Today President Clinton used a legal tool from the founding fathers to break through the obstructionists in the Senate and appointed James C. Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg.
Even though Ambassador Hormel was already approved by the Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 16-2 in 1997, Senator Lott (R-MS) refused to allow the full Senate to even take a vote because he knew that the Honorable Mr. Hormel would win easy approval and that would upset his fundamentalist bank-rollers.
A few Senators, like Jim Inhofe (R-OK), were very upset that the President invoked this "recess appointment" power to make Mr. Hormel an ambassador. They were too cowardly to allow an honest vote, and now that they have had their dirty, back-room dealings exposed and countered they aren't happy.
Now, you might not be completely familiar with the term "Recess Appointment" and what this means for Ambassador Hormel. Basically, this is a tool to allow a sitting President to appoint an Ambassador to fill a vacancy without the "advice and consent" of the Senate. However, the appointment can only last until the end of the current session of Congress. Fortunately, that session ends at the same time President Clinton's term ends, in a little less than two years. And that is when ALL ambassadorial positions are up for reconsideration by the incoming president. Under George Bush, the requirement to be Ambassador was a minimum donation to his election funds of $100,000 or more. So we might assume that if his son was to win election that these important diplomatic posts will, again, be up for sale.
I think it's a proud day for America when we can rise above the bigotry, hatred and fear that the ignorant and petty minority would foist upon us all. I wish you well Ambassador Hormel. I only wish that you could have been given a full-term to a more significant trading or strategic partner. But you have broken a barrier and hopefully the next man or woman considered by the Senate will not be but through the same dirty dealings you were.
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