Will Bush Recess Appoint a Gonzo Replacement?

[Junkdrawer]

Watch this TPM video clip:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=26158

Basically, Bush needs a block at Justice and if Gonzo goes the Senate will NEVER give him another. Which then begs the question:

Will Bush simply recess appoint a replacement during the August Recess????

If he can, he will.

So....Can Reid keep the Senate in session to block him?

On Edit: Looks like Reid is planning just that. See Post #2.

[Totally Committed]

1. Possible. I'm thinking Harriet Miers.

TC

[PA Democrat]

26. If it were anyone else but Bush, I'd say no way.

I think Bush has an ever-shrinking circle of people he can trust.

[Junkdrawer]

2. Looks like Reid is one step ahead on this one:

Reid’s plan to block Bush’s recess appointments.“Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has a little trick up his sleeve that could spell an end to President Bush’s devilish recess appointments of controversial figures like former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton.” U.S. News reports:

We hear that over the long August vacation, when those types of summer hires are made, Reid will call the Senate into session just long enough to force the prez to send his nominees who need confirmation to the chamber. The talk is he will hold a quickie “pro forma” session every 10 days, tapping a local senator to run the hall. Senate workers and Republicans are miffed, but Reid is proving that he’s the new sheriff in town.


http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/20/reids-plan-to-block-bushs-recess-appointments/

[wicket]

6. Awesome

:D

[jojo54]

7. Excellent tid-bit ya' got there Junkdrawer.

Reid has his guns loaded, ready to shoot. It's so nice to have an efficient thinking person who's one step ahead of Bushco for a change.

[blondeatlast]

8. SA-weet! I read something about this somewhere else. jist a little quickie

like that blurb so I'm hoping it's for real.

I'm liking me some Harry Reid lately... :bounce:

[Ian David]

11. I've been suggesting something like that to Harry Reid for YEARS now. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

15. I'm impressed

Looks like Reid is finally staring to think like a Bushie.

Good catch!

[malaise]

19. He'd better given the

breaking news (MSNBC) re the Special Counsel.

[IChing]

22. This is old, old, old news.

I haven't heard a word about this since JUNE.


Believe me I search all the time on this
there are other appointments that could happen too
that we need to be concerned about.

[Junkdrawer]

24. I've been looking too....Now, realize that Novak criticized Reid on this...

Sen. Harry Reid, leading the Senate's new Democrat majority, is framing next year's schedule in a way that will make it difficult, if not impossible, for President Bush to give recess appointments to nominees blocked for confirmation.

Reid's schedule limits Senate recesses to one week. Recess appointments usually are made only when Congress has been out of session for at least 10 days. That may kill any consideration of trying to seat federal appeals court judges whose nominations had been stalled even in the Republican-controlled Senate. The downside may be a rebellion by senators if their breaks are held to one week.


...

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/guests/s_482315.html

Another quote:

“It’s not because of the recess (appointment) business,” one leadership aide said. “It’s because (Reid) wants to get things done.”

So Reid may be trying to do this on the QT...

[sofa king]

3. I think that's the plan.

Last I heard about it a couple of months ago, Reid planned to hold pro forma sessions of the Senate every ten days using local Democratic Senators.

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2007/5/20/bushs-summer-hires-targeted.html

[blondeatlast]

4. I'm beginning to think that Reid may be maneuvering to keep the Senate

in session. The tabling of symbolic Iraq legislation (with the FY ending 9/30, no less) and the threat of a recess AG appointmenhe doesn't plan to let them off easy.

For many, Reid appears soft, but there has to be a damn good reason the Senate Dems elected him Majority Leader--maybe they know he's got the guts to do it. I sincerely hope so.

[Junkdrawer]

14. See Post #2...It may be wishful thinking, but the whole Reid/Gonzo thing...

is starting to look like and actual Thought-Out Plan.

Oh Please....

[atreides1]

5. Gonzo would have to resign first

And I don't see that happening! It will take more then 30 days for the Senate to do anything about Gonzo anyway.

[bdamomma]

9. great, they need to stay several steps ahead of these criminals

[paparush]

10. Reid - Behaving Like a Patriot

Shame that entails baby-sitting the Brat Boy so he doesn't misbehave.

[Solly Mack]

12. Bush can unless there is no recess

While there is some argument over when a recess appointment should be allowed(time consideration), past Presidents have done it within 10 days...and Teddy Roosevelt did it during an intersession recess of less than one day.


Remember - (and we are talking about Shrub here)

"The Constitution does not specify the length of time that the Senate must be in recess before the President may make a recess appointment."

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RS21308.pdf

To replace Gonzales now would be an intra-session recess appointment, btw - and the Senate has been known to frown upon those. An intra-session recess is controversial because it does give the appearance of by-passing the Senate...as in an executive just waiting for the first opportunity for the Senate to be out.

In 1993, the DOJ wrote a brief that more or less said the President may make a recess appointment during a recess of more than three days.

the prefer time consideration is 30 days, at least (but well...)

the Senate can ask for documents to justify a recess appointment...but that doesn't stop the recess appointment, as the Constitution does not give a time frame

Depending on the nature of the recess appointment, the Senate can refuse to pay the person though...

[guitar man]

13. yes

he already has the replacement picked out...

[lonestarnot]

16. What recess? I don't think there should be a recess until something is done about the

criminals in the White House. Keep that light on the fucking dome on all night every night until some repairs to our government are done! http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1436698

[Junkdrawer]

20. Tell that to the House....40 days until a vote on Meirs?

:wtf:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1433173

[Imagevision]

17. It's wiser for Bush to milk Gonzo for what he can and simply run the clock out...!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

18. I posted the same thing the other day. It is very possible. I also added, wouldn't be

a kick if he installed Harriet Miers!

[Junkdrawer]

21. Raw Story had more on the Reid plan...

Reid’s scheduling decision could complicate Bush’s efforts to fill top spots during the final two years of his presidency, when high turnover among Cabinet-level officials and other high-profile political positions traditionally is common.

With perhaps 180 or more confirmable positions coming open in January, the administration could find itself forced to either negotiate in earnest with Senate Democrats to fill spots, convince top officials to postpone leaving for a lucrative career in the private sector until August or else make significant use of the Vacancies Act, which allows presidents to fill slots by granting officials from within the various departments and agencies “acting” status as short-term caretakers.

Democrats deny that Bush’s pattern of making often controversial recess appointments in any way shaped Reid’s decision to eliminate long breaks. “It’s not because of the recess business,” one leadership aide said. “It’s because wants to get things done.”


http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Reid_plan_may_kill_future_Bush_1204.html

[IChing]

23. OLD news........

I'm for it but why not one word in the news about it in July of this year?

[BlooInBloo]

25. Reid said months ago that he was gonna avoid full recesses.... Dunno if that's still operative.

[Junkdrawer]

27. It's CRITICAL. Bush would LOVE to recess-appoint a Gonzo Clone...

to replace the wounded Gonzales....

[BlooInBloo]

28. Yes, I understand the importance of it, thanks.