[kj] [OT] Any thoughts on this, from Americans on the list

[Mark Kolmar]

U.S. Consitution, Article II, Section 2, Clause 3:

"The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may
happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which
shall expire at the End of their next Session."

All presidents do this with various positions hundreds of times.  The
words "happen" and "during" seem relevant because this vacancy is not
new.  But this is totally common.

Clinton put in an ambassador to Luxembourg who Republicans wouldn't
approve because the man was openly gay.  (Do they care about that kind
of thing in Luxembourg?)

I predicted this recess appointment shortly before it became hip to
say so: http://concrete-tiger.livejournal.com/8072.html

(Btw, about the appointment to the Supreme Court, this Roberts guy is
not an in-your-face right-winger as I expected, but may still be a
stealth wing-nut.)

As for the real question of whether this recess appointment of Bolton
was politically smart or otherwise helpful, I would say no.  He came
out of committee with no recommendation, and has no vote from the full
Senate.  Best I can say is people will recognize he is a jerk who Bush
sent to the U.N. to be a jerk.  Any positive progress made at the U.N.
will not have much to do with Bolton, though Republican apologists
will insist after the fact it did.

I'll only half-jokingly predict a melee at the U.N., sort of like
those brawls you see on TV now and then in the parliaments of a few
Asian and former Soviet nations.

--Mark

On 8/2/05, circuit bender <circuit_bender at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Another constitutional abuse, from the champion of democracy in the 21st
> century! :[ 
>   
> 'President George Bush yesterday sidestepped the Senate and installed John
> Bolton as US ambassador to the UN, despite protests from Democrats that the
> controversial neo-conservative will undermine America's credibility. 
> 
> Mr Bolton's appointment has been blocked for more than five months by Senate
> Democrats who have been demanding the Bush administration release classified
> information they claim would shed more light on Mr Bolton's past, including
> claims that he tried to manipulate US intelligence to support his hawkish
> views..........As a recess appointment - a loophole that allows the
> president to make appointments while Congress is not sitting - Mr Bolton
> will only be able to serve until January 2007, when a new Congress is sworn
> in.' 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1540686,00.html