The Collapse Of The FEC?
The Washington Post is alarmed, George Will is ecstatic. Three recess appointments to the six member Federal Elections Commission board will expire when Congress adjourns. Senate Democrats placed a hold on the Republican (the other two are Democrats). The Republicans have responded by saying it is all three or none for confirmation. Will surveys the turmoil and pronounces it a good thing.
Four Senate Democrats decided to block the Republican, Hans von Spakovsky. Republicans have responded: "All three or none." If this standoff persists until Congress adjourns, the three recess appointments will expire and the FEC will have just two members — a Republican vacancy has existed since April. If so, the commission will be prohibited from official actions, including the disbursement of funds for presidential candidates seeking taxpayer financing.
Democrats oppose von Spakovsky partly because when he served in the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department he overruled staffers in the voting section who wanted to block a Georgia law requiring voters to present a government-issued ID before voting, as Americans do before boarding airplanes, entering many buildings, renting movies, etc. Von Spakovsky's critics say the law is a way of suppressing voting by poor, mostly minority, citizens. Eighty percent of Americans — racists all? — favor such laws. The Supreme Court probably will settle the issue in a case concerning Indiana's voter ID law.
Democrats oppose von Spakovsky also because, as The Post's editorial says, "he blocked career staffers who wanted to stop a Texas congressional redistricting plan; a divided Supreme Court later rejected part of the plan." "Part," indeed. The court affirmed the constitutionality of 31 of the 32 districts involved — affirming von Spakovsky's legal judgment that those "career staffers" opposed.
The Post primly says: "Six former voting section employees asserted that Mr. von Spakovsky participated in politicizing the Civil Rights Division." Who are these "career staffers" who supposedly recoiled from politics?
Will goes on to detail some of the history of the six former career staffers. Many of them are now working for left-wing or left affiliated groups. It is not exactly rocket surgery to figure that there is an agenda in the objections. Yet, as Will points out, one of the Democrats with a hold on the nomination of von Spakovsky is none other than Barack Obama. The paralysis of the FEC would mean no matching funds would be distributed to other Democratic candidates who are accepting public funds. No agenda there, either?
The political paralysis in Washington is becoming rather ridiculous at this point. Will is happy about this instance because he dislikes the FEC's limitations on political free speech. But it's hard for me to applaud yet another case of gridlock just because I might dislike that particular agency or program. We have a massively dysfunctional legislature at this point. That is nothing to cheer about.
By feeblemind, Tuesday, 11 December , 2007 @ 10:39 am
Every day of dem congressional inaction is a day they are not damaging the country. I have been rather pleased with the gridlock. I feared the worst when the dems came to power.
By Al in St. Lou, Tuesday, 11 December , 2007 @ 1:57 pm
Yeah, with a Dem congress, gridlock can be a very good thing.
By Mockin'bird, Tuesday, 11 December , 2007 @ 2:14 pm
Desperate Socialists.