While the cat's away...

Check out this post, courtesy of firedoglake, about Mr. Bush's version of "throwing a party while your parents are out of town." Seems that George the Younger has been quite busy, making seventeen questionable recess appointments while Congress enjoys its overly long vacation. That total includes three to the FEC that have never even had nomination hearings, a situation first noticed by The Enigmatic Paradox this past Sunday.

Today's Washington Post also details several of the more controversial selections made by the President, who deftly avoided anticipated Senate opposition to a number of seemingly unqualified individuals.

While definitely not illegal in any way, it seems to me that recess appointments are used too often as a way of unethically circumventing legitimate Congressional debate over the bona fides of candidates for important government positions (see Bolton, John). It's an easily abused means of perpetuating cronyism - one of the Bush Administration's few verifiable talents - behind the backs of our elected representatives in Washington. And I'd be willing to bet that that's not what the Founders originally had in mind.