Amen.

The quicker we understand the senate was not in official recess, the quicker we can we can discuss this issue under the proper premises.

Whether pro-forma is silly or not, its been a method that our democratically elected Senators have used to keep the exective branch in check.

It was done by the democrats in 2008 against Bush (who abided by it)

So liberals….be honest with yourself for once.   If bush violated the pro-forma session in the senate in 08 and made an appointment without consent, you all would be climbing the friggin walls…

So cut the crap and call this what it is….an unconstiutional power grab by the executive branch, that in this current instance, suits your political leanings…

What a disaster.

The CFPB could not make rules without a director.  Now they have a director, appointed under very questionable circumstances.

Every single rule made by the CFPB will be challenged as void, as being an unconstitutionally enacted regulation. 
Nobody is going to win here.  Except me – I am an attorney in this field, and I stand to make a ton of money at the expense of banks, who will in turn pass on their legal fees to their customers – all in an effort to figure out what the hell is going on. 

Thank you Obama, thank you democrats, and thank you republicans.  The Dodd Frank Act will not protect consumers at all, and really ought to be called the “attorney employment guarentee act,” and that bill is going to send my as of yet unborn children to the college of their choice.  Harvard – here we come!!!!! 

(This is all true, by the way, but also said with a tone of disgust and irony, in case you didn’t catch it).     

The media needs to concentrate on the really important issues, like Santorum’s sweater vests or Obama playing football on the beach.

Would the democratically elected senators like to hold a democratic up-or-down vote on the president’s nominees?

Congress passed a law that created the CFPB.  The president has an obligation as the executive to enforce that law by creating the agency and appointing its leader.

Now, republiklans have decided they don’t like Wall Street reform, even the weaksauce “reform” that was passed.  They don’t want to deal with the political fallout that would ensue if they tried to repeal the law, so instead these sniveling cowards play little games to prevent the president from enforcing a law that was passed by congress.

If the republiklans objected to Cordray or anyone else on the grounds that the nominee was not qualified or was carrying some other baggage, I would be more sympathetic to their whining.  The fact is that McConnell has said he would block any nominee, no matter how qualified.  When democrats objected to GWB’s nominees, they objected to specific individuals because they were unqualified. 

The senate minority decided to engage in an unconstitutional power grab by using the filibuster and ticky-tack parliamentary maneuvers to avoid doing their duty as US senators.  This is one reason that their approval ratings are in the toilet.  Instead of fulfilling their obligations, they play games.

Republiklans are going to shriek and cry no matter what.  No one can rival republiklans when it comes to shrillness and dishonesty.   They called the president a tyrant before this happened, they would be calling him a tyrant if he hadn’t done this.  Republiklans have cried wolf too many times and now people just don’t buy it anymore.

 ”exective branch in check.”–In this case it was employed to obstruct the enforcement of the law not as a “check” on executive enforcement.
“It was done by the democrats in 2008 against Bush (who abided by it)”
–Tommy dealt with this quite well.
“If bush violated the pro-forma session in the senate in 08 and made an appointment without consent, you all would be climbing the friggin walls…”
–My particular concerns were greater. 
“So cut the crap and call this what it is….an unconstiutional power grab by the executive branch, that in this current instance, suits your political leanings…”
–Unsupported hyperbole.

Obama may be the most corrupt official to ever put his feet up on the Resolute desk. This was a campaign move and nothing else. He could have done this a couple of days ago when the Senate actually was not in session .

Instead he chose to break the law.

He’s making Reid and Pelosi irrelevant and they have to support it. Do you think Robert Byrd would not have marched into the Oval Office and let Obama know that he was committing an illegal act ?

“This power grab’s a sign of weakness”

Making recess appointments when the Senate isn’t in recess is neither rational nor moderate. It’s a raw misuse of executive power by a president whose love of government is his most vulnerable spot with the electorate.

And it will come back to haunt him.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/this_power_grab_sign_of_weakness_B95SE4zOZsyjuJxn63PSEO#ixzz1ii7Ewo7A

Ok Henry,
 
All that typing and the point of the whole matter still escapes you.
 
Whether the “Republiklans” (tee hee…your so clever!)  in your mind are correct in their use of a pro-forma session to block an appointment or not does not matter.  The point is, that the Senate is not in official recess, they have used parliamentary maneuver to block it, and the president has to abide, similar to Bush in 2008.
 
In your reality, apparently the president does not need to abide by the rules put forth by the house or senate in the execution of his office if he personally thinks they are wrong or stupid.
 
This would be called a dictatorship.

Look up Miguel Estrada for an outrageous example of Dem obstruction.

Wow greg, I didn’t know you were against the houses of congress obstructing enforcement of laws.

In that case, I’d love to hear your thoughts on immigration…

“The pro forma session is a bit if a joke, a 30-second gaveling in and
out of the Senate in order to preserve the artifice that the body is not
in recess”

Do taxpayers have to pay them for a full day’s work for that?  Sounds like trimming Congressional salaries would be the easiest and most popular way to cut spending, if this is how they choose to spend our dime. 

You did not address my response… simply jumped to a new topic.  Was that an accident or intentional?

Im guessing the Obamas are working to be called his and her excellencyy and TC and Jay are all for it.  Rules are for the little people afterall.  that was no slip of the tongue by mrs O it was a trial baloon

Take it up with Steven Bradbury and John Elwood.

