After reading the anti-Otto Reich site its clear why the Rats don't want him in charge of Western Hemispheric Affairs in the US State Department. They fear he will get rid of Communism in Cuba. Which shows how much Sen. Chris Dodd and the rest of the gang on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee loathe America and hate freedom. Its time for President Bush to send them a message and give Reich that well-deserved recess appointment.
Wall Street Journal --
WHILE CARACUS BURNS Sen. Dodd's petulance threatens national security --[Exceprt] Mr. Dodd knows that Mr. Reich would be confirmed if he got to the Senate floor, which is why he wants to block even a hearing. He and Latin America aide Janice O'Connell bear a grudge against the Cuban-American going back to their days on opposite sides of the battle over Central America. But rather than face that difference squarely, Mr. Dodd's strategy has been to smear Mr. Reich's reputation, accusing him in a letter to this paper of, among other things, being soft on terrorism. U.S. officials say the public record refutes those charges, which may be why Mr. Dodd doesn't want Mr. Reich to get his chance to make his case in the Senate.
We keep wondering when Mr. Dodd's Democratic betters are going to call him to account for such behavior. It'd be nice to know, for example, how Florida Democrats Bob Graham and Bill Nelson feel about this treatment of a Cuban American. Tom Daschle recently met with Mr. Reich, but the majority leader has been reluctant to overrule his party's junior barons when they get the bit in their mouths.
Mr. Bush has the recourse of a recess appointment for Mr. Reich once the Senate leaves town. Given the worsening state of Latin America, and Mr. Dodd's irresponsibility, the President can justify such a move in the urgent national interest. [End Excerpt]