See this is typical. It's OK to do it because the other side did it. When President Romney makes dozens of recess appointments because Harry Reid won't let any of his nominations go through you'll be OK with that, even if the Senate is Pro-Forma in session?

 

I think he was saying it happens all of the time from both sides and that when, I mean if, Romney is elected and does the same thing he won't be starting another Romney bashing thread about something both sides have been guilty of since the beginning of time.

 

 

That's how I took his post.

Bush did not make appointments when the democrats held their pro-forma sessions. Obama did. Big difference.

Bush did not make appointments when the democrats held their pro-forma sessions. Obama did. Big difference.

 

But the dem talking heads that I saw on the news programs are now saying that Bush COULD have made appointments then and he chose not to. Can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth we would have heard had he done that.

 

I'm anxiously waiting to Harry Reid to denounce these appointments since he is the one that initiated the use of this tactic for President Bush. I won't be holding my breath.

Bush did not make appointments when the democrats held their pro-forma sessions. Obama did. Big difference.

 

I guess Obama is just smarter than Bush.

I guess Obama is just smarter than Bush.

That's a given .

Bush did not make appointments when the democrats held their pro-forma sessions. Obama did. Big difference.

 

The courts will decide if the pro-forma sessions count as in session or not. That will be interesting.

 

One big difference is that no President I can remember has faced the continued delays and stonewalling on appointments like this President has. Heck, one guy got bounced because the Rs didn't like the agency he was nominated for.

This is SOP for presidents and congress on both sides of the aisle.

 

And it's unconstitutional. The argument that "The previous president did it too!" is like when a 7 year old says the same thing when he gets caught doing wrong.

 

Every POTUS (Dem & Rep), it seems, is intent on pushing the envelope further and further, and congress is full of people that refuse to do anything about it, unless it's a POTUS from the opposite party. All of congress should realize that by letting the POTUS do these things, they are relinquishing their own power, which in turn relinquishes the power of We the People. It's scary where this country is headed.

And it's unconstitutional. The argument that "The previous president did it too!" is like when a 7 year old says the same thing when he gets caught doing wrong.

 

Every POTUS (Dem & Rep), it seems, is intent on pushing the envelope further and further, and congress is full of people that refuse to do anything about it, unless it's a POTUS from the opposite party. All of congress should realize that by letting the POTUS do these things, they are relinquishing their own power, which in turn relinquishes the power of We the People. It's scary where this country is headed.

 

Fine, if it's unconstitutional begin impeachment proceeedings, but do it when your own guy is in there also. The republicans could have prosecuted Bush and the democrats could have prosecuted Obama. Congress has zero to complain about since they've both sat by and let their guy do it. The only time they take umbrage is when the other party does it.

Fine, if it's unconstitutional begin impeachment proceeedings, but do it when your own guy is in there also. The republicans could have prosecuted Bush and the democrats could have prosecuted Obama. Congress has zero to complain about since they've both sat by and let their guy do it. The only time they take umbrage is when the other party does it.

 

Exactly.

 

I think it's interesting that during Watergate a lot of Republicans stepped out of ranks when it became clear that Nixon was involved in the cover up and it took Barry Goldwater to come and tell him he was through. That's putting America first rather than party.

Fine, if it's unconstitutional begin impeachment proceeedings, but do it when your own guy is in there also. The republicans could have prosecuted Bush and the democrats could have prosecuted Obama. Congress has zero to complain about since they've both sat by and let their guy do it. The only time they take umbrage is when the other party does it.

 

I agree 100%.

 

And when I said "It's scary where this country is headed" this was from a perspective of what's been happening to our freedoms over the last 80 years or so - not bashing only the current administration.

The courts will decide if the pro-forma sessions count as in session or not. That will be interesting.

 

One big difference is that no President I can remember has faced the continued delays and stonewalling on appointments like this President has. Heck, one guy got bounced because the Rs didn't like the agency he was nominated for.

 

My father said the exact same thing and he wonders how much different Obama's term would have been with cooperation.

The courts will decide if the pro-forma sessions count as in session or not. That will be interesting.

 

One big difference is that no President I can remember has faced the continued delays and stonewalling on appointments like this President has. Heck, one guy got bounced because the Rs didn't like the agency he was nominated for.

List of stalled, blocked or filibustered Bush nominees by the Dems.

 

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Rhode Island seat vacated by Bruce M. Selya - William E. Smith (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee O. Rogeriee Thompson)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

New York seat vacated by John M. Walker, Jr. - Debra Ann Livingston (Livingston was nominated by President Bush in June 2006 but not allowed to be confirmed by Senate Democrats until May 2007)

New York seat vacated by Chester J. Straub - Loretta A. Preska (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee Gerard E. Lynch)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

New Jersey seat vacated by Samuel Alito - Shalom D. Stone (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr.)

Pennsylvania seat vacated by Franklin Stuart Van Antwerpen - Gene E. K. Pratter, followed by Paul S. Diamond (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee Thomas I. Vanaskie)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Maryland seat vacated by Francis D. Murnaghan, Jr. - Claude Allen, followed by Rod J. Rosenstein (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee Andre M. Davis)

North Carolina seat vacated by James Dickson Phillips, Jr. - Terrence Boyle, followed by Robert J. Conrad (Boyle was nominated by President Bush in May 2001. After waiting six years, President Bush withdrew his nomination January 2007, making this 2001-2007 nomination the longest court of appeals nomination never processed by the Senate; Robert Conrad was nominated July 2007, but the Senate Democrats refused to process his nomination during the Democrat-controlled 110th Congress; judgeship later filled by Obama nominee James A. Wynn, Jr.)

