This is getting a bit tiresome. Faux outrage over recess appointments, another political tactic used by BOTH parties for many many years:
While Congress is out of session, President Bush flexed his executive power muscle, appointing businessman Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium less than a week after his nomination was pulled when Senate Democrats hammered away at him for donating money to a conservative group that helped sink Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
Kerry and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., led Senate Democrats’ opposition to Fox, who in 2004 contributed $50,000 to the slanderous Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which used a series of television ads to undermine Kerry’s combat record.
Despite his grilling by Democrats, Fox, the national chairman of the Jewish Republican Coalition, refused to apologize for his donation.
Bush was forced to withdraw Fox’s nomination last week after 11 of Kerry’s Vietnam crewmates sent a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging members to oppose Fox’s nomination.
“In our judgment, those who finance smears and lies of combat veterans don’t deserve to represent America on the world stage,” Kerry’s former comrades wrote.
In a statement released Wednesday, Kerry accused the Bush administration of abusing the president’s power of appointment.
“It’s sad but not surprising that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency to reward a donor over the objections of the Senate,” Kerry said.
First off, none of the swift boat allegations have been proven false, the only counter-attack the Kerry camp has come up with is to dispute one detail in one battle with opposing testimony. That’s it. In fact since Kerry hasn’t even released his COMPLETE 180 in the years since the charges by the Swift Vet veterans first arisen (numbering 200+ mind you) the charges have gained credibility. His complete military record would fill in the gaps and prove beyond a shadow of doubt who was lying, but alas Kerry won’t release them.
Wonder why?
He wounded himself with a grenade launch (a very minor scratch) and put in for a Purple Heart, he lied about spending Christmas in Cambodia, when one boat got hit by a mine Kerry ran while every single other one came to that boat’s rescue. Kerry had a change of heart and then decided to come back and "rescue" a comrade (that story has changed from Kerry’s mouth at least 3 times since Vietnam). He put in for Purple Hearts for minor wounds that most soldiers would be embarrassed to acknowledge, all to get out of Vietnam in 4 months. Leaving his fellow soldiers behind.
He’s a disgrace to the service and to every true fighting man. But he’s upset because Bush used a tactic that both Democrats and Republicans have used for generations…..classic. (h/t Captain’s Quarters)
President Bill Clinton Friday used his recess appointment privilege to name James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. Clinton’s move was in direct defiance of the Senate’s GOP leadership who have refused to confirm Hormel because he is openly gay.
The recess appointment is a constitutional device that becomes available to the president if an appointment is made while Congress is in recess. Both the House and the Senate return from their 10-day Memorial Day holiday on Monday.
Under the recess appointment, Hormel, 66, will be able to serve until the end of 2000, when the 106th Congress adjourns. All of Clinton’s ambassadorial appointments expire at the end of his term in January 2001.
Hormel, who will become the first openly gay U.S. ambassador, was originally nominated to the post in 1997.
Although the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination and his supporters claim they had the votes in the full Senate to confirm the appointment, the conservative GOP leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, refused to allow the matter to come to a floor vote in the 105th Congress.
So when Kerry say’s something like this:
This nomination was withdrawn because the administration realized it would lose in the Foreign Relations Committee. Unfortunately, when this White House can’t win the game, they just change the rules, and America loses.
Just recall Clinton’s use of the recess appointment when he realized that he would not be able to get his guy an Ambassadorship, I suppose he "changed the rules" then also huh?
Oh, by the way, he didn’t just "change the rules" once…he did it 139 times during his Presidency.
Sigh…
Other’s Blogging:
On a technical note, Kerry has pretended to release his records on at least two occasions.
Once where he released partial records and tried to imply it was the entire record.
Another time where he released his records to a few reporters/newspaper that have been very friendly to him in the past.
I was so pleased when I heard about the Fox recess appointment.
He should do the same with every judge held up by Senate Democrats.
He’s got nothing to lose.