Strong NYT editorial on the 3 Bush recess appointments

[karynnj]

It avoids the wishy washy words of the AP and so-called Democratic spokesmen like Hillary Rosen and calls the SBVT vicious and liars.

Reading this, even as a Kerry supporter, I wonder if the Fox appointment was done not just to hit Kerry, but to divert attention from the other two. Fox, as weasly as he is, will likely do no harm to our relationship with Belgium - they already hate Bush. The other 2 are in major policy areas and they are also people he knows the Senate would not confirm. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/opinion/06fri2.htm

[BOSSHOG]

1. The SBVT are not only vicious liars

they are cowards as well, failing to respond to emails from real live patriotic liberal veterans who had a strong desire to kick their asses. Worst Administration Ever. Can there be any doubt?

[karynnj]

3. No doubt from me

They were without conscience. If they wanted to attack Kerry for protesting or for a liberal record, that was fair. Even Nixon was not low enough to attack his service though he clearly investigated it to see if they could find anything.

They really opened the doors to questioning all service records. They challenged the medals and didn't even pretend to provide proof. They never explained how a 25 year old first lieutenant tricked them into publicly giving him not one but two prestigious medals.

I can only imagine the anger and hurt liberal vets felt as the media let these people do this. It is sick that O'Neil is still given coverage.

[BOSSHOG]

5. I emailed O'neil several times

Told him this retired CPO wanted to take him to the goat locker for some junior officer counseling and training in honesty and integrity. Not a peep, he was too busy jacking off hannity and limbaugh.

[karynnj]

8. Wow

I think he might require a significant amount of remedial work on those two character traits.

He was pretty obnoxious even as a young man when he tried to debate Kerry. It was clear even then that he was dishonest - as he refused to listen to Kerry.

[Blaukraut]

2. So this was done by design?

We get Fox on a recess platter, all decked out in media attention and outrage, but he's really only an appetizer, because the two main courses are slid across the table on paper plates.
Typical bait and switch by Bush. He's done this before.

[Robbien]

7. You thought the pet food scare was a problem

The OMB recess appointment will make sure problem food is a standard practice.

Say goodbye to social security. Privatization is the favorite word of the social security recess appointment.

Of course these two appointments snuck in under cover of Swift boat Fox.

[karynnj]

9. Except the only way to get privatization is to get the Finance

committee to write the law for it. The Democrat heading that subcommittee is John Kerry. I don't think it can get out of committee.

[blm]

4. I thought it was also an FU to Matthew Dowd over his Kerry was right conversion.

This Fox appointment would work in the media on several levels regarding press coverage, including downplaying the other 2 appointments as you say.

[Marr]

6. I've never seen such a petty, immature group of brats in government.

And that's saying something. They do these sorts of things all the time. They say "go fuck yourself" when they simply don't have to. They pick fights everywhere- stupid fights. They make enemies just to make enemies.

My god... they're like Rush Limbaugh fans.

[pigpickle]

10. K&R

[spooky3]

11. "All three are extraordinarily bad appointments" - stark contrast to

the WaPo editorial that had a few concerns about the process, but said

"There's ample blame to go around. The Senate should have done more to ensure that the nominees received prompt hearings and up-or-down votes. On the merits, we tend to think that all three deserved confirmation."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/05/AR2007040501886.html

[karynnj]

14. But the SFRC was going to vote on Fox less than an hour after

Bush pulled the nomination - which he would have LOST. On the others, was there significant delay?
The WP really is going to the right.

[spooky3]

15. good question-- they provided no evidence of delay

[babylonsister]

12. Here's confirmation from another source of just how bad this is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=273213&mesg_id=273213


http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/04/06/recesspool....

Recesspool
Bill Scher



The abuse of the recess appointment perhaps isn't President Bush's most egregious attack on our Founders' carefully crafted system of checks and balances, since others before him have exploited this constitutional loophole. But the implicit reasons behind each of the three significant recess appointments he made this week —installing the officials without Senate confirmation during the congressional recess—are quite egregious, and each in their own way.

The one that's gotten the most attention is Sam Fox, our new ambassador to Belgium.

It's typical, if still highly inappropriate, for cronies of the president to get cushy ambassador gigs. But Sam Fox wasn't just a big donor of Bush. He gave $50,000 to the Swift Boat liars that smeared Sen. John Kerry's war record during his 2004 presidential bid.

Of course, the Bush campaign always insisted it had nothing to do with the smear merchants, even though the group had ties to Karl Rove. But to go the extra mile after being stiff-armed by the Senate, to appoint a major backer of filthy politics to a major post, shows how politics are played in the conservative movement.

Get dirty now, get rewarded later. No consequences for your actions. No disincentive to smear again.

The second is Andrew Biggs, to become the No. 2 man at the Social Security Administration.

Biggs is not only committed to the dismantling of Social Security via privatization. As associate commissioner of SSA, he was behind an effort to use the agency to pump out misinformation and undermine support for the program.

more...

[ProSense]

13. All bad nominees, but

Fox is the one that spotlights Bush's intent marginalize Congress.