“This would be called a dictatorship.”

Only by those who have no idea what a dictatorship is.

If your homeboys in the house and senate don’t like the CPFB, let them try and pass a law to eliminate it.  Do it during an election year.

Gee, I wonder why everyone despises lawyers.

intentional.. he did the same thing to me earlier about Hunstman..

Good catch…unintentional…I guess I addressed it with a question.
 
 
Putting aside this specific instance of pro-forma since we would need a whole other thread to discuss the “why”
 
From a larger perspective though, your  stance is that the president does not need to honor the parliamentary rules of congress if he disagrees with them…right?
 
Because if the justification of this instance is because congress is obstructing a law….I can provide you an encyclopedia of instances where congress has obstructed laws on the books…..some of those laws being eventually found unconstitutional…hence the obstruction.
 
Regardless…does the president have this type of power now?….and if so, will this power carry over to a republican president to ignore democrat pro-forma sessions, or will this authority be absolved when Obama leaves office?

I would keep guessing. 

This may be more problematic for Obama. The two Dems that Obama ” recess” appointed were presented to the Senate on 2 days notice.

Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi’s office has pointed out that Block and Griffin were referred to the Senate so quickly that they didn’t pass basic criminal and civil background checks.

A statement from Enzi, the ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said that the background checks ensure that no criminal investigations are pending against potential nominees, and that they have paid their income taxes. The checks also ensure nominees don’t have conflicts of interest.

When a reporter asked White House press secretary Jay Carney about the scant amount of time between the nominations and the recess appointments, he balked.
Instead of addressing the constitutional requirement of allowing the Senate advice and consent on presidential nominations,
Carney attacked Congress.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/06/dem-nlrb-recess-appointments-rushed-dont-appear-on-white-house-nominee-list/#ixzz1iiEIDhmW

Good point Henry,

A national leader blatantly ignoring the established rules of the assembly to advance his agenda is something that happens all the time here in America, and not something that routinly happens in a banana republic or dictatorship…

Obama was adhering to his constitutional duties.  He is bound by these to enforce laws that have been passed and signed into law.

He gave ample opportunity for the republiklan minority to suggest alternative nominees.  They chose to ignore their constitutional duties because they don’t dare to attempt a repeal of the law that was passed and signed into law.

The president was freely and fairly elected.  He will be elected again this year.  There is no definition of “dictator” that makes a freely elected chief executive one of them.

This is a prime example of the dishonest shrieking to which I referred in my first post.

If roles were reversed and we had a President McCain or a President Romney or whoever coupled with a Democrat House and a Republican Senate and that (R) POTUS believed he knew what was best for the country, but the Ds disagreed and then said R POTUS went out did what he wanted anyway the D’s would all be PISSED and it would be THE only story on the news. And then if the R POTUS went out and said that it’s his duty to do what he thinks is best even if the other branches of government didn’t agree, the Ds and the media would be screaming the words “DICTATOR!” and “EMPEACHMENT” at the tops of their lungs. This is hypocrisy at it most obvious.

And if any leftist disagrees with this you’re a liar.plain and simple.

When the far left controlled the Senate, House, and WH they forced their agenda on the country while (legally) bypassing the Republicans and ignoring the pleas of the public.  Now that they no longer control the House they are still forcing their agenda on the country by bypassing Congress entirely.  These last 3yrs have been a lesson in what a nightmare one-party rule is and also yet another example of why socialism has failed and is failing around the world.  I wish I could go in to a coma until Jan 2012, but I’d lose my job and my home and everything else, so unfortunately just like everyone else I have to endure this dark time in our great nations history and hope for change when the November elections finally come about.  I plan on staying up late so I can watch the media cry.

Listen smugee, your spin holds no water. You know (or maybe you don’t), I know, and everybody countering your comments know the republicons have overstepped their right of pro-forma session strictly for political reasons.  In fact, that is all they have been playing for the past three years is politics to see this president fail.  It was announced that Congress was in recess.  Let’s see the House try and impeach Obama over this, uh? Now you can whine and cry and try to justify these dirty political tricks but that makes you an even bigger jerk considering you justify those dirty tricks when it going against your opposition.  Until you atone for sins of
your own party don’t come in here smug and all like you think you know what the “bleep” is going on you hypocritical puppet. Please, child.  Next subject.

Another Headline:

Tommy Helps WH Press Secretary Reframe “Recess” Appointment

or

Tommy Defends Obama for Doing Something Bush II Wouldn’t Do

No kiddin huh?  Bound to enforce laws on the books?…right….
 
Where was he on the war powers act in Libya?
 
How bout when Obama funneled money to ACORN after congress passed the law to defund it?
 
Or we can just go straight to this instance..
 
Article 1, Section 5, Clause 4 of the Constitution “Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.”

Like it or not….the senate had not adjourned…and because of that Obama is in violation of Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution
 
 
 the president “shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the Supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. 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.”
 
You got nothing buddy…and all the spin in the world isn’t gonna change that.

you mean when I asked you to substantiate your decision to vote for obama over hillary in 08, and you reponded with some drivel about me supporting romney?

Is that the one your refferring to?

