Obama 2005: Recess appointees are “damaged goods;” Obama 2010: Recess appointments are “critical” need
Ah, the Obama water-carriers at the NYTimes never fail to disappoint. They describe the Obama White House decision to bypass the Senate and make 15 recess appointments while the Senate is on spring break — including radical SEIU labor lawyer Craig Becker’s appointment to the NLRB, which was rejected by the Senate last month on a 52-33 cloture vote — as a “muscular show of his executive authority.” When that authority was exercised by GOP President George W. Bush, of course, the NYTimes editorial board called it a “constitutional gimmick.”
And when Bush used it in particular to appoint John Bolton as his UN ambassador, here’s what Obama himself had to say in 2005, via Morgen at Verum Serum:
“To some degree, he’s damaged goods,” said Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “I think that means we’ll have less credibility and, ironically, be less equipped to reform the United Nations in the way that it needs to be reformed.”
Now, such appointments are a “critical” need — and it’s all Republicans’ fault that Obama is carrying on business as usual, senior White House advisor David Axelrod moans.
As I noted earlier this month, the GOP obstructionism charge is a smokescreen for this White House’s own slow, indecisive, incompetent decisions on appointments of all kinds from judgeships to homeland security positions.
As GOP Sen. Charles Grassley points out, the White House is not just circumventing the full Senate, but the committee vetting process that is already underway in the cases of two of the questionable recess appointees:
“A lot of presidents have used recess appointments, but it shows a lot of disregard for the Senate’s advise-and-consent role to bypass not just the full Senate, but also the committee of jurisdiction that was in the middle of vetting the nominees in its jurisdiction. Jeffrey Goldstein and Alan Bersin were undergoing the Finance Committee’s vetting process. The vetting was bipartisan, as it has been since 2001 and maybe before that. Dr. Goldstein was answering my final questions about his prior work at a private equity firm that used offshore blocker corporations in the Cayman Islands to avoid U.S. taxes and his earning of ‘carried interest.’ Mr. Bersin was answering questions from both the chairman’s and my staff about what appeared to be conflicting information about his documentation and disclosure of various household employees. In both cases, this due diligence was directly relevant to the positions these nominees will hold. It’s a blow to a ‘well-functioning government’, to use the President’s term, that the President didn’t see fit to allow the Finance Committee’s due diligence to conclude. Now that the vetting process has been interrupted, these individuals will take their jobs without the public knowing whether they have experience that bears negatively (or positively) on their ability to serve the taxpayers. Also, the President should be more precise in his claims of Republican obstructionism. Finance Committee vetting is bipartisan. Beyond that, senators have every right to draw attention to an issue of concern by highlighting a nominee. It’s something that happened regularly with Democratic senators and Bush nominees, sometimes before a nominee was even allowed to have a hearing in the Finance Committee.”
To quote the old Obama: Damaged goods.
***
Ditto Ed Morrissey: “The best prevention for radical choices like Craig Becker is to have someone other than Barack Obama in the White House, and enough Republicans in the Senate to keep the chamber in session. Elections have consequences … and we usually only learn that when experiencing the unpleasant ones.”
