Bush bypasses Senate to name ambassador [Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation...]

Yahoo ^

[Sub-Driver]

Bush bypasses Senate to name ambassador

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago

President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination.

Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat losing the election.

Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.

This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency.

Bush also used his recess appointment authority to make Andrew Biggs deputy director of Social Security. The president's earlier nomination of Biggs, an outspoken advocate of partially privatizing the government's retirement program, was rejected by Senate Democrats in February.

Fox, a 77-year-old St. Louis businessman, gave $50,000 to the Swift Boat group. He is national chairman of the Jewish Republican Coalition and was dubbed a "ranger" by Bush's 2004 campaign for raising at least $200,000. He is founder and chairman of the Clayton, Mo.-based Harbour Group, which specializes in the takeover of manufacturing companies

[advertising guy]

amen that and NOMENCLATURE............marxist....socialist.....communists
this is the name of our media

[Txsleuth]

LOL...I know the feeling.

Those 2 year olds LOVE to mess up our posting, don’t they?

[bray]

At this rate GW will never be Re-elected?? Yaaawn gets Torpedoed...again!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[ken5050]

He can use the mouse..navigate around...it’s scary...

[Non-Sequitur]

Clinton recess appointed James Hormel ambassador to Luxembourg in 1999. At that time it was the Republicans who were screaming bloody murder and the Democrats who were shrugging and saying there was nothing wrong with it. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

[Txsleuth]

LOL...love to see that.

[Cementjungle]

I hate to give douchebag underground any attention, but this is funny how they are handling the news:

You're brave to venture into DUmmyLand. Now we must make you live in one of these for 60 days to make sure you're not contaminated:

[blitzgig]

Thanks a lot for the laugh!

Man, I can’t believe they STILL believe that Bush’s impeachment is right around the corner. These guys are seriously delusional!

[Gracey]

I’m one of them that thought so. I apologize for thinking that. Go Bush!!!!

[OldFriend]

Swift Boat Vets for Truth.....win again!

This is so very Dubya!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I note in this morning’s WSJ, W made a less recognized recess appointment; that of Susan Dudley of George Mason University, to the WH Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

[Joe Boucher]

1st thing I’ve seen him do in what, a year I’m impressed with.
Now let’s see those f-ing vetos he’s been promising.

[mwl1]

I’ll offer an opinion as to what is going on. I think Bush really wanted to give Pelosi and Reid a chance to demonstrate some good faith, particularly regarding foreign policy and so, accordingly, he extended his hand first.

Last week he got his answer in both chambers and, say what you want about this President’s domestic agenda, he has been steadfast in the war on terror. He has used every ounce of political capital with regard to Iraq. Pelosi and Reid were determined to politicize the war and he is furious.

The President doesn’t give a damn if they call him names or whatever, but now they are using the troops to score cheap political points, and he is livid.

That’s my theory.

[jwparkerjr]

I like to see him post a list of the recess appointments he intends to make. The list could be in the order in which plans to announce them to correspond with each upcoming recess.

This could be great. We could make it such a problem for the Democrats that they might never get home again. It won’t be as much fun for them to be the majority when they start having to pay a price for it!

[aShepard]

Wow!

I hope that Bush doesn’t crush his new-found set of balls on the handlebars!

Now let’s hear about the pardon of Scooter.

[kabar]

Bravo, Mr. President!!!!! God bless the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. And shove this up your a$$ John Kerry.

[mwl1]

I believe that the rules allow the majority party to manipulate the schedule such that they can be “in session” while they are in fact not there. That, however, causes the majority its own set of problems if the GOP sticks around and the RATS split.

Nevertheless, this is a good move and a strategic opportunity.

[gov_bean_ counter]

President Bush has been doing things like this for YEARS...not just now

Yeah, but this one has a little b!@ch slap flavor to it. :)

[ken5050]

Even better, he should schedule a public veto signing ( is that an oxymoron?) in the evening..with a speech..all the cable nets will cover it..

[Michael.SF.]

I wonder if all the posters here who decried Bush for having no B*lls when the nomination was pulled, will show up and apologize.

Hey, I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong. I have grown increasingly dismayed at what I perceive as Bush's willingness to bend over for the dems. Now he has stood up to them on a relatively minor issue (Belgium? paleeze), made bigger only because of ketchup boys involvment.

I do hope this is the begining of a trend and not just a one time event.