Recess Is Over, Time For History

Matty isn't happy with President Bush's recess appointment of John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations.

Mr. Bush, I will tell you the same thing our parents told us. "That's cheating...try again."

But is it? Like with most things politic, whether you think it is or isn't depends on which side of the aisle you sit.

Bill Clinton used a recess appointment to name food scion James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg after Republican Sens. Tim Hutchinson (Arkansas) and Bob Smith (New Hampshire) objected. This after Hatch, Lugar, McCain and other Republicans supported Hormel -- and Jesse Helms took the incredible step of not blocking the nomination in his committee.

When Hormel was denied a vote of the full Senate, President Clinton used a recess appointment to name Hormel, who became the first openly gay man to serve the United States as an ambassador. Hormel's partner held the Bible as he was sworn into office.

Also, President Kennedy appointed Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals after he was blocked by two white senators (one of which is still serving in the Senate today ... his name is Robert Byrd, Democrat from West Virginia). Marshall later became the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice, following his appointment by President Lyndon Johnson.

So the knife cuts both ways. And what both Presidents Clinton and Bush did is perfectly legal. In fact, the recess appointment is one of the executive powers granted to the president in the Constitution, although its use in the way detailed above is up for debate.

SIDENOTE: By the way, whatever happened to Tim Hutchinson and Bob Smith? Hutchinson -- a former pastor -- divorced his wife of almost 30 years to marry his aide, whom he'd been having an affair with. His lost his bid for re-election. Bob Smith was a loon in his own right. At one time, he left the Republican Party because, he said, it was too moderate. He later lost his primary bid against Bush friend John Sununu. Smith then moved to Florida and tried to run for the Senate there. He dropped out after gaining only 1 percent support in polling. The seat was later won by Bush friend Mel Martinez. Smith was last heard from endorsing John Kerry for president, despite admitting he agreed with virtually nothing on the Kerry agenda.