The Leprechaun, Sean Hannity’s at it again, telling one big whopper after another. Tonight’s lie came during his FOX News program (9 Jan 13) when he claimed no president had ever made use of recess appointments until President Obama, I just heard him say it, you can’t make this stuff up; but of course almost every President since – and including – George Washington have made recess appointments.
President Washington appointed South Carolina judge John Rutledge as Chief Justice of the United States during a congressional recess in 1795.
Some additional examples?
New Jersey judge William J. Brennan was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 through a recess appointment. This was done in part with an eye on the presidential campaign that year; Eisenhower was running for reelection, and his advisors thought it would be politically advantageous to place a northeastern Catholic on the court. Brennan was promptly confirmed when the Senate came back into session. President Eisenhower, also using a recess appointment, designated Charles W. Yost as United States ambassador to Syria.But wait, that’s not all President Eisenhower made two additional recess appointments, Chief Justice Earl Warren and Potter Stewart.
President George H. W. Bush appointed Lawrence Eagleburger Secretary of State during a recess in 1992 because Eagleburger had in effect filled that role after James Baker resigned.
And according to the Congressional Research Service, President Bill Clinton made 139 recess appointments while President George W. Bush made a record 171 recess appointments, and as of 5 Jan 12, President Barack Obama – who Hannity claims is attempting to “by-pass the Legislative Branch creating an imperial presidency” – had made only 32 recess appointments.
Hannity’s an idiot, and anyone who ever takes him seriously is also an idiot. Like too many people working at FOX he wouldn’t know a fact if it came and bit him on the nose.
The Liberty Tree 