Obama issues 15 recess appointments

WASHINGTON - Fed up with waiting, President Barack Obama announced Saturday he would bypass a vacationing Senate and name 15 people to key administration jobs, wielding for the first time the blunt political tool known as the recess appointment.

The move immediately deepened the divide between the Democratic president and Republicans in the Senate following a long, bruising fight over health care. Obama revealed his decision by blistering Republicans, accusing them of holding up nominees for months solely to try to score a political advantage on him.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

While recess appointments are quite common, I do not recall such controversal choices being appointed especially in the face of some of these nominees being denied appointment by a previous bi-partisan vote.

While I do defend the right of the president to make these recess appointments, I believe he should have chosen nominees that were less controversal as a sort of caretaker until the Senate was back in session.

"Sneaking" in these radical choices in through the back door in this manner will only heighten the partisanship and alienation of the opposition and even some members of his own party.

this is just another example of how business gets done in Washington these days. if you can't get the votes go behind the peoples backs and do it anyway. This is not transparency. this is not an open government for the people. they will do what they want, when they want, however they have to, whether the people like it or not.

Originally posted by tracer7
this is just another example of how business gets done in Washington these days. if you can't get the votes go behind the peoples backs and do it anyway. This is not transparency. this is not an open government for the people. they will do what they want, when they want, however they have to, whether the people like it or not.

ur exactly right

America is a dictatorship
not a Republic

we have no voice
we have no rights
we have no vote
we have no say
we have no future

we are slaves

You forgot to list something important from the article.

Both Republican and Democratic presidents have made recess appointments, which circumvents the Senate's authority to confirm nominees, when they could not overcome delays. President George W. Bush made more than 170 such appointments in his two-term presidency. President Bill Clinton made nearly 140.

So, even if Obama makes fifteen such appointments every year for eight years, he still won't have as many as Clinton. Obama will have made about 71% as many as George W. Bush.

It is good to know he made this move. I thank you for the information. However, I don't think it impugns Obama too badly. It just shows what we already knew. He is just another power junky not letting things like public opinion, or statesmanship, get in the way of ideology.

This is the endless bummer, just one day I would like to hear some good news, just one day. Why are there so many Obama Army people on this site. I'm a little suspect of anyone on a conspiricy site who want bigger government

reply to post by Target Earth


When I worked in retail I went to the same place for lunch most days. THere was a guy I would always see in there. We got to talking about the weather. Then we started complaining about work as people often do. Turns out he was a journalist.

I asked him if he ever got tired of delivering bad news. He said that he didn't. He kept a note posted on his computer that said:

Today a child was born
Today a child learned to walk
Today a child learned to talk
Today a child learned to read
Never forget the news most fit to print rarely is.

reply to post by MikeNice81

Today a child was born
Today a child learned to walk
Today a child learned to talk
Today a child learned to read
Never forget the news most fit to print rarely is.

Thank you for sharing that. It does help put things into perspective.

Well, recess appointments are common. Clinton had about 140 of them and Bush about 170 of them. What is particularly disturbing about these recess appointments is that some, if I recall, had already received a bi-partisan "No" vote. As much I can't stand Obama's policies and the direction he is taking the country, I can't find much fault to attribute dirctly to him on the matter. NOW... the fact that recess appointments are even permitted... THAT remains another topic!

It's about time he stop trying to "play nice" with the GOP. They are not giving him the same courtesy. They are obstructionist at EVERY opportunity. I've been WAITING for Obama to stand up and stop begging for Republican support for every single thing he does. He's NOT going to get it. His job is to protect and defend the US. How can he do that with a constant barrage of obstruction that is the GOP? They have prevented him from doing his job long enough.

I haven't read about his appointments, but we, the public, have never been called on to approve the president's choices. I don't know why it should start now.

Good move, Obama!

reply to post by kozmo


Another right winger that doesn't like the Constitution?

Article II Section 2.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

If the GOP has their way these appointments would never get filled. It's his only option at this point.

Obama and the Democrats need to put their foot down with the GOP.

reply to post by BomSquad


sneaking in the back door?????? he has been president for 14 months, and the republicans still won't ok his cabinet appointees...he's still trying to get over 60 more in place!!!.........THEY ARE F'ING STALLING EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!!

reply to post by whatukno


no...they like it when it goes THEIR way....but it's NOT good for anyone else. where is the tea party group on this one!!

the republicans are stalling, and holding up every piece of business the democrats are trying to do, and they don't give a damn, because they do not want the democrats to succeed in any type of government business, no matter how small or mundane it is. they simply don't care if america can even function on a day to day basis.

Is it any coincidence that this occurs on the same weekend that they begin raiding 'militia' and 'patriot' groups?

It's interesting.

reply to post by jimmyx

sneaking in the back door?????? he has been president for 14 months, and the republicans still won't ok his cabinet appointees...he's still trying to get over 60 more in place!!!.........THEY ARE F'ING STALLING EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!!

Oh Please!!! We all know this is just another attempt by Obama to destroy America!!

He's an evil man...666 mark of the beast!!!

reply to post by traderjack


It probably is a coincidence.

What's NOT a coincidence is that the raids are taking place after violent threats and actions toward government members.

Originally posted by tracer7
this is just another example of how business gets done in Washington these days.

These days? What exactly is "these days?" Speaking of transparency hints that this is something Obama started. I am just really curious what the time frame for "these days" is.

reply to post by jimmyx

the republicans are stalling, and holding up every piece of business the democrats are trying to do, and they don't give a damn, because they do not want the democrats to succeed in any type of government business, no matter how small or mundane it is. they simply don't care if america can even function on a day to day basis.

While I am usually a pretty cynical individual...

You know, the Republicans might be stopping the Democrats agenda because they fundamentally disagree with their policy instead of out of some kind of personal hatred.

Sometimes people disagree with other people because to agree with them would violate their principles.

I see time and time again people accusing the opposition (no matter who it is) of derailing the administrations policy choices out of some political grudge, and sometimes, this may be true. But other times it is because to support the administration would mean betraying their principles.

Perhaps if the administration tryed putting forth ANY policy that did not violate the principles of the opposition party, maybe they could get something accomplished.

I think I will paraphrase Shelby Foote from Ken Burn's Civil War series on PBS: Civil War Americans killed each other in such great numbers because of a failure on our part to find a way not to fight that war. It was because we failed to do the thing we really have a genius for, which is compromise. Americans like to think of themselves as uncompromising. But our true genius is for compromise. Our whole government's founded on it. And it failed.

Maybe we should learn from the past and relearn how to compromise...

Compromise needs people ON BOTH SIDES willing to LISTEN and find common ground that we can build on.

my personal opinion is the senate and congress needs to stay at home and do not come back to work as there votes dont amount to a # on anything that is done with this administration! my god this country has become a laughing abomination all in the name of freedom and the benifit of the united states citizens

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
It's about time he stop trying to "play nice" with the GOP.

Obama does not need the GOP. He can't convince many Dems that these are qualified candidates. The bipartisianship is coming from the Democrats joining Republicans in opposition to his extremism.