# Obama sticks thumb in GOP's eye with 15 recess appointments **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 28, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080 "2010-03-28T03:30:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/1 "2010-03-28T03:30:11Z")
[Republicans howl about abuse of Senate traditions and procedures](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36067527/ns/politics-white_house/) > [@](#): > > 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. It’s about time the White House took off the gloves and started giving as good as it has been taking. I hope this is just the start of bypassing the Republicans altogether. Bipartisanship is for pussies. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/2 "2010-03-28T03:40:46Z")
Obviously, I don’t want to see the Republicans bypassed entirely. Actually, I’d like to see the Dems voted out of control of both sides of Congress. That noted, I don’t really have a problem with Obama using recess appointments. Both parties have gotten absolutely ridiculous about the confirmation process, going back at least as far as Robert Bork, maybe longer. As I understand it, the Senate is expected to confirm presidential appointments unless there is some demonstrable reason not to do so. As long as the nominee is at least minimally qualified for the post, a mere difference in political philosophy is not grounds to block a nomination. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/3 "2010-03-28T03:42:44Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Obviously, I don’t want to see the Republicans bypassed entirely. Actually, I’d like to see the Dems voted out of control of both sides of Congress. > > That noted, I don’t really have a problem with Obama using recess appointments. Both parties have gotten absolutely ridiculous about the confirmation process, going back at least as far as Robert Bork, maybe longer. As I understand it, the Senate is expected to confirm presidential appointments unless there is some demonstrable reason not to do so. As long as the nominee is at least minimally qualified for the post, a mere difference in political philosophy is not grounds to block a nomination. Kind of agree with the first part (I’d like to see some centrist republicans take over the nutjob republican seats, and the same for the dems, actually), but I completely agree with the second part. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/4 "2010-03-28T03:56:44Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > As I understand it, the Senate is expected to confirm presidential appointments unless there is some demonstrable reason not to do so. As long as the nominee is at least minimally qualified for the post, a mere difference in political philosophy is not grounds to block a nomination. I disagree with you there. I think that the Senate is perfectly free to reject a nominee for whatever reason they want to, even if it’s just that they think his views on something are too extreme. What I think is problematic is the refusal to even let the nominations come to a vote. If the would be Secretary of Human Services supports cannibalism as a solution to the hunger problem, then by all means don’t approve him, but actually go to the trouble of voting to reject him, so that the President can nominate somebody else who might be more acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/5 "2010-03-28T04:01:09Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I disagree with you there. I think that the Senate is perfectly free to reject a nominee for whatever reason they want to, even if it’s just that they think his views on something are too extreme. What I think is problematic is the refusal to even let the nominations come to a vote. If the would be Secretary of Human Services supports cannibalism as a solution to the hunger problem, then by all means don’t approve him, but actually go to the trouble of voting to reject him, so that the President can nominate somebody else who might be more acceptable. Well, cannibalism would fall under “demonstrable reason not to do so”. 😛 That said, I agree with giving the nominees an up or down vote. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/6 "2010-03-28T04:09:23Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Well, cannibalism would fall under “demonstrable reason not to do so”. 😛 Well, it would be a disagreement on policy, at least. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2010, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-sticks-thumb-in-gops-eye-with-15-recess-appointments/534080/7 "2010-03-28T05:05:01Z")
You may continue the diuscussion in the earlier thread: [Time for Obama to use recess appointments?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=557501) This one is closed.