***
Here are the 15 Obama spring break recess appointees:
The President announced his intention to recess appoint the following nominees:
Jeffrey Goldstein: Nominee for Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, Department of the Treasury
Michael F. Mundaca: Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury
Eric L. Hirschhorn: Nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration and head of the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce
Michael Punke: Nominee for Deputy Trade Representative – Geneva, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Francisco “Frank” J. Sánchez: Nominee for Under Secretary for International Trade, Department of Commerce
Islam A. Siddiqui: Nominee for Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Alan D. Bersin: Nominee for Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security
Jill Long Thompson: Nominee for Member, Farm Credit Administration Board
Rafael Borras: Nominee for Under Secretary for Management , Department of Homeland Security
Craig Becker: Nominee for Board Member, National Labor Relations Board
Mark Pearce: Nominee for Board Member, National Labor Relations Board
Jacqueline A. Berrien, Nominee for Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Chai R. Feldblum: Nominee for Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Victoria A. Lipnic: Nominee for Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
P. David Lopez: Nominee for General Counsel, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
 |
Obama’s latest campaign angle: I’ve been saving America from wild Republican debts
May 24, 2012 04:33 PM by Doug Powers
47 Comments
Stammertime: Jay Carney asked if Chicago protests have soured Obama’s support for OWS
May 23, 2012 07:44 PM by Doug Powers
54 Comments
Biden: Tea Party stopped us from growing the economy
May 23, 2012 01:55 PM by Doug Powers
44 Comments
Catholic lawsuit against Obamacare mandate cites 1993 legislation written by Ted Kennedy and Chuck Schumer
May 22, 2012 04:35 PM by Doug Powers
48 Comments
Biden: Hey, I don’t blame people for voting for a convicted felon instead of my boss
May 18, 2012 01:21 PM by Doug Powers
73 Comments
Senate narrowly votes down Obama budget
May 16, 2012 06:09 PM by Doug Powers
47 CommentsTransparency update: Donors told to hand over cell phones upon entering Obama fundraisers
May 15, 2012 04:40 PM by Doug Powers
42 Comments
Categories: Barack Obama,SEIU
Villainous Company
» Must Read Post of the Day. Possibly, the YearSister Toldjah
» Barack Obama: Can we call him a Socialist now?
This practice needs to be stopped. Reid and the comdodien adjourned the Senate knowing that obowma would do this…
The president has the power to do a recess appointment.
However, can someone explain to me how the President can recess appoint a person whose nomination was rekected by the Senate 54-43?
Seems pretty clearly unconstitutional to me or am I missing something?
And man, are we having an experience!
The next republican president needs to remember this situation when he/she can’t get their nominees through a dem senate filibuster. Just go around them and continue to go around them until you leave office. Don’t ever allow yourself to be Borked again. Play by the rules the other team establishes. This is one area where Bush suceeded. Hillbilly had 140 recess appointees in his 8 years, Bush had 170. Dems da rules!
The
Get use to it-Power for the sake of Power is an end in itself. We are not dealing with mere differences of opinion but people who wish us harm. But you Bitter Clingers who oppose your Betters best realize you are Militia-and the Obaminations are correct in that.
George Mason: “I ask you sir, who are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.” (Elliott, Debates, 425-426)
Make and oath to your God and yourself that you will not be taken quietly into the night.
Obama planned all along to do these recess appointments, rather than put them through vetting. As he found out with Becker, his radical appointees would not pass the smell test if done the right way. I imagine we will find out a lot of radical stuff about most of these appointees. Obama doesn’t want anyone on his team who is “moderate”. After all, he has an agenda and needs his army of a$$holes around him. ACORN, SEIU, Czars, Pelosi and Reid. Ahhh…life is good.
Obowmao: “Circumventing? I know not of what you speak. Besides, I won, FTW!” (dances jig)
If its an in-your-face move to conservatives, count on Obama.
Statistically, you’d think Obama would accidentally pick someone who doesn’t have ethical, criminal, marxist, or socialist baggage attached to them. Hmmm, it must be by intelligent design the selections are as they are.
True, elections do have consequences. So does arson. The arsonist when caught ends up in jail, however, the buildings still burn.
As soon as the Republicans take control of Congress in the fall, they should ensure that there are no more recesses for him to use. Becker is one too many – it’s one thing if they’re being held up, as many are, it’s another when they’ve been rejected. That should be illegal – but illegality never slows a Democrat.
Note to Ed Morrisey: The lesson to be learned is not with us conservative voters, it is with the GOP. Give us a non-Democrat candidate!!!! “Electability” and “lesser of two evils” is not a viable party platform! Isn’t the Tea Party populated by the right-center voters (52% of voters) who the RNC covets to fill their “big tent”? Then dump the corrupt liberals who have the RNC in a stranglehold, let us conservatives back in and a robust Republican majority will happen.
Good analogy!!
Looks to me like this was a bi-partisan fillibuster of the guy. It looks liek the only way Obama can truly achieve b-partisanship is when he nominates people who should not be nominated.
The only downside to this plan is that the recess nomination can only serve for 1 year before having to be confirmed again. Yes, the President can use recess appointments again, but they would the appointee would have to serve without pay (saw that in John Bolton’s book).