“From a larger perspective though, your  stance is that the president does not need to honor the parliamentary rules of congress if he disagrees with them…right?”
–I don’t think that is an argument made by anyone actively involved in this debate.  Remember, the White House first sought and gained concurrence of opinion with Bush era Justice department officials.  You might disagree with the legal interpretation… and many liberals have… but to argue that this represents some sort of dictatorial turn is the brand of extremism that will sink the Republican brand if it continues.
“Because if the justification of this instance is because congress is obstructing a law….I can provide you an encyclopedia of instances where congress has obstructed laws on the books…..some of those laws being eventually found unconstitutional…hence the obstruction.”
–The justification includes a critical view of the “pro-forma” maneuver as de-facto recess.  Again, debatable… yet democracy demands we discuss this interpretation logically.  We have the capacity to solve the legal issue if we can overcome the shrill conversation that aims to commodify the conflict in process to generate partisan capital.  
“Regardless…does the president have this type of power now?….and if so, will this power carry over to a republican president to ignore democrat pro-forma sessions, or will this authority be absolved when Obama leaves office?”
–Yes!  Great question… and I think the heart of Tommy’s article.  Better than this ridiculous “why anger the Republicans or worse is Obama now Chavez “ish” that percolates on left and right.  

Cheers!

He certainly could not have grown a pair out of no where. It was an election year shift to populism tactic & if it weren’t insultingly obvious, I would be right there cheering him for pushing the envelope constitutionally in an untenable situation with this group in congress

The Republicans don’t realize that this appointment will help them too.  I’m sure they have to deal with scams and frauds all the time too.   

Obama and his jackbooted thugs have their boots on the throat of the American people.

Kind of funny how Tommy just blindly supports Obama – truth, fact and reality don’t seem to matter to the left anymore.

Imagine W doing this.  TC would not be defending W or his press secretary, he would be screaming impeachment, power grab, fire the liar, etc., etc., etc.

Soo funny

Great…we’re not exchanging insults…..who would have guessed?

So,

–”I don’t think that is an argument made by anyone actively involved in this debate”

I disagree..I think there have been many implications on this board that speak to this opinion.

So, on to question the presidential authority to circumvent rules of the assembly…silly or not…I dont care what tommy thinks…..what do you think?

I agree with you on salaries.

But in terms of the pro-forma being a joke…its not any more or less a joke than the senate fillibuster…and it impacts both sides equally….until a precedent is set like this…

One important issue in all of this is that it is not the President’ who gets to determine when the Congress is “in recess.”  It is the purview of the Congress to so do, and his appointments, by making the claim that “pro forma” isn’t really in session is a decision that he doesn’t get to make.  Kinda like he doesn’t get to make a determination as to the scope of the 1st Amendment and Corporations.  He can disagree with them, but he doesn’t have the power to subvert them.

 Where were you on 2000?

Let’s see:  Hmmmmm.   Obama is a Lawyer, check!   I hate lawyers, check.   Therefore, I must be a racist who hates lawyers.   If you actually wonder why people hate lawyers, listen to Obama and his mouthpiece rationalize this latest unconstitutional power grab.

The senate was in session?  What were they doing?  If they were in session, they surely were doing something. Which votes were held?

Right.  They were all out of town…hard to take any votes when no one is there.

I encourage you to bring a case regarding this appointment before the court.  Try to convince the courts that the senate has the right to refuse to confirm anyone to a position that they themselves created.  Make the case that the senate minority can unconstitutionally take the president’s constitutional power to make recess appointments away from him by dint of parliamentary maneuvers. 

Let’s see what the courts say.

Tell everyone (in an election year) how much you supported keeping Qaddafi in power
before you were against him and then for him and then against him again.

“How bout when Obama funneled money to ACORN after congress passed the law to defund it?”

**ACORN…DRINK!**

Please show evidence that the president funneled money to any organization known as ACORN after ACORN was defunded because of a completely dishonest smear campaign.

On the constitutional question… the best thinking I have seen on the topic (to date) is here…
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/99285/how-resolve-the-recess-appointment-crisis-elegant-legal-solution

Philosophically, I find the fact that our American legislature contains the most confounding and dense bramble of procedure a real shame of modernity.  

My apologies for being unclear…by “anyone actively involved” I meant legal participants in the debate… not members of the digital public sphere.    

I don’t think I insult very often… I reserve that for a rare few.  

Your comment does not make sense – “He could have done this a couple of days ago when the Senate actually was not in session .” – the pro forma sessions have been going on throughout this intra session break..if he did this at anytime Republicans would have cried foul.

This is not the first time this has been done Gloves, and it’s not even the 100th time since 1867 a President has appointed someone during an intra-session break during which congress did not officially adjourn by resolution. In fact, since 1867, 12 presidents have made more than 285 such appointments, without constitutional objection by the Senate…which is really unprecedented silly.

You should be more concerned that your congress would scheme to effectively nullify the constitution with a technicality…sounds like they really like the constitution-lol.

What specific points do you disagree with?  Here is an easy format for you to use.
1. Tommy says… “Truly pathetic TC point (A) in quotes”
2. But… “your counter assertion”
3. Because… “your reasoning/ evidence in support”
4. Therefore… “quick summary”.

Repeat as need demands.  Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqjQG-Tw9FY

I made my points just the way I wanted to, but thanks. 

