Statement of Senator Dodd on the President's Recess Appointment of Sam Fox

[babylonsister]

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3820

Statement of Senator Dodd on the President's Recess Appointment of Sam Fox
April 4, 2007

“It is outrageous that the President has sought to stealthily appoint Sam Fox to the position of ambassador to Belgium when the President formally requested that the Fox nomination be withdrawn from the Senate because it was facing certain defeat in the Foreign Relations Committee last week. I seriously question the legality of the President's use of the recess appointment authority in this instance. I intend to seek an opinion on the legality of this appointment from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and invite other Senators to join with me in that request. This is underhanded and an abuse of Executive authority -- sadly this behavior has become the hallmark of this administration.”

[Czolgosz]

1. GO DODD GO!

[Diane R]

2. Gack. He's still the Brat-In-Chief thumbing his nose at the world.

[global1]

3. Isn't The GAO Where They Viewed A Power Point Presentation As To What Dems....

to target for '08?

[Nictuku]

7. No, that was GSA

[AndyA]

4. OK, Dodd. Do something about it.

Introduce a bill to do away with Recess Appointments. What a stupid concept anyway.

If there's an emergency, a new system should be put in place to authorize temporary placement, then Congress can approve or boot when they return.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, DON'T JUST TALK ABOUT IT!!

(This is not a slam on Dodd, but a challenge to him to fix this disgraceful issue for once and for all.)

[jobycom]

21. Can't ban it, it's a Constitutional power given the president.

Article II, section 2: 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.

[Jim__]

5. They should definitely make a major issue of this.

The onus is on bush. The Senate should drop any pretense of cooperation with his admin.

[flyarm]

6. i am damn sick and tired of that moron deciding he is our kig..he is not a fucking king...

i am soooo sick of this shit!!


fly

[NMDemDist2]

8. awesome! I hope they bounce that TunaBoater MoFo right on out of there

go Dodd GO!

[sinkingfeeling]

9. This could be article number 30 in the impeachment papers.

Forgot to add: Once a chicken, always a chicken, uh, Bush?

[CBHagman]

13. I wouldn't go that far, but Bush always has to get his way.

Self-absorption, stubbornness, and incompetence are a deadly combination.

[C_U_L8R]

10. How does congress put a stop to

this recess appointment nonsense?
Can it repeal whatever legislation started
these shenanigans in the first place?

[MonkeyFunk]

11. No

it's not legislation - it's in the constitution.

Article II, Section 2: "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."

[sinkingfeeling]

14. But the vacancy didn't occur during the recess. It occured because Bush withdrew Fox's name last

week. So this was just a 'political' ploy to do an end run around Congress.

[MonkeyFunk]

16. yeah

but historically, the vacancy doesn't have to begin during a recess - the position just has to BE vacant during the recess.

[Democrafty]

17. This is still completely unprecedented - even for this admin. n/t

[Throwing Stones]

20. Does Congress have to formally recess?

If they all just went home for the week without calling a formal recess, could that stop * from making these bs appointments?

[SoFlaJet]

12. Bush is one arrogant

and spiteful person isn't he? No wonder 7 out of every 10 people walking around pretty much can't stand him-congrats George

[mnhtnbb]

15. I wish the Congress would stop letting Bush thumb his nose at them.

Let's have some action. IMPEACH

[Democrafty]

19. Nobody's "letting" this happen. This might not even be legal. n/t

[DeepBlueC]

18. Good for Dodd!

It may not succeed, but it could keep this from being buried in the CNN crawl. I'm disgusted.

[Supersedeas]

22. underhanded tactics is the hallmark of Loyal Bushies