Becker can do a lot of harm in one year!!! Look what Obama has done in just a year. Becker wants card check, etc. He will probably succeed. I have a feeling Obama will ram through amnesty and crap/tax before the end of the year. I do believe he is asking for mass mutiny of the good patriotic citizens of this country.
This president is earning himself a record for hypocrisy that is truly breathtaking.
Agreed, IMO he is working toward enforcing martial law before the Nov. elections, taking total control of America. He is well aware he and his party are sunk if there is an election.
the site and sound of this usurper make me nauseous.
Ditto on being sick and tired of the hypocrisy and double standards on the Left.
However, that is SOP for them.
As tiresome as it is, it’s important to keep pointing out their double standards.
Ridicule is a good weapon. Teh Won hates that.
Happy, I get the feeling that amnesty is off the table until after the elections, which disappoints me. Frankly, I would love to see that fuel added to the populist anger right now. I really don’t mind the anger boiling over a little…fill in your own fantasy.
As some have pointed out, the post election, lame-duck period is very scary for us. Many of those Dem congress critters from purple districts will have already been defeated by us and will have absolutely nothing more to fear. In fact, that will relish the opportunity to punish us with some more breathtaking, totalitarian, Marxist legislation. We’re apt to have to go into the streets in November but not so much to celebrate as to defend the republic.
Any already defeated representative who seemed to be headed for a radical last-breath vote against the wishes of the citizens would, in my mind, merit the harshest possible reaction.
If the Republicans do take the House in November they could defund the NLRB and a few others-IF they have the stones to stand up to Katie Kouric and Beltway Klowns; IF. He Who Has Come has the veto-he can not veto non action.
IF the Republicans take the House and IF they have the stones.
The Audacity of Hypocrisy.
***
John Bolton was a Bush 43 appointment–and a good one. Too bad he couldn’t have gotten a fair confirmation vote in the Senate.
***
Remember 51 vote Senate bills and recess appointments. Remember keeping a few staffers “on duty” 24/7/365 to shortshot Comrade Obama (PBUH) recess appointments. Same slash and burn techniques should be used after the 2010 elections. Payback is in order.
***
John Bibb
***
I totally agree that one year of Becker could do untold damage to our nations economy. What I was commenting on was your idea that if we get a solid Conservative elected in 2012 that he use this tactic to ensure that good people are in office regardless of the Senate that it will only work for a year and can actually cause backlash for the appointee. John Bolton is a perfect example of this. Here was a man who understood that the UN was not our friend and he went there to shake things up, but could only stay a year do to the liberal opposition to him, which was made worse by the recess appointment.
The best thing we can do is work hard to get a majority back in the House and Senate this year, increase the majority in 2012, and win back the Presidency in 2012. That is the only way I can see us saving our great nation.
Say you had a whole slew of cronies you wanted in high places to support your regime, but knew 90% of them would never get confirmed, what would you do? Well, wait and throw them all up during recess of course! Of course past and future presidents have and will continue to make recess appointments, but it’s very telling that so many are being made now when so few were submitted for the “official” process.
You are missing something, because Michelle’s post is completely dishonest (and therefore, confusing).
The Senate did not vote to reject Craig Becker’s nomination. The 54-33 vote allowed republicans to continue to filibuster his nomination.
And let’s make sure we understand that what that number represents: 33 people voted nay to stop the will of the majority to even have a vote on the guy.
This is a confusing process, and I know Michelle understands it.
But she also knows how to spoon-feed her readers to get the angry reaction that keeps you coming back for more.
Calling our hostess “dishonest” should get you banned. But MM is classy and will probably allow you to stay, butthead.
AND she said it was a cloture vote. I think everyone here knows what that means.
Yeah…apparently everyone except tettes the troll.
And I am soooo certain you were saying the same thing when the Dems were fillibustering Bush’s nominations…
/sarc
And before you start claiming that we here are doing the same thing it might do you well to remember that when the Dem’s did not have Republicans crossing the aisle to vote with the Dem’s to fillibuster, where as with the nomination of Becker you had Dem’s joining with Republicans to fillibuster.
Tettes? Is that short Tourettes? Just curious.
This is classic Obama:
The Post-partisan, big unifier, staying above petty politics President? /sarc off.
