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In reply to the discussion: Piers Morgan's final words (This is a great way to end a show) [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)155. Again, you are mistaken. The POTUS has absolute discretion to award that prize to
the persons of HIS choosing. His total, absolute, line-item discretion makes that HIS award. He can award it to people for whom the nation harbors a strong dislike, and there isn't a damn thing anyone can do about it. There's no "take-backsies," and no "do-overs," and there's no overruling oversight, either.
See, that's why Kissinger and Rummy got awards from Gerald Ford. Unlikely a Democratic President would have included those two on their lists; it's also why no Republican President ever thought it was worthwhile to include someone like Ted Kennedy or John Lewis on their lists.
It is the "Presidential" award, and for now, anyway, "Barack Obama" is the President.
He makes the picks.
He's "the decider."
Not you.
Not me.
"...the President's giving an award..." means that this particular President --the person of Barack H. Obama, specifically -- thought that the person receiving the medal had done something meriting the parameters of the award.
You can try to make this about me all you want, but that's just a distraction. I've told you what the process is for choosing the recipients--that's not 'nitpicking,' that's the established procedure. The President chooses his picks, and, additionally, a board (chaired by the appointed director at OPM) provides him with a list of recommendations, that POTUS can accept or reject at his pure and unadulterated discretion. Indeed, for a brief period of time, Jimmy Carter abolished the "board" entirely and went with his own gut; JC's one fault was a tendency to micromanage--he eventually corrected that and placed the "making suggestions" job at OPM (not with Congress or any elected officials, for that matter).
It's a perk of office, much like the ability to pardon people (which isn't put to a vote, either). It's one of the few "regal" vestiges of our republic.
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Piers Morgan's final words (This is a great way to end a show) [View all]
Playinghardball
Apr 2014
OP
R#12 & K for, the gunnutters are itching for bloodshed, just a matter of when and where. n/t
UTUSN
Apr 2014
#3
He was a CIA Director--it's not like they named the place after that Dim Son of his.
MADem
Apr 2014
#127
I knew it was the father but I think in his day he was a very unsavory character
Samantha
Apr 2014
#129
Personally, I don't think he was much of a politician--I honestly think that was his
MADem
Apr 2014
#130
I didn't misrepresent your post--you have been non-responsive at best in this exchange.
MADem
Apr 2014
#151
Again, you are mistaken. The POTUS has absolute discretion to award that prize to
MADem
Apr 2014
#155
Sigh. The nation has no input into most of the things that elected representatives do
merrily
Apr 2014
#158
What? We petition our representatives to create laws that benefit us. That IS how the system works.
MADem
Apr 2014
#159
Who is the "we". The real "we" needs to understand how we are being manipulated
BlueStreak
Apr 2014
#17
You are right about this - people have so little faith in the integrity of government...
pragmatic_dem
Apr 2014
#99
yes. it is. Apparently he was hired by the "Liberal Democrats" in March 2014. as a Media Consultant.
2banon
Apr 2014
#14
You purposely ignored him and everyone else on TV and then you want SOMEONE ELSE
ChisolmTrailDem
Apr 2014
#10
I just said, I don't HAVE CABLE. Unbelievably nasty responses for simple question
2banon
Apr 2014
#19
Fair enough. My apologies for sounding snarky, I was really just going for matter-of-fact. Many
ChisolmTrailDem
Apr 2014
#27
Piers has had a varied career--he worked as a newspaper editor for Murdoch for years.
MADem
Apr 2014
#138
Children are significantly more likely to die in a swimming pool as opposed to by a gun
tolkien90
Apr 2014
#48
The fact that you linked the National Review, a Conservative Right Wing Pro NRA magazine
4lbs
Apr 2014
#96
I agree with Morgan about guns, but that's about ALL I would say on his behalf
LeftishBrit
Apr 2014
#51
A nice closing, but I'm a little surprised he didn't go into the dangers of the NSA
hughee99
Apr 2014
#62
That seems an odd assumption for anyone with a passing familiarity with American history.
Donald Ian Rankin
Apr 2014
#70
The corrupting influence of money on our politicians is the reason for it all.
cspanlovr
Apr 2014
#79
No Piers, the PEOPLE rejected gutting the 2nd Amendment, just like they rejected you.
Skip Intro
Apr 2014
#80
Give up the "assault weapon" idiocy. Push for universal background checks, over and over
Recursion
Apr 2014
#110