Senate holds another quickie session to frustrate Bush
Sen. Dorgan presided over a short Senate session Friday morning.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - With the nation’s attention focused on Thanksgiving leftovers and bargain shopping, the Senate held another brief but significant session on Friday as part of a continuing effort to prevent President Bush from making unconfirmed “recess” appointments.
Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota took on the task of gaveling the Senate in and out of session; the formalities lasted approximately 28 seconds and no other senators were present. Dorgan followed Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, who presided over a similarly brief meeting on Tuesday. By not going into recess, Democrats can prevent President Bush from filling federal government posts without going through the confirmation process. Dorgan’s holiday plans were not disrupted; he told CNN he was happy to preside, as he had already planned to be on Capitol Hill on Friday for an appropriations meeting.
- CNN Contributor Jamie Gray
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ARE THESE DEMO'S AMERICAN?? SAD SAD SAD!!!
Recess appointments can be prevented by no recess. Great thinking by the Democrats to make sure all these appointment get Sanate appoval.
Thank goodness for procedural rules.
The last time Bush had a recess appointment he put in that MORON John Bolton in the UN, the magic christmas elf of war, psychosis and AIPAC.
Preventing recess appointments is not only good from the point of view of idealists who like oversight, or politically partisan Democrats. It's also good for pragmatic reasons that some of you commenters should think hard about. Recess appointments are another way of "fixing the facts around the policy" – because if you install a crony, they aren't going to speak up as much when the boss wants to implement a Really Bad Idea. Iraq is one of many examples, but read this comment again in 2020 and it will work just as well. Genuine scrutiny is good for everyone and the Senate is doing a commendable thing by preventing any president from doing an end run around the confirmation process.
Dorgan gives Favre like performance
Today Senator Byron Dorgan zipped thru Senate business in only 28 seconds.
Read the rest at:
http://markthemuse.blogspot.com/
Finally, our Senate did something smart. Its not hard to break Bush down little by little and I've been extremely dissapointed in the way Senate democrats have not stood up to him in the past. Keep it up!
Congress is not taking a vacation to frustrate Bush. Come on !!!
Congress is be responsible for the American people.
To quote The Simpsons..."HA HA."
Dear Republicans: It matters not what you say anymore. In fact I dont think I want to even give you the time of day with your absurd ideas and ignorant observations. You and your retarded Evangelicals have lost the Senate and the House. And pull up your panties for this one, you are losing the White House too. Combine that with the enormous amount of seats being added to the Democratic majority in the house and senate in the 08 election and you can get a clear picture of what Americans really think.
It is far past time for the senate to prevent the abuse of the recess appointments. When the law allowing the recess appointments was written, it could take 60 to 90 days to get a quarm back into D. C. if there is an emergency requiring an appointment vote. Today, if an emergency were to arise, the senate could be back in D. C. in 48 hours with little trouble. The recess appointment law should be repealed.
Bush has repeatedly abused this law, as he has ignored others he does not like.
I greatly appreciate the effort the Democrats are putting into preventing further abuse.