REALITY BYTES: Bush may be busy while Congress is away [View All]

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REALITY BYTES: Bush may be busy while Congress is away

By Michael Welles Shapiro


WASHINGTON | For many, August is reserved for going fishing or laying on the beach.

For President Bush, it is for clearing brush and appointing judges and executive agency officials while Congress is out of town.

As members of Congress take a monthlong vacation, the Bush will be tempted to appoint officials and judges to vacant positions. With Congress out of town, the president doesn’t have to worry about a controversial appointee getting voted down by the Senate.

Constitutionally, the Senate is supposed to offer advice and give consent for presidential appointees. But these days, “advice" and “consent" can subject a favored judicial appointee to a drawn-out browbeating from aggressive senators. Consent can mean stalling a controversial presidential choice in committee or simply rejecting the nominee.

In recent years, rejections and endless delays have become more and more common in the Senate when a presidential choice is deemed unsuitable.

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http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20070729/NEWS/707290339/-1/NEWS03