Members expressed serious reservations about Mr. Nussle's reputation for confrontation. Our nation faces serious long-term fiscal challenges that can only be addressed with bipartisan cooperation. We need an OMB Director who is fully committed to working with Congress to tackle all of the fiscal challenges facing this country. Conrad went on to say that Nussle's nomination was in "some difficulty," and held off on committing to a hearing on Nussle's nomination. If the Budget Committee does not hold such a hearing, the nomination will die. Count this the opening salvo launched in the Nussle nomination "proxy fight" over the FY 2008 budget predicted by some observers.