So far, Obama’s only consistent rhetoric matching his actions is “Income redistribution”.
Nothing new for a politician to talk and behave differently, but Obama has some serious issues with the Greatness of USA.
He is bent on leveling the Fairness between Rich and Poor, between Allies and Enemies.
To him, success is NOT the result of hard work and better planning. It is the result of taking unfair advantage.
Everything this buffoon is doing is to distruct our Nation and what it stands for.
Still, Obama has over 45% approval rating?
Something is strange in these polling data.
Are theose people who oppose Obama’s policies but give him high personal approval scores really geniouses who can separate Obama’s policies from his personality?
Gee, I wonder when the goose-stepping parades begin, complete with the Roman standards and columns of slaves from the conquered states.
All hail the mighty Obama-caesar. He sneers, he scoffs, he wags his tongue at the unbelievers.
Beware the Ides of March Obama, Beware the Ides of March.
Far too many in the GOP are still interested in playing nice, while the Democrats are playing with brass knuckles.
We need a SECOND party, the GOP in many ways is simply the Washington Generals to the Democrats Harlem Globetrotters.
They are not representing conservatives. They have no real interest in rolling back the Marx Madness that has been loosed in the District of Corrution.
Translation: “The donks are a pack of hypocrites, so we need to split the conservative vote! Yeah, that’ll show ‘em!”
There are a handful of people whose knee-jerk reaction to whatever outrage the donks commit is to ignore them and to instead attack the mainstay opposition instrument against them, based on “the exception invalidates the rule.”
It’d be like fighting World War II in the following manner:
- Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor in sneak attack: “Yeah, but General Short and Admiral Kimmel are idiots, we outta replace our officer corps!”
- Japanese murder 10,000 American and Philippine POWs in the Bataan Death March: “Yeah, but MacArthur was an idiot for positioning his supplies too far forward! He outta be court-martialed!”
- Germans kill millions in death camps: “Yeah, but Eisenhower slowed our advance because of his “broad front” strategy — their blood is on his hands!”
So, let me get this straight: Republicans — including even the squishes — voted unanimously in both houses against donkey-care, thereby ensuring that the donks own it and that the only “bi-partisanship” was against the takeover, and have called in varying ways for “repeal, replace, reform” — and they don’t represent conservatives?
Republicans in the house have publicly foresworn earmarks in legislation — and they don’t represent conservatives?
Republicans in the senate were at least in part responsible for keeping Hope-a-Dope, Nancy-n-Harry from imposing Cap’n Tax on us last year — and they don’t represent conservatives?
Then who does represent conservatives? You? By advocating the one thing that’s a sure-fire winner for the donks in November, splitting their opposition? Sorry, but given the choice between working to reform an imperfect instrument and taking the advice of somebody who advocates throwing the game to the enemy, I’ll choose “the lesser of two evils.”
Regulus,
Yes they came together to oppose Commie-care.
Let’s see what they do about the big enchilada.
Amnesty.
Too many in the GOP agree with the Donks as you call them. Until they are gone, it’s like two divisions under the same ownership. The Vichy Republicans are the ones holding the purse strings and levers of power in the party.
Sure, there are great members of the House and even a few Senators worth keeping. Unfortunately the RNC dislikes them more than the Donks. I’ve seen them defund conservatives and throw elections to the donks, do you really think they are on our side?
Quoting John McCain’s comment in 2004:
“I believe my party has gone astray. I think the Democratic Party is a fine party, and I have no problems with it, in their views and their philosophy.”
I respect Speaker Pelosi. I think she’s one of the great American success stories,” McCain said
“I agree with his goal,” the Arizona senator said Monday of Gore’s idea. “I may disagree with all the ways of getting there. But I again want to emphasize my respect for the former vice president’s leadership on this issue and his continuous leadership. And I am in no way trying to get into a fight with him.”
“Do as I say, not as I do” Barack Hussein “The One” Obama
How many executive level jobs exist (any level job for that matter) where your arch competition gets to select/approve your staff!?!?! Absolutely stupid arrangement. There are plenty of folk our current and recent past President’s have wanted to hire that I didn’t like, but the current system, or the implementation of it, is lame beyond words!