Posted on 01/07/2008 1:27:23 PM PST by BulletBobCo
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy took 29 seconds Monday to open and close the Senate, the latest move in a standoff with President Bush over recess appointments.
Senate Democrats are holding a series of "pro forma" sessions to stop recess appointments by President Bush.
Kennedy was the only senator in the chamber when he gaveled the session open shortly after 9 a.m. ET. Four women from the anti-war group Code Pink also were on hand.
After a clerk read a statement from Senate Pro Tempore Robert Byrd saying Kennedy would perform the duties, the Massachusetts Democrat immediately gaveled the session closed, saying the next one would occur Wednesday.
Senators are starting to trickle back to Washington from the holiday break.
Monday's event is one of a series of "pro forma" -- "for the sake of formality" -- sessions in a political scuffle between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress.
Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block Bush from making any recess appointments. During congressional recesses, a constitutional mechanism allows the president to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation.
Only one senator is needed to keep the Senate open.
Kennedy presided over was one of the longer sessions during the holidays. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, presided over one lasting 12 seconds on the final day of 2007.
During Christmas week, Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and gaveled the Senate to a close in 11 seconds. Webb spent 57 seconds in the chamber.
Other Democrats -- including Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty of presiding over the sessions this month.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Somebody tase the old coot so Bush can make his appointments.
There’s got to be a procedural way to foil this charade—either involving Cheney, or having a few Pubbies in the Senate when they try this. Bush should make use of any such procedure, to put an end to these shenanigans in the future. He wouldn’t, of course. Fred Thompson, being a lawyer who is well-versed on procedure, and being a little tougher, would.
How long would YOU want to be alone in a room with four women from Code Pink?
Not even a drunken Kennedy?(as if there’s any other kind)
The Democrats always start clever little procedures that somehow usually come back to bite them in the rear. This is another in a long list of matters that they will not appreciate when the shoe is on the other foot.
This nonsense needs to be challenged. The power of recess appointments is important.
The way to challenge it is to wait for a politically “bulletproof” nominee, in a high-priority position. (Think of something like Secretary of DHS.) Just swear the new person in if Congress is not in session, “even if” it is holding these content-free “sessions,” then let someone challenge the appointment in federal court.
I want to see a federal court say that a “session” can consist of a 24-second statement indicating that the “session” is over, and nothing else.
The Senate needs to be sanitized.
They think they're the national police and .... wait a minute !
What am I saying?
National Police?
Almost rhymes with ....
The GOP isn’t willing to put up a fight so I guess this must not be all that important.
When do these folks actually work?
What goes around, comes around. Just ask the hapless dingy.
Some republicans should show up and ask for a quorum call. or move for taxes to be cut in half and to then vote on it.
can’t a few pubbies with cahones immediatle address the chair and start a filibuster?
kepe the place open 24/7 until the dimmies cave.
And not one of those foolish filibusters where they open, ask him if they are still filibustering and then leave... A real stand up and read the phone book and repeat as needed type of filibuster. With the quorum calls, naturally.
Maybe someone already answered this, but what would happen if a republican senator suggested the lack of a quorum? Couldn’t they then ‘compel’ the senators to return?
About as long as one can hold their breath............
Kennedy probably believes that he just did.
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