Typical Tommy of late … I don’t understand when Mediaite turned from being a blog about the media and how they handle their jobs to becoming a place for Tommy to “explain” to all of us what is “true” and what is “false.” Tommy is fulfilling everything that I thought Mediaite was established on which to report. As Dan Abrams said in his blog introducing Mediaite, “Welcome to Mediaite, the website of and about the media.” Well, I think we can all agree that the only role the media provides in the typical Tommy column is just to provide the framework for Tommy to lecture us on the the “truth” is, well the “truth” according to Tommy anyways. Which brings us to another reason Mediaite was created by Dan Abrams, “For me, this site is the manifestation of a vision I have had for many years. When I was General Manager of MSNBC I helped create a segment called “Beat The Press” which I then continued on my show Verdict. In that segment, I had some fun with media hypocrisy, gaffes, and self-righteousness.” (http://www.mediaite.com/columnists/note-from-dan-abrams) Well, Dan, welcome to the typical Tommy Christopher column, a column filled with hypocrisy (commenting on the judgement of others while instilling his judgement into every column) and self-righteousness (come on people, is there any Tommy column of late that does not contain Tommy explaining to what the “truth” of the matter is and how the people in his column are always wrong in their reasoning.)

Look at this column, Tommy writes an entire column about the use of the Senate using the “gimmick” of pro-forma Senate sessions without even relating the history of their creation and use. Senate majority leader Harry Reid started using them in 2007 to block recess appointments of President Bush (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10596.html) and I am certain that then Senator Obama did not speak out about the unconstitutionality of their use. And how does Tommy explain the opposing point of view? By linking to a column with a derogatory line about “playing pool” and talking about appointments of Ted Nugents and Cheech and Chong appointments by Republicans. How many readers here think that Tommy would be writing this type of column if next year President Romney was making appointments and Minority Leader Reid was crying foul? Tommy, don’t you think if you are making self-righteous judgements and hypocritical reporting (oh, sorry, this isn’t reporting now is it) you can at least make your audience as aware of the background of the situation and explain the well-reasoned opposing viewpoints instead of just commenting from one point of view in a way that makes it seem yours is the only right viewpoint?

And to Dan Abrams, I know you say you wanted to be hands-off and leave editorial decisions to Mediaite’s editorial board, but dude, your name is behind this thing. Don’t you feel the need for more responsible reporting on something you created? Anyone that watches you face-off with Nancy Grace on controversial cases on Today know that you appreciated the need for fair and balanced reporting and analysis of issues. Why are you allowing what started out as an interesting site on the media and its influence on society disintegrate into the very thing that you created Mediaite to analyze and report. 

Maybe Bachmann will propose impeachment. If Obama broke the law, then he should be impeached … but nothing will happen. We’re all watching the GOP (God’s Own Party) implode and Boehner is too weak to oppose Obama.

GOBAMA !!!

I’d rather listen to Bush’s OLC chief rationalize it:

“In addition to the power to make appointments with the advice and
consent of the Senate, the president has an auxiliary power under the
Constitution “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.” This power to make temporary appointments helps
keep a balance between the political branches in our system of divided
powers.

The president can use this power to fill a vacancy during any recess
between sessions of Congress as well as recesses during sessions of
Congress, if they are of substantial length. The creators of the “pro
forma sessions” believe that they break substantial recesses, such as
the present one of six weeks, into recesses too short for the president
to make such appointments.

Senators never like recess appointments, and they have plenty of
leverage to protect the Senate’s advice and consent role. Senators can
block the confirmations of other nominees, they can stall the
president’s legislative agenda and they can refuse to approve the
president’s budget requests. They can also call the president to task in
the political arena. And Congress has prohibited paying a salary to a
recess appointee if the president declines to put forward any nominee
for the office.

But the Senate cannot constitutionally thwart the president’s recess appointment power through pro forma sessions.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/14/AR2010101405441.html

Excellent post.   I rarely agree with anything Tommy writes, and even formally compained once myself of his extreme and partisan activism as expressed in some of his columns.  I’d have to wonder though if it isn’t appropriate for Mediaite to have an opinion writer.  I wish it was balanced out by someone on the right side of the political scale (pun intended).  I don’t like the majority of Tommy’s articles but I often read them anyways since I know he’ll spin it entirely to the left, but I expect it to also include at least some factual or interesting info.  Overall, I’m ok with it, though I wish Mediaite would put a disclaimer on his articles that his ‘reporting’ should not be taken as fact even when he says it should.

ChuckSacramento, you have a serious case of delusional derangement going on there.  Probably have something to do with all that propaganda that has filled your head from the same shit most you republican fools listen to to and watch.  You must have been in a coma for the eight years Bush was in office.  I guess your head is really going to explode when Obama gets reelected.   

Tina_Tampa, with your continuous bout with Obama delusional derangement syndrome ,brought upon you by your string pullers, your comments continue to be clueless dribble.  Perhaps, try cutting the strings of your puppet masters.

This was an unconstitutional move. Period.

Check in with these professors on the matter.

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/constitutional-scholar-white-house-entirely-ignoring-article-1-section-5

Except Senate wasn’t in recess. Boom!

This will be a boom for the legal industry from what I know.

Not much of a reader, eh?

“But the Senate cannot constitutionally thwart the president’s recess appointment power through pro forma sessions.”

Oh, please cry me a river you whining hypocrite.  You are in no position to talk about political corruption… atone for your own party corruption.  These arguments and attacks over this recess appointment is useless and redundant. 

