Bush thumbs nose at Democracy

One of the biggest lies about the reasons George Bush invaded Iraq was that he wanted to bring democracy to the country. That's extremely difficult to believe considering the complete lack of respect Bush has for the democratic process.

From 2000 when he and his minions subverted the will of the people to mess with the results of a presidential election in order to get a candidate who lost the election into office (and then pass along the view that he, not Al Gore was the victim of election mischief) to the recent announcement that he would bypass the Senate to install a GOP donor as Ambassador to Belgium.

The nomination of Sam Fox, who gave $50,000 to the discredited Swift Boats Veterans for Truth campaign, appeared to be in trouble last week when Bush pulled the nomination in the face of stiff opposition. However, in reality he decided he didn't need, nor want congressional approval to do what he wanted, and just went ahead and made a recess appointment.

"Unfortunately, when this White House can't win the game, they just change the rules, and America loses," said John Kerry.

The purpose of the recess appointments was to allow a President to make an appointment in cases when the Senate wouldn't be in session, not to bypass the Senate. President's for years have made appointments but during the Clinton administrations recess appointments were treated as illegal. Today the GOP probably would cheer the action they so hated.

The difference is that Clinton was appointing qualified individuals whose views weren't Republican. Bush appointments are for people who, in many cases (John Bolton) don't have the qualifications or temperament for the job for which they are appointed.

In the end the appointment of a GOP donor to an ambassadorship isn't a horrible action, however it is a symptom of an attitude and view that this administration has used to the detriment of this country.

The key is whether the country can hold on for 21 more months and whether Americans will elect someone who will clean up the Bush/Cheney mess.