but why is it those bulging veins make most of the Dims cringe?
and the media orgasm...

every god damn time...

Obama does really need to make those recess appointments, for both policy and politics. I really think the obstruction meme is gaining traction with the old world media. There were scattered stories about Shelby's holds, and a full on blitz about Bunning. If Obama is forced to make recess appointments, there will be stories about that, I don't see any reason to think they will portray the Democrat unfavorably.

***sigh*** What is it with ancient white guys that they have to flash the middle finger at any and every policy that doesn't neatly fit into their world view...a check for senility should be a requirement.

We just had a recess and Obama didn't do squat. Why shouldn't Republicans play hard ball when the other side constantly pisses their pants in any confrontation?

Imagine what David Broder would say.

Next issue?

Let's see how long he gets away with it.
Obama did say that he would make recess appointments.
The Repubs are in full tantrum. The country didn't go down in flames, things haven't gone their way and they are always thinking of themselves.
This has been going on since Raygun. He started the popularity of mediocrity, stupidity and ignorance. This is the result.
It will take time to eliminate these old timers from the congress.

Shelby is just exercising his First Amendment rights. Why do the democrats want to cut off debate? What are they afraid of?

cm@10:09 am, I may be going into tinfoil-hat area, yet it may be that its due to President Obama him-self not being an ancient white guy or a scion of an ancient white family...

Doesn't a recess appointment expire in January 2011 (the end of the Congressional term)? If that is the case then I can see why Obama hasn't made any yet.

having some cranky, seventy-something guy from the South pulling a freak out, screaming at the country to get off his lawn and shutting down the government until the veins in his forehead de-bulge

And there it is: the ad practically writes itself. With the media distracted, as usual, by the latest bright, shiny thing (the Palin/Leno sideshow), it's clear they won't pay any attention, so the Dems are going to have to do it themselves. Hire an agency and get ads on the air ASAP and hang this outrage right around the GOP's lousy neck.

Recess appointments????

Why that would be an unprecedented violation of advise and consent!

Maybe Bunning wants to make sure these appointees are paid for before they are approved.

What I don't get is the phrase "would be" in Josh's description of Republican rule. The horror of the situation WE ALREADY HAVE is that every couple weeks some cranky seventy-something guy from the South is pulling a freak-out and shutting down the government.

With Bunning, we don't yet know the motivation.

Come on now. Of course you do. I appreciate (really) that you've only been gingerly hinting at it ("...Bunning, who has occasionally appeared unstable recently..."), but yes, you understand perfectly well what's behind this, to the extent that anyone can.

Bunning is at that supremely difficult stage where his lucid periods are spent defending behavior undertaken during his irrational periods. If he looks angry, it's because he is, but at God, not Obama.

Too bad it wasn't somebody else in the Republican Caucus. Since it is Senator Bunning again the Mainstream Media can just say that it is Senator Bunning and not the Republicans in general who are obstructing.

The electorate is mad as hell at ALL incumbents- look how badly porkmeister Kay Bailey Hutchinson lost- and they will have their revenge on R and D alike in November.

The Senate Republicans do not think that anger applies to them, and they continue to poke sticks through the bars at the captive voters. Not realizing that the cage door is unlocked. . .

Recess appointments????

Why that would be an unprecedented violation of advise and consent!
Posted by: Orrin hatch

You forgot to mention that it's an arcane procedure that was never meant to be used on this type of scale.

Someone said that Obama was like a quarterback who gets sacked on every play. That's apt. He has to play hardball or his first term will be paralyzed. He's being punked, bigtime, and he has to respond or he'll be blitzed on everything.

I vastly prefer Obama to the alternative, of course, but I really don't think he's temperamentally suited to politics or governing at this level. He's not a good executive. His ego may need a larger forum, but it's very clear that he is most naturally a professor and belongs in a college classroom. And I say that with great respect for that profession.

This must be what Adlai Stevenson was like.

"With Bunning, we don't yet know the motivation."

Bunning is at that supremely difficult stage where his lucid periods are spent defending behavior undertaken during his irrational periods. If he looks angry, it's because he is, but at God, not Obama.Posted by: Matt

No, Bunning is expendable and the GOP using him as such. There will be more Bunnings in the months ahead.

You know brooklyn assholes like you would prefer Al Capone was Pres. if they were on your side. Believe it or not the world isn't just black and white.

the true horror of Republican rule would be every couple weeks having some cranky, seventy-something guy from the South pulling a freak out, screaming at the country to get off his lawn and shutting down the government until the veins in his forehead de-bulge

No, the true horror is that Republicans would actually DO BAD THINGS. Since Democrats don't engage in these same tactics to clog up gears, the old-men won't have to scream, they'll PASS ACTUAL LAWS requiring people to get off their lawns.

They'll continue to deregulate Wall Street. They'll expand the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and start a new one in Iran. They will gut consumer protection. Erase the safety net etc etc etc.

I vastly prefer Obama to the alternative, of course, but I really don't think he's temperamentally suited to politics or governing at this level. He's not a good executive. His ego may need a larger forum, but it's very clear that he is most naturally a professor and belongs in a college classroom. And I say that with great respect for that profession. brooklyn on March 3, 2010

Bleh. Who from the Democratic primaries do you suppose would be "temperamentally suited" to the current Washington climate? ....Hillary? Republicans would have a field day blocking "Hillary Care" for the second time..... Edwards? Oopsie can you say impeachment........Dodd? Can you say tainted by Wallstreet.....Richardson? another pay to play scandal....Kucinich? Republicans would love "elfman" to be their rival.

Obama's temperament is fine. It's what got him elected and what makes him a clear headed leader. The rest of the DC establishment's temperament is what scares the hell out of me.

HEY ! This is SUPERB !!!!!!!!! Bunning is the perfect poster white guy for the bullshit the Rs are using. Roll it up into one big puffy ball, and get the talking points, the ads, the full court press going.

" Gee, I really would like to talk to Rs, but, gosh darn it, they are flipping the bird to us Americans. So, lets shine a nice, bright light light in the rectum that is the republican party, and let me explain, in 2 mins, how qualified people to run the country, be judges, etc., are being held up by the abcesses named Bunning, Shelby, etc. Let's unblock the Bunning colon, get these good people in [btw, the last judicial nominee passed 99-0] and we will do HCR, and we will govern. When the other guys are done pouting, we can talk .... "

ok, probably not presidential - but they have writers to tart it up ...

At the next recess, Obama just needs to do it. No press conferences. Just make the appointments. And when Mitch McConnell comes crying, look him in the eye and say, "You made me do it. If you want the process to work as advertised, then YOU need to get YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER. ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SITUATION IS ON YOU AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY."

And then start doing what needs to be done.

But somehow the Democrats need to capture for people that the true horror of Republican rule would be every couple weeks having some cranky, seventy-something guy from the South pulling a freak out, screaming at the country to get off his lawn and shutting down the government until the veins in his forehead de-bulge.

This doesn't make any sense. We've already seen the horror of Republican rule: they try to destroy the United States government and at the same time turn it into part of the Republican Party apparatus with their corporate cronies calling the shots. It's when they're NOT in charge that they freak out and start screaming and shutting things down. They're like the little kids throwing a temper tantrum in the grocery store line because Mommy won't buy them any candy.