Oh yeah, using a tabloid publication owned by oligarch Rupert Murdoch to prove an argument… that’s like referencing Fox News… doesn’t hold a whole lot of water in the reality world.

I don’t understand why Republicans are making so much noise about this. Dragging this fight into the public light does them no favors. If the president doesn’t have the authority to make the appointment, it can be overturned in court. If he does have the authority, at least Republicans know the pro forma trick can’t be pulled on the next guy they put in the WH. By bringing this to the public’s attention, they’ve exposed that they’ve been acting as obstructionists. This agency was lawfully created but Republicans were trying to use dishonest tricks to keep it from coming to being. Not many people are going to feel bad that the president out foxed them at their own game. What’s further damaging is that it’s a consumer protection agency. I can’t help but feel like they fell into a trap on this one.

Except that the President doesn’t have the power to decide what is  and is not Congressional “recess.”   That is a power vested exclusively with the US Constitution and the Congress.   Oh, and pray tell, just what legal authority do you cite, since Obama’s DOJ argued before the SCOTUS that pro forma was a legitimate exercise of Congressional authority?

In a 1905 report that the Senate still considers authoritative, the Senate Judiciary Committee recognized that a “Recess of the Senate” occurs whenever the Senate is not sitting for the discharge of its functions and when it cannot “participate as a body in making appointments.” The committee cautioned that a “recess” means “something actual, not something fictitious.” The executive branch has long taken the same common-sense view. In 1921, citing opinions of his predecessors dating back to the Monroe administration, Attorney General Harry M. Daugherty argued that the question “is whether in a practical sense the Senate is in session so that its advice and consent can be obtained. To give the word ‘recess’ a technical and not a practical construction, is to disregard substance for form.”

The Senate, of course, does not meet as a body during a pro forma session. By the terms of the recess order, no business can be conducted, and the Senate is not capable of acting on the president’s nominations. That means the Senate remains in “recess” for purposes of the recess appointment power, despite the empty formalities of the individual senators who wield the gavel in pro forma sessions.

Here it is:The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Constitution “does not establish a minimum time that an authorized break in the Senate must last to give legal force to the President’s appointment power under the Recess Appointments
Clause.”

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/are-obamas-recess-appointments-unconstitutional-probably-not/

Being Obama’s lying sack of sh*t spokesweasel is clearly getting to Carney Barker. He looks like ten miles of bad road.

Look at this column, Tommy writes an entire column about the use of the
Senate using the “gimmick” of pro-forma Senate sessions without even
relating the history of their creation and use. Senate majority leader
Harry Reid started using them in 2007 to block recess appointments of
President Bush…

That’s how dishonest attack dog Liberals like Jon Stewart, Rachel Maddow and Christopher always do it. They always leave out context and any and all facts which would render there petty attacks moot.

I agree with you Chuck on the point that Mediaite can have opinion writers, but writing opinions is one thing, but self-righteous assertions of “truth” are not opinion. In my mind, an opinion piece is a well-thought out explanation of one’s point of view in comparison to another point of view. That is not Tommy has become. How many articles of his have phrases such as “that is totally wrong”, “that is ridiculous”, “this is the truth of the matter” and so on. (Ok, before anyone searches for these exact phrases, I am paraphrasing the idea, not the exact verbiage)   And then Tommy goes on to denigrate the opposing viewpoint like he does in this article by making snide remarks instead of comparing and contrasting to show the supposedly superiority of his point of view. Instead Tommy likes to practice fallacious arguments such as use of reductio ad ridiculum or “appeal to the ridiculous” in much of his recent writings, using the Ted Nugent lines as argument instead of reasoned thought.

I enjoy reading Tommy, as you do because I know the point of view from which he is writing. And when he first started on Mediaite, he did not write as he does now. I don’t know if he feels more secure in his position here so he can be more bias in his writing, that is a question I addressed to Dan Abrams in my prior post. But that does not give him license to veer off the deep end and allow his biases to to distort his writing. This is a site dedicated to writing about the media, and I’m sure he will say that he was writing about Norah O’Donnell’s about making Republicans mad (a distortion of the question itself as the question was a legitimate question concerning working partnerships with people that have an advise and consent role in the matter and whether this action would lead to more battles and ultimately less confirmations and agreements that will cause worse problems than the delaying of one appointment to an admittedly controversial department) but those three sentence and a video about the questions were once again, just a vehicle for Tommy’s partisan rant. This is the difficulty I find more and more with Tommy’s role on Mediaite. For every column about Rick Santorum and the reaction to comments about his dead child, there are many many more defending the administration or some other leftist cause or person that sinks into his form of denigration of any view except his “correct” view.

One other thing …. if Tommy is the White House Correspondent, then how can he be writing opinion columns? As a White House Correspondent I think one would have to maintain some semblance of objectivity to correctly report on White House news and reaction to give the facts so to speak. Since Tommy doesn’t seem to actually write “news” reports then he is not a correspondent or one who communicates the news from a certain venue. I don’t read a daily White House report from him like other White House correspondents. Since he writes so little about the actual news coming from the White House, perhaps Mediaite should drop that role for him and call him what he actually is, a commentator.  

Carnie says:

Come one come all, bring your families.  See the Magnificent Mr. “O” stick his head in the mouth of a Lion.  See his minions sing in praise as he demonstrates his extra human powers by carrying the weight of the entire world on his hulking back.  Watch him traverse the high wire and walk on water.