South Carolina seat vacated by William Walter Wilkins - Steve A. Matthews (judgeship later filled by North Carolina Obama nominee Albert Diaz)

Virginia seat vacated by H. Emory Widener - William J. Haynes, II, followed by E. Duncan Getchell, followed by Glen E. Conrad (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee Barbara Milano Keenan)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Mississippi seat, converted from a Louisiana seat vacated by Henry Anthony Politz - Charles W. Pickering, followed by Michael B. Wallace, followed by Leslie H. Southwick (Pickering was filibustered by Senate Democrats and eventually withdrew his nomination; there was so much Democratic resistance to Wallace's nomination that it too was withdrawn; and Southwick was only confirmed due to the efforts of Democratic senator Dianne Feinstein)

Texas seat vacated by William Lockhart Garwood - Priscilla Owen (Owen was filibustered by Senate Democrats and only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Michigan seat vacated by James L. Ryan - Henry Saad, followed by Raymond Kethledge (Saad was filibustered by Senate Democrats; Kethledge was only confirmed after a deal in which failed Clinton nominee Helene White was allowed to replace Bush nominee Stephen J. Murphy III as a Sixth Circuit nominee)

Michigan seat vacated by Richard Suhrheinrich - David W. McKeague (McKeague was filibustered by Senate Democrats and only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

Michigan seat vacated by Damon Keith - Richard Allen Griffin (Griffin was filibustered by Senate Democrats and only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

Michigan seat vacated by Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy - Susan Bieke Neilson, followed by Stephen J. Murphy III, followed by failed Clinton nominee Helene White (Bieke was only confirmed three months prior to her death after a four year battle over her nomination; Murphy's nomination was replaced by that of failed Clinton nominee Helene White at the behest of Democratic Michigan senator Carl Levin)

Ohio seat vacated by David Aldrich Nelson - Jeffrey S. Sutton (Senate Democrats refused to process his nomination during the Democrat-controlled 107th Congress and he was only confirmed once Republicans assumed control of the house in 2003)

Ohio seat vacated by Alan Norris - Deborah L. Cook (Senate Democrats refused to process her nomination during the Democrat-controlled 107th Congress and she was only confirmed once Republicans assumed control of the house in 2003)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Indiana seat vacated by Kenneth F. Ripple - Philip P. Simon (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee David Hamilton)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

California seat vacated by James R. Browning - Carolyn Kuhl (Kuhl was filibustered by Senate Democrats and eventually withdrew her nomination; judgeship later filled by Bush nominee Sandra Segal Ikuta)

California seat vacated by Stephen S. Trott - N. Randy Smith (judgeship still open; Smith was later confirmed to the Ninth Circuit when he was renominated for an Idaho seat)

Idaho seat vacated by Thomas G. Nelson - William Gerry Myers III (Myers was filibustered by Senate Democrats; judgeship later filled by Bush nominee N. Randy Smith)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Oklahoma seat vacated by Stephanie Kulp Seymour - James H. Payne, followed by Jerome A. Holmes (Payne withdrew his nomination after allegations made by liberal organizations created the appearance of "extraordinary circumstances" which would not have allowed his confirmation under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal; judgeship later filled by Bush nominee Jerome A. Holmes)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

Alabama seat vacated by Emmett Ripley Cox - William H. Steele, followed by William H. Pryor (Senate Democrats refused to process Steele's nomination during the Democrat-controlled 107th Congress and his nomination was withdrawn; Pryor was filibustered by Senate Democrats and was only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

 

United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia

Miguel Estrada, to seat vacated by Patricia Wald (Estrada was nominated May 2001, but was filibustered by Senate Democrats and withdrew his nomination after waiting over two years in September 2003; judgeship later filled by Bush nominee Thomas B. Griffith, who was only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

John Roberts, to seat vacated by James L. Buckley (Senate Democrats refused to process his nomination during the Democrat-controlled 107th Congress and he was only confirmed once Republicans assumed control of the Senate in 2003)

Janice Rogers Brown, to seat vacated by Stephen F. Williams (Brown was filibustered by Senate Democrats and was only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

Brett Kavanaugh, to seat vacated by Laurence Silberman (Kavanaugh was initially stalled by Senate Democrats and was only allowed to be confirmed under the terms of the Gang of 14 Deal)

Peter Keisler, to seat vacated by John Roberts (President Bush nominated him June 2006, but Senate Democrats refused to process his nomination during the 109th and Democrat-controlled 110th Congress; judgeship still open)

Nope, nothing new there either.

List of stalled, blocked or filibustered Bush nominees by the Dems.

 

United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Rhode Island seat vacated by Bruce M. Selya - William E. Smith (judgeship later filled by Obama nominee O. Rogeriee Thompson)

 

 

Enough with the "they do it , too." That would be fine if I said President Bush NEVER had ANY appointments challenged or stalled. I didn't.

Enough with the "they do it , too." That would be fine if I said President Bush NEVER had ANY appointments challenged or stalled. I didn't.

Just refreshing your "memory." And you probably "forgot" the silly stunt Durbin pulled to delay Bush's second term in office.