The hypocrisy of Republicans on display during the health insurance reform debate was stunning, and it now appears it is trickling down to the Michigan Senate Republicans.
Republicans were horrified that the Democrats were going to use reconciliation to get a bill passed that will reduce the budget deficit $130 billion in the first 10 years, but it was OK that former President Bush used reconciliation numerous times, including to give tax cuts to the richest 1 percent that helped create the current budget deficit. Republicans are also upset that President Obama recently bypassed the vacationing Senate and directly appointed 15 nominees that have been held up, but they forgot that Bush had already made 10 recess appointments by this point in his presidency and he made another five over the spring recess, including the disaster John Bolton.
Now, Senate Republicans are getting into the act, and they are upset that Gov. Jennifer Granholm recently made appointments to six public university boards that will take effect the day she leaves office, according to subscription only Gongwer.
"I don't really like the idea of this governor making appointments for the next governor," Gongwer reported Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop as saying. "It's not fair to the next administration, whoever that might be. I'm sure that our members are going to have that same concern about fairness."
Granholm press secretary Liz Boyd told Gongwer that the Governor has followed previous precedent in making the appointments and wants to ensure the university boards don't lack members after a new governor takes office. And what exactly is that previous precedent?
Former Republican Gov. John Engler made a number of appointments for board positions, including a number of cronies – including current and former department directors and closest advisers such as Community Health Director James Haveman, former Corrections Director Bill Martin, Treasurer Doug Roberts and legal counsel Lucille Taylor - right before he left office.
Understandably, Senate Democrats were upset, but being in the minority there was little they could do about it. According to a 2002 edition of Gongwer they called the appointments “inappropriate and said the subject was being researched.”
Engler claimed that the appointments were legal because under the constitution his term expires at noon January 1 while under statute the university board terms expire December 31, giving him a 12-hour window.
The Senate Democrats could not even speak out about it during the confirmation hearings or on the Senate floor because the Senate Republican had given up on its duty of "advise and consent" over gubernatorial appointments under Engler. In fact, the Republican-led body did not take a vote on appointees during the 12 years Engler was in office. Appointments are effective if not rejected by the Senate within 60 days.
Only after Granhom took office did the Senate resume its duty of advise and consent. The hypocrisy of Senate Republicans is stunning.
The 60 day clock is running, and it appears the Senate has until late May to decide whether to reject the appointments. Bishop told Gongwer he would refer the appointments to the Senate Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee.
5 comments:
You don't see a difference between Granholm appointing someone that goes beyond her administration and that of the Obama administration making recess appointments?
The difference is that Blown away Jenny's appointments are beyond her being in office. Done by any politician it is wrong. Because someone else did it in the past doesn't make it right. It wasn't right when Engler did it and it's not right when Granholm does it.
As for the recess appointments by Obama, I don't like this either, but I understand the need for it. If the Senate does not give an up or down vote on nominees and let the nomination hang out there and then they leave for one of their many vacations, the position still needs to be filled. But, that position is only filled until the end of the current Congress. So when this Congress comes to an end in January of next year, the recess appointments expire as well.
That's not moving into another administration. That's for the current administration and Congress. Obama is not forcing his successor to accept the appointments that he makes. The only exception to that is the lifetime appointments of judges, but even that is with the advice and consent of the Senate.
No.
Gee, where was the outcry when tubby Engler did it? His were not questioned. Granholm’s most likely will not. That’s just one more example of Republican hypocrisy.
"Tubby" Engler? That's pretty childish. I know you're going to say that I did the same thing by calling her "blown away" Jenny. But that's not a personal attack on her physical traits. It's a putdown of her political words. If you're really a fair person, you'll now start calling the President "black" Obama, and Granholm "moleface" Granholm. Maybe "Botox" Pelosi.
It's funny that you justify Granholm doing something that you think was wrong for Engler to do. You're admitting that Granholm is no better than Engler politically.
If doing the deed is wrong for one person, it's wrong for all of them. You're going nuts attacking Engler for something that Granholm is doing when it would really be smarter to attack the policy regardless of who is doing it. The way you go about it, shows your extreme bias.
This is the same thing that the socialist Democrats do with Obama. If he does something that is controversial or even criticized, it's always said "Well, Bush did it." I thought you were going to change America and the way business was done in the Capitol.
If you don't like recess appointments when they are done to you, don't do them when you can.
It is WRONG for any person to force upon their successor something that they know or suspect will be disagreed with. That's the only thing that prevents me from being 100% against the recess appointments in DC. At least those expire at the end of the current Congress.
You’re right, for a change anonymous, using Tubby" Engler is just as childish as using blown away Jenny.
I don’t recall saying it was wrong for Engler to do it. What I did was point out the hypocrisy you continue to ignore. Engler’s nominees should have gone through the confirmation process, but not a single one did. That’s what’s wrong.
One again, anonymous, there is no such thing as a socialist Democrat is this country, and that is just a fascist Republican talking point. You are, again, missing the point, it’s the Republican pretending reconciliation and recess appointments were never used before, and the Democrats calling them out and pointing out that Bush did it numerous times. I don’t recall ever hearing about reconciliation until now, yet Bush used it numerous times.
We are going to change America and the way business was done in the Capitol. You don’t see the Abermnoff-type scandals and industry lobbyists being put in charge of the regulatory agency they lobbied.
Not Anonymous did something impressive he lie, he express fake outrage and hypocritical right wing whining in one post.
Not Anonymous you're not getting the point you guys are whining about things your guys did.
But I do find it funny the same people who jump on Granholm's back are the same people who cheered Fat ass bastard Engler on while he drove the state in the ditch while taking 2 million dollars as he waddle away out of office.
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