Matinee daily at 11:00

Hey College Gal

boon noun ˈbün

Definition of BOON
1
: benefit, favor; especially : one that is given in answer to a request 2 : a timely benefit : blessing

Obviously I am a partisan and I am arguing with other partisans, whether they care to admit it or not.But I ask all of you on the other side to consider the full ramifications of your position.Do we really want a situation where even the Senate minority can perpetually block all presidential appointments indefinitely?What if your fella was in office?  If we continue to go down this road, even a minority of senators could simply refuse to confirm ANY presidential appointment.  Secretary of State, Treasury, Defense etc.The recess appointments clause exists to prevent this potential disaster from happening.  A recess appointment is not the same as an appointment that is confirmed by the senate.I kinda doubt that the republiklans will take this to court, because they won’t win.  They will kick and scream, but they won’t actually take action.Nevertheless, I wish they would.  This needs to be settled.  The senate’s role is to advise and consent, not to simply prevent a president from being able to govern.

Beyond clueless! “Teas” cry constitution and have No idea what it means nor can explain it’s use. You can’t name any (proven by the courts) unconstitutional function that has been done. You won’t get any mileage out of this because it’s just a “teas” opinion, not facts of law! How would the “teas” explain the fake sessions, without being proven bitc_?

The Republican credo: We refuse to get anything done, and we won’t let the POTUS get anything done either.Obama’s counter-motto: Get things done, or get the hell out of the way!

The true face of the gop is the crybaby Boehner.

Your brother, Hollis? He got all the brains.

During the 108th Congress
in which the Republicans regained control of the Senate by a 51-49
margin, the nominees that the Senate Democrats had blocked in the 107th
Congress began to be moved through the now Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee.[10] Subsequently Senate Democrats started to filibuster judicial nominees. On February 12, 2003, Miguel Estrada, a nominee for the D.C. Circuit, became the first court of appeals nominee ever to be successfully filibustered.[citation needed] Later, nine other conservative court of appeals nominees were also filibustered. These nine were Priscilla Owen, Charles W. Pickering, Carolyn Kuhl, David W. McKeague, Henry Saad, Richard Allen Griffin, William H. Pryor, William Gerry Myers III and Janice Rogers Brown.[11] Three of the nominees (Estrada, Pickering and Kuhl) withdrew their nominations before the end of the 108th Congress.

They can’t even challenge his seating or the seating of the NLRB members until someone with “standing” (i.e. your ruling or your regulation hurt my business)actually go to court.

He could have just used his Constitutional powers to just adjourn both bodies because of disagreement, but these are much cooler weeds to get through.

You are getting better Mr. Christopher.  I thought your piece on Robinson and our burial rites was pretty much spot on.  

I’m a total wonk and I am geeking out about how this is playing out with actual Constitutional scholars, instead of the ones who play one on a comment board.

Actually right below the fact that he could have adjourned both bodies due to “extraordinary Occasions” (you parse that language, but it would be sort of fun to see it in the courts) it says that “…he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.”

Isn’t it his duty to make sure that the laws that were put into place are actually honored?

So why weren’t you hollering when the Democratic Senate did this in 2007?

They wouldn’t be screaming anything, because we’d be knee-deep in the weeds with the Democratic party and their nominating process.

You do not seem to realize that the 24/7 media is 24 hours with 7 minutes of any substance.

That at least is interesting.  Good catch.  I read that story earlier when I was looking for actual constitutional scholars that have written about this story.  I don’t think the courts will touch this with a ten-foot pole though.  

cnsnews… you’re a joke.

Richard Cordray (D),Ohio is the hack responsible for ‘outing’ Joe the Plumber Wurzelbacher.  I know that Vanessa Niekamp was fired for misuse of state database computers, but she was directed to by Cordray.  His ‘recess’ appointment is nothing but political payback for a job well done for Obama.  Jon Stewart shoud keep his yap shut, he doesn’t know history and his staff fails him at research about issues.  When it comes to Sharon Block and Richard Griffin, NLRB ‘recess’ Appointees, they never filled out US Senate vetting forms for the FBI and DHS. We don’t even know if they paid their federal taxes or hired illegal alien nannys for their children. Tim Geithner comes to mind,Chairman of the New York Fed, behind in his taxes at time of appointment, another fox in charge of the chicken coop.  #occupy has reason to be mad, TEA Party has reason to be mad, and the common man has reason to be angry, about this ‘transparent’ government. 

the true face of the dems is do nothing dingy harry

Agree.  You’d  think WH press would be professionals and not an extension of the WH press office, but a lot of odd credentials were handed out when Obama took over. Then again, I can think of at least a couple people that worked there during the Bush years that also shouldn’t have, so maybe its just more blatant than it used to be.

Recess appointments:
George W. Bush: 171 in eight years.
Ronald Reagan: 243 in eight years.
Barack Obama: 28 in three years.

As usual you are wrong and putting a dishonest spin on the story. This is an illegal appointment and you know it. The democrats and their trolls are the most dishonest people that one will ever encounter. 

The lies are obvious. You guys gave it a good run but the truth catches up with lies. 

By the way we now have two states challenging Obama eligibility to be on the ballot. We have four legislatures that are passing laws that will insist that any one on the ballot will have to prove eligibility by providing original accurate documents. I know as a loyal American you are happy for the development. 

