John Bolton is now formally and appropriately addressed as “Ambassador Bolton” because of the right of the executive branch to make recess appointments in the wake of inaction by Congress on presidential nominations.
Bolton never got a confirmation vote in the Senate. And fast forward a few years, neither have a long list of Obama nominees to key government positions received their votes.
So, President Obama has just announced 15 recess appointments that have been tied up an average of 214 days (that is 30 and a half weeks — or about 7 and a half months).
Obama’s list strangely does not include his nominee for Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, Lael Brainard — whom Senator Chuck Grassley seems to be personally committed to ongoing vetting harrassment.
Here is the roster of folks who soon will get their titles:
Jeffrey Goldstein: Nominee for Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, Department of the Treasury
Michael F. Mundaca: Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury
Eric L. Hirschhorn: Nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration and head of the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce
Michael Punke: Nominee for Deputy Trade Representative – Geneva, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Francisco “Frank” J. S
Hope folks have seen this debate
Flynt Leverett/ Micheal Ledeen on Iran
http://www.raceforiran.com/flynt-leverett-debates-michael-ledeen-on-iran-policy
Ass..ador Bolton. Will never forget the scene during the John Bolton UN nomination hearings. Watched it on C-span. I have never seen Senator’s Kerry, Biden, Kennedy, Boxer, Lincoln Chaffee (looked really worried) so pissed off. Biden kept bringing up the NSA intercepts that they had demanded from the Bush administration. The ones that allegedly had to do with the possible spying on Colin Powell. I thought the above mentioned Senators were going to jump over the tables and kick Boltons smug ass. Blood vessels bulging out of a few Senators temples. Hot hot hot. Even Voinovich looked concerned. Still Bolton was passed onto the UN.
Perhaps Dawn Johnsen for the Dept. of Justice-OLC
should be on that list too. I bet she’s tired of
waiting.
Isn’t non-payment of taxes a feature, not a bug on Grassley’s side of the isle?
This is a new form of commenting where words that everyone knows should be in there can be.
Ms Brainard, after being to a witch hunt by the Senate Finance Committee, was given a clean bill of health last November. http://tinyurl.com/ykycnld
Wikipedia suggests reasons why Brainerd was omitted.
“Her nomination has been slowed as a result of tax problems. The tax problems are (1) twelve late payments of real estate and personal property taxes, and late payment of unemployment taxes; (2) failure to timely file employment eligibility verification forms for her household help; and (3) failure to substantiate home office deductions.”
Steve,
Thanks for the extra information on these recess
appointments. Point of clarification? Is Brainard the
outstanding appointee that has not been confirmed (or not
confirmed after being nominated a long time ago)? If not,
why should Brainard in particular be on this list vs. Anyone
else not on it or already on it? Not wishing to dispute but
understand. Thanks and thanks for the heads up on the Coll,
Friedman, and Ignatius discussion at CSIS. It was quite
interesting.
Steve, I believe you are correct with “Ambassador” Bolton. It is common American usage to continue to use such former titles (president, general, colonel, senator, ambassador, etc.) and the cited protocol doesn’t say it isn’t permitted in the case of recess appointments.
What do we commoners care about somebody’s idea of protocol anyhow. If it makes sense, do it, and in this case it makes sense. The man was an ambassador, and may be referred to as such (besides other names we might want to use in Bolton’s particular case).
Steve, I believe you are wrong with regard to application of
“Ambassador” to John Bolton. According to the Foreign Service
“Protocol for the Modern Diplomat”, the title may be continued
after completing a tour as an ambassador if he or she served as
ambassador after senate confirmation. Since he was not confirmed
by the Senate for the ambassadorship, the title would only
appropriate while he served as US Representative to the United
Nations. If he had been confirmed as US rep to the UN, then the
title would be properly applied after he left office.
REPUBS GOT STOMPED IN 2006 AND 2008.
They have always been an evil lot but the anger and hurt from getting lambasted is over excess of of bile.
The are in severe pain.
Character shows. Bad side.
“I will do anythimg to win”
Bush Sr after he broke pledge to run on issues.