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Charging RINO: Further Word on Linc Chafee
Share / Recommend - Comment - Print - Saturday, Jul 30 2005, 1:49PM
As I noted late last night, Senator Chafee of Rhode Island told the Associated Press that the newest revelations about John Bolton were enough to make him withdraw his support for the nomination and oppose a recess appointment. As Chafee said, "Any intimidation of the facts, or suppression of information getting to the public which led us to the war, absolutely should preclude him from a recess appointment."
While I appreciate Chafee's new-found opposition to Bolton, as I said last night, his timing could not be worse. The time for opposition to Bolton was, well, anytime prior to late last night - and Chafee missed the boat. While I feel like I spend half my time defending fellow moderate/centrist/liberal Republicans from criticism, I cannot defend Chafee on this. I said in comments earlier this morning, and will repeat here, that this latest from Chafee only adds to his reputation as the "very model of a modern mushy moderate"... a description which in this case is quite apt.
For those of us working diligently, both in and out of the blogosphere, to overcome the stigma that centrism or moderation is the same thing as wishy-washiness, Chafee has been a great disappointment, particularly but not only when it comes to John Bolton. He had a tremendous opportunity to play an important centrist role, an opportunity which he squandered completely. Unlike his father John, who once held the seat Linc occupies, the current Senator Chafee does not relish his position as a "charging centrist" within the Republican Party; all too often he wilts under pressure from the White House and Senate leadership, emitting only meek chirps of half-dissent.
John Chafee is one of my personal and political heroes, and I have the greatest respect for him and his accomplishments as one of the greatest senators and Republicans of the twentieth century. I wish that the son had inherited a bit more of his father's intestinal fortitude, as well as his backbone. I probably agree practically with Linc Chafee on 90% of the issues, but his tactics depress me.
This has been a hard post to write, but it had to be said. No offense intended, Linc - but we centrists need your voice. You need to find it, and start charging.
-- Jeremy Dibbell (Charging RINO)
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It looks like the President will be appointing a Temp to be our 'Permanent Representative" to the UN. He may only be there for 18 months before having to face the Senate again. Maybe the Senators will remember having been lied to this time around, espcially Sen. Chafee.
Bolton has the strong backing of his sponsor, Dick Cheney, for whom Bolton has served as a personal emissary at State. Most of our Ambassadors got their postings the old-fashioned way, by raising a few hundred thousand dollars for the Bush/Cheney campaign.
The one who should really be depressed is Lugar. I can't guess if he is. He's now a nothing. A ciper. Holding a chair for the party. I sure he knows that Cheney et. al. have total contempt for him.
Yet, he goes along. A tragedy of monumental proportion.
I don't want to ask a stupid question, but here goes anyway. Since the constitution says "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," why does this vacancy qualify to be filled during a senate recess?
When Danforth resigned the senate was in session. His replacement has been nominated and debated, and the senate has not consented.
When the constitution was written, travel was a little more difficult and time consuming than it is today. The ability to put someone in place to keep things running made perfect sense.
Why should Bush be allowed to manipulate the system to shove through a nominee his own party doesn't want?
TheOther: My reading of the Constitution as written is the same as yours (i.e. if the recess occurred during a lengthy recess or between congressional sessions, the president could appoint replacements for those, but that what Bush is planning to do would not be appropriate). Unfortunately, beginning with James Madison (according to MSNBC), presidents have interpreted the provision as saying they can make temporary appointments during recesses even when the vacancy didn't occur during the recess. Looks like that boat sailed long before our time, unfortunately. Of course if Bush really wanted to be an "originalist" ...
Damn. Well, at least I didn't get my hopes up. Thanks for the answer, JBD.
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