Since we lasted posted the employment numbers have not changed. Twenty five million unemployed. This is the worst record of any President on record. 

Mr. President:
January 6, 2012

I see you are back in Washington, I am glad that you and your family are doing well. I only wish that our nation was in the same conditions. I have some random thoughts that I would like to share with you. 

Once again you have displayed your willingness to void our Constitution and ignore the laws of the land. You are not a worthy to be President of the United States. Your move to legalize illegals without the consent of Congress will be met with stiff resistance. The  illegal appointments will be challenged and defeated in court as they are not permitted in the constitution. 

Our constitution was inspired by the creator and written in the blood of American Patriots. This is a documents that sets the sidelines for our great republic. It is written so as to prevent a tyrant from assuming the role of a monarch. Sir, you have crossed the line and you will be held accountable for your disdain for our nation, its constitution, and its laws. You want the American people to trust you, how can we trust you when you will not open your records to public examination. Please open up and be transparent to the American people as you promised. 

It appears,you have no moral center. You lie with a straight face. When you go against our constitution, our congress and the will of the people you are spitting on the graves of the countless millions that have died for freedom and justice. What gives you the right to dishonor the blood our our forefathers? 

You have appointed a racist to head the Justice department. A man that is guilty of crimes that led to the death of Mexican citizens and Federal employees. Your support for this criminal has cheapened the oval office to the point that your actions and words have no value or no meaning. The blood of these victims cover your administration. You and Holder will not be allowed to forget this crime nor will you be allowed to wipe these people out of the nation’s memory. As long as there are freedom loving people, justice will be demanded for the children of Mexico and our Federal employees. Justice Brandeis wrote “Crime is contagious, if the government becomes a law breaker, it breeds contempt for the law.” Holder and you Mr. President has bred contempt for he law by placing yourselves above the law. 

When I think of the great men that held the position of Attorney General and realize that we now have a man that has dishonored the legacy of the Justice Department. A department that has been the front runner in righting the wrongs in our nation history, Tears flow from my eyes and anger from my heart. To think that a man such as Holder is allowed to flaunt our laws and use the department to punish rather than to ensure justice for all Americans. Please send this liar back to Chicago and restore a semblance of justice in our land. I do not use the word lair carelessly but I heard him lie to the Congress. This is a justifiable use of the liar label. 

“There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.”Mohandas Gandhi. You may laugh and think that you are invincible as you are in control of the justice department and a small percentage of the courts. We the American people are the ultimate judge, the giver of justice and we will right the evils of your administration. Our conscience as a nation will not let you walk on our constitution and our laws.

Well done

You can’t help but look at Carney’s face and think, “There’s a guy who REALLY dislikes his job.” I’ll bet his wife won’t let him quit!

Liberal ideologues simply can’t help themselves from putting a finger on the scale. Don’t you understand, this is a war between good and evil, truth and lies etc.? How can you expect a good guy like Tommy to play it straight when so much is at stake?

Outstanding.

Thanks please send this to all your friends and tell them to send to their congressman. We have to force Congress to move on Holder.

________________________________
From: Disqus
To: without_hate@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2012 6:53 PM
Subject: [mediaite] Re: Jay Carney Pushes Back On Republican Framing Of Recess Appointment

Disqus generic email template

Gloves Mick Donahue wrote, in response to without_hate:
Outstanding.
Link to comment

Can it be anymore apparent that Republicans want to keep seeing consumers getting ripped-off??

Keep executive power in check? Thge agency was formed two years ago wasn’t it?
Do you think it’s wise to defend a procedure that is likley one of the reasons things don’t get done in DC.  Maybe more would get accomplished if there were a few less ways to stall and delay and decisions were made based on exploring the facts.

The GOP may be correct on the technicality, but calling it a power grab and and similar to a banana republic is ludicrious hyperboyle and the average voter knows it. The GOP aso has to consider and deal with public opinion. Crying no fair is one choice, but it means the details come out to the court of public opinion, where a lot of voters already see congress as do nothings and are sick of it.

Does Jay get paid a salary or does he receive “per bullshit piece work” pay?

Don’t you mean, the quicker we recognize that the rules of the Senate are craped on to support this idiots illegal self indulgence, the better for Obimbo!

More of the Repug obstructionists & their gross putridity.  They should…be put to sleep.

obama has thwarted the constitution at every opportunity….how in the he11 did he snow so many of you…God help our country.Or a better question might be how can you hate our country so badly that you blindly follow this anti-American??

Your point about Eric Holder dishonoring the office is something that needed to be said.  He sure isn’t a Robert Kennedy!  Obama certainly is not John Kennedy! 

Where have all the good men gone???

I hope they don’t “scream and yell” until the presidential campaign is in full swing then the Republican candidate can “remind” we the people that obama goes around the constitution in order to turn our country socialist…..

kind of like taxpayers paying union people  4 hours for 30 seconds work???

doesn’t she just turn your stomach? 

Thanks please send this to your congressman and all you friends. To me this is about justice and I feel the same if it was a Republican.

________________________________
From: Disqus
To: without_hate@yahoo.com
Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2012 4:37 AM
Subject: [mediaite] Re: Jay Carney Pushes Back On Republican Framing Of Recess Appointment

Disqus generic email template

Just Ed wrote, in response to without_hate:
Your point about Eric Holder dishonoring the office is something that needed to be said.  He sure isn’t a Robert Kennedy!  Obama certainly is not John Kennedy!
Where have all the good men gone???
Link to comment

Unfortunately, we have to wait until 06 November to give the repugnant ones that injection.

To continue to be technical, as you seem to want to do, if the Senate is using only two Senators to gavel the Senate in then out, there’s not a quorum, so it is technically not in session!  It can only be officially in session when it has a quorum.  Two guys from the same party doesn’t cut it.

Yer a dumbass. All that Blimpy inspired rant doesnt make you look good, it makes you look psychotic. You got pigeonholed on one topic, so, in typical contard fashion, you try to change the topic! Bwahahahahahha, that works in kinnygarten, smugand dumb, not in the non-diaper world. Ill bet a dollar you aint got no law degree, or even a hs diploma. YOU, dumba, GOT NOTHING…and all the Faux Snooze aint gonna change it, chortle…

Yer either stupid, or a liar, which is it? Another birther at large. I think all birthers should be sent to Gitmo, with their brothers in intellect. Yer name should be, “WithoutSense.”

Hey dumba, who said this: The Constitution is just a piece of paper? Since youre sooooooooconcerned about the Constitution one would think youd have stormed the WH over this….lololol, ijit.
The smart folks in the room know who, the ‘Tards were still sleeping off a hangover…Makes your outrage faux and your hypocrisy thick, like your skull. And your integrity non-existant. congrats!

I think that would be awesome kyjellygirl.When the campaign is in full swing, let the republiklans remind anyone who might have forgotten that they want consumers to be conned and scammed by wall street and shady mortgage lenders.

You really believe that? O, youre a ‘Tard, go figure- Still laughable that someone or thing would post drivel like this, in public…lol.

Why? Because she can fit in a dress, not a tablecloth? Diet, gal, diet.

O, bs. Yer still just as stupis as last time i debunked your crap. Dont you ever feel bad about lying? If lil Enzi was sooooooooworried about vetting, why the holds? This is as stupid as the “but we wanted to do the payroll tax for a year…” bs spewed by ‘Tards.

Yer an ijit, plain and simple. And if any rightist disagrees, your a liar plain and simple. All these years i didnt realize how easy it was to make a point, ‘Tard style…

I second that.

These Repuglicans or teabaggers don’t know the meaning of “recess”, let alone recess appointments,  no matter how hard you try to explain.  Not to mention the fact that they are IN DENIAL!!!!! The truth hurts and they can’t handle the truth!. It should be a sin to be so ignorant. As the court’s say ignorance is no excuse …. LMAO.

The word here is ( temporary) appointments. Congress must confirm or reject these appointments when they return in session.

I am not a birther and I am not a liberal nor an active democratic therefore I am not a liar. I am for law and order and all citizens must obey the law. For you to call me stupid is as funny and unrealistic as Gump calling Einstein stupid. I would not enter the world of debate no better prepared mentally than you are. Do not come to a gun fight with a pocket knife. Obama motion to dismiss Georgia ballot challenge denied, David Farrar et al vs Barack Obama, Judge Michael M. Malihi Posted on January 3, 2012 Obama motion to dismiss Georgia ballot challenge denied, David Farrar et al vs Barack Obama, Judge Michael M. Malih. Obama has been order to produce his original documentation plus mirco fish. He also has a problem in Hawaii. Alabama court will hear the challenge next week. I realize that when you spend your time on the Disney Chanel, mediate and MSNBC you can not keep up with current events. Four legislators are passing laws that will demand anyone running for office show original documentation.
My position is I do not know what his status his and you do not either. I am glad to get this before the courts so it will be settled and we can move on.

________________________________
From: Disqus
To: without_hate@yahoo.com
Sent: Sunday, January 8, 2012 9:57 AM
Subject: [mediaite] Re: Jay Carney Pushes Back On Republican Framing Of Recess Appointment

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Doc P wrote, in response to without_hate:
Yer either stupid, or a liar, which is it? Another birther at large. I think all birthers should be sent to Gitmo, with their brothers in intellect. Yer name should be, “WithoutSense.” Link to comment

Typical democrat….only name calling…nothing of substance

oh, you mean that wall street has given more to obama than anyone or the dodd-frank mortgage scam?

I don’t care is she wears a tent or a placemat, it’s her distain for our country that turns my stomach.

Worked union people, all crafts, for 37 years…how about you?

“Repuglicans”!…hee he hee…..

All the clever people are on the left.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about the Dem pro-forma session in 08 used to block Bush’s recess appointments?

Read up on Massachusetts law regarding payment to police officers for doing “details” that the other 49 states pay minimum wage flag-men to do, then you will see how his comment makes sense…

Based off your comment history here on this thread…the only thing I think you’ve “debunked” is the theory that you have any mental capacity greater than a shaved chimp..

Your need to use the term “tard” as frequently as possible is a good example….

Yet, you have yet to make a point other than you’re a sophomoric idiot…

I pulled the wrong lever on accident in Florida and voted for Al Gore..

I take it, you have no idea how many bills the republican house has passed to the senate regarding legislation to help the economy that HArry Reid refuses to put on the floor…..right?

Would you call that the “Final solution”

Nice glasses dude!….It sure looks bright in that dark room your sitting in….
 
The ladies must love you!