Say, Who’s Really Holding Up Berwick’s Appointment?

07 Jul, 2010 by William Teach

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Just a little follow up on the Berwick issue, via the ever reliable Jake Tapper, who, unlike the majority of the media, will actually post real facts. After discussing the recess appointments of two others, one of whom (Joshua Gotbaum) had a hold put on his nomination by Democrat Sherrod Brown, Jake goes on to write

But Republicans were not delaying or stalling Berwick’s nomination.

Indeed, they were eager for his hearing, hoping to assail Berwick’s past statements about health care rationing and his praise for the British health care system.

“The nomination hasn’t been held up by Republicans in Congress and to say otherwise is misleading,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, which would have held Berwick’s hearing.

Grassley said that he “requested that a hearing take place two weeks ago, before this recess.”

Berwick’s nomination was sent to the Senate in April, and his hearing had not been scheduled because he was participating in the “standard vetting process,” a Democratic aide on the Senate Finance Committee told ABC News.

But speaking not for attribution, Democratic officials say that neither Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., nor Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, were eager for an ugly confirmation fight four months before the midterm elections.

Might want to rethink your whiny talking points and blame-storming there, PeBO!

(PS: Obama is still perfectly entitled to executing recess appointments, per the Constitution)

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach