Washington Whispers reports:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a little trick up his sleeve that could spell an end to President Bush’s devilish recess appointments of controversial figures like former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton. We hear that over the long August vacation, when those types of summer hires are made, Reid will call the Senate into session just long enough to force the prez to send his nominees who need confirmation to the chamber. The talk is he will hold a quickie “pro forma” session every 10 days, tapping a local senator to run the hall. Senate workers and Republicans are miffed, but Reid is proving that he’s the new sheriff in town.
It seems that the left side of the blogosphere suddenly likey Harry Reid.
It’s a bit sad that it’s necessary but a good call by Reid. It is not often that I agree with what Reid wants and / or does, but this is a good decision.
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1 lthomas
May 21, 2007 @ 2:44 pm CESTHe is a fool.
F O O L.
Remembering the old addage in DC Politics. What goes around comes around.
Nothing good comes from that sorry excuse for a politician. This is not an slam of him as a MAN. Only a politician.
2 Alan
May 21, 2007 @ 3:13 pm CESTA fool? Really?
Sounds like he found a rather clever method to defeat the recess appointment process.
Perhaps wrong, but not foolish.
3 Interested
May 21, 2007 @ 3:24 pm CESTIt won’t last long
Neither side of the isle likes to work very much.
4 in2thefray
May 21, 2007 @ 4:12 pm CESTI agree with comment 1 & 3. Recess appointments are an executive tool that is available for a reason no matter the party in the Oval. I’m curious though wouldn’t Reid need something resembling a quorum to say the Senate is in session ?
5 Rich Horton
May 21, 2007 @ 4:30 pm CESTI wonder why when the GOP wanted to engage in a little parlimentary “innovation” to curtail long standing fillibuster procedures it was decried as the “nuclear option” by Democrats and the press, but to do something similar to long standing recess appointments gets embraced?
It strikes me they are “of a kind.” If you are OK with one you should be ok with the other….and vice versa.
Oh well, who needs intellectual honesty anyway!
6 kritter
May 21, 2007 @ 4:38 pm CESTGood for Reid- he’s one smart cookie! Now if he could just do something about GOP fillibusters.
Rich Horton- The GOP decried the fillibusters when they were used by Democrats, but now seemingly have no problem with that particular parliamentary rule. Moral- don’t look for intellectual honesty from politicians- of EITHER party!
7 Interested
May 21, 2007 @ 4:47 pm CESTlol maybe this week - stay tuned it’s only Monday. Gaffe’s to come.
8 lthomas
May 21, 2007 @ 4:57 pm CESTPeople who are in favor of this political ploy trully want to deadlock congress.
Look at these numbers.
Carter 55 recess appointments.
Reagan 243 recess appointments.
Bush 1 77 recess appointments
Clinton 140 recess appointments.
Bush 2 147 appointments in almost 7 years.
It is a tool. It is effective. These are not permanent appointments as they all have to be confirmed or denied. However if left up to REID he would effectively have shut down 147 jobs most of which are extremely critical.
The republican congress would have shut down 140 of Clintons important jobs.
What goes around, comes around.
Reid is a fool. I know that democrats are going to get up in arms over this but it is an important aspect of insuring that jobs get filled. Even if only temporarily.
What Reids proponents are failing to see here is that REID is legislating from the Bench. He is taking government upon his shoulders and is insuring that HE is in charge of the Government.
I repeat only the word FOOL comes to mind and now the more I think about it I think I will add Dangerous FOOL.
9 lthomas
May 21, 2007 @ 4:59 pm CESTRich Horton- The GOP decried the fillibusters when they were used by Democrats, but now seemingly have no problem with that particular parliamentary rule. Moral- don’t look for intellectual honesty from politicians- of EITHER party!
This is the point KRITTER>
What goes around comes around.
10 Rich Horton
May 21, 2007 @ 8:00 pm CESTMy point was how the media portrays such things.
One can be intellectually consistent by decrying both, OR approving of both. Anything else is a sign of “unprincipled” thinking.
Personally, I don’t have an issue with either of the attempts to change parlimentary “tradition.”
In the political context lthomas and kritter are right and BOTH sides are being hypocritical.
So why does the media HAVE to mimic the political parties? Can’t they at least afford to be principled?