Earlier this afternoon, the Senate Budget Committee approved Jim Nussle's nomination to head OMB, 22-1. The lone dissenter was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who announced that he had placed a hold on the nomination because President Bush is completely out of touch with the economic realities facing working families in America. Bush needs to hear the truth, not an echo. He needs a budget director who will make him face the facts, not fan his fantasies. Budget Committee chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) indicated after the vote that at least one Democrat had also placed a hold on the nomination. Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) said that the Energy Department loan program issue he had flagged at the Nussle hearing last week had been resolved and that he had dropped his hold. Nussle and Sen. Sanders are likely to meet later today. At least until then, it is not clear whether or for how long Sanders will maintain his hold or who else might have holds or how easily negotiated those hold positions might be. Suffice it to say that, in all probability, Nussle's nomination will not get a floor vote in the Senate until September. Current OMB Director Rob Portman leaves his post tomorrow. Barring the dropping of the Nussle holds or a recess appointment by the president during the August congressional recess, OMB may be formally leaderless for the next month, or longer.