Last week news broke that Sen. Richard Shelby had placed a hold on almost all of President Obama’s nominees in lieu of getting funding for some of his pork projects. Now he has retreated:

Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama will stop blocking Senate confirmation of about 70 government appointees nominated by President Barack Obama, his office said.

Shelby had placed “holds” on most of Obama’s nominees, delaying the Senate from acting on them, in a dispute over federal spending involving his state.

“The purpose of placing numerous holds was to get the White House’s attention on two issues that are critical to our national security – the Air Force’s aerial refueling tanker acquisition and the FBI’s Terrorist Device Analytical Center,” Shelby spokesman Jonathan Graffeo said in a statement Monday night.

The problem for Shelby is that he has now been exposed as a major hypocrite. How can he continue to call himself a conservative after going to such extraordinary measures to secure pork? Any challenger to Shelby’s seat will have a field day with this.