Democrats Preventing Appointment of Pro-Torture Bush Nominee

Posted by Jonah on December 27, 2007 at 06:07 PM

Sen. Harry Reid is keeping the Senate in pro forma session, sending Sen. Webb to the Senate to call it to order and then recessing every few days. By doing this they are preventing President Bush from bypassing Senate confirmation and unilaterally installing his nominees through recess appointments. From USA Today;

Democrats wanted to block one such recess appointment in particular: Steven Bradbury, acting chief of the Justice Department's Office of Legislative Counsel. Bush nominated Bradbury for the job and asked the Senate to remove the "acting" in his title.

Democrats would have none of it, complaining Bradbury had signed two secret memos in 2005 saying it was OK for the CIA to use harsh interrogation techniques — some call it torture — on terrorism detainees.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Bush refused to rule out appointing Bradbury to the job if the Senate formally adjourned. So, Reid decided to keep the Senate in session with pro forma meetings every two or three days.

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