"Swift Boat" Connection Sinks Bush nominee

[IronGhost]

Swift Boat connection sinks Bush nominee

Bush's pick for U.S. envoy to Belgium is withdrawn amid stiff Senate opposition.

By James Gerstenzang, Times Staff Writer

March 29, 2007

WASHINGTON — Facing almost certain defeat in the Senate, the White House on Wednesday withdrew the ambassadorial nomination of Sam Fox, who contributed $50,000 to the Swift Boat veterans' controversial campaign against Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) in the 2004 presidential race.

President Bush had nominated Fox, a St. Louis businessman, to be the U.S. envoy to Belgium.

The withdrawal, a rare setback for the sort of nomination that normally would sail through the Senate, reflected both the muscle Democrats are exercising in Congress and the problems likely to surround any Bush appointee linked to the attacks on Kerry.

Coupled with the Democratic-led investigations into whether politics played a central role in the firings of eight U.S. attorneys, the failed Fox nomination demonstrates the degree to which the landscape has changed for Bush on Capitol Hill.

Fox was a key donor to Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, the group that raised questions about Kerry's record as a Navy lieutenant during the Vietnam War. Kerry was awarded a Bronze Star, a Silver Star and three Purple Heart decorations for his service in Vietnam, but the group — in television ads and e-mail messages — maintained he had exaggerated his actions in combat.

Full story: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/a...-news-a_section

[Bob26003]

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/02/28/s...ft-boat-funder/

Here is a video of Senator Kerry smacking around Sam Fox.

The Corruption in this administration is absolutely staggering to me.

[__Kratos__]

Facing almost certain defeat in the Senate, the White House on Wednesday withdrew the ambassadorial nomination of Sam Fox

I'm trying to figure out how they even thought he'd get accepted?

Though it's curious... It's wrong to fire people because of politics but you can deny someone a job due to their politics.

[Bob26003]

Naw Kratos, this isn't about Politics. It was about the guy funding an operation he knew was a complete sham. It's a question of integrity, and Sam Fox proved he has none.

[IronGhost]

I'm trying to figure out how they even thought he'd get accepted?

Though it's curious... It's wrong to fire people because of politics but you can deny someone a job due to their politics.

Well, you know, there's politics and then there's politics. Ambassadorships have always been about rewarding loyal supporters from the beginning of the USA. It's pure politics, to be sure.

But there is no comparison to the fired attorney scandal. U.S. attorneys are appointed politically -- that's the political "reward" part -- but then once in their positions, it has always been a total "hands off" deal -- in other words, a U.S. Attorney is in a very powerful position and their total independence has been considered sacrosanct by all presidents of all parties.

What the Bushies did was try to tranform non-partisan U.S. Attorneys into their own person hit squad to investigate Democrats. If we let this situation stand, believe me, the damage to the stability of our system would be tragic.

By the way, Gonzales' former Chief of Staff Sampson implicated his boss big time in the hearings yesterday, which I was glued to on NPR. Gonzales is now certainly toast -- this is all but over -- Gonzales is a goner!

[Aztec Warrior]

Well, you know, there's politics and then there's politics. Ambassadorships have always been about rewarding loyal supporters from the beginning of the USA. It's pure politics, to be sure.

But there is no comparison to the fired attorney scandal. U.S. attorneys are appointed politically -- that's the political "reward" part -- but then once in their positions, it has always been a total "hands off" deal -- in other words, a U.S. Attorney is in a very powerful position and their total independence has been considered sacrosanct by all presidents of all parties.

What the Bushies did was try to tranform non-partisan U.S. Attorneys into their own person hit squad to investigate Democrats. If we let this situation stand, believe me, the damage to the stability of our system would be tragic.

By the way, Gonzales' former Chief of Staff Sampson implicated his boss big time in the hearings yesterday, which I was glued to on NPR. Gonzales is now certainly toast -- this is all but over -- Gonzales is a goner!

I was wondering if one the eight US attorneys was working on the Sandy Berger case. Whoever was on that case should be FIRED.

[IronGhost]

I was wondering if one the eight US attorneys was working on the Sandy Berger case. Whoever was on that case should be FIRED.

Listen, as a Liberal Democrat, I am only more than happy to throw Sandy Berger over the side of the boat. By all means, he should have had the book thrown at him far more severaly than he got.

But, two wrongs don't make a right. The fact that Berger got off light changes absolutely nothing today. We can't have U.S. Attorney's acting as political hit squads for whatever party happens to be power at the time. I don't support this for Dems or Republicans.

[Aztec Warrior]

Listen, as a Liberal Democrat, I am only more than happy to throw Sandy Berger over the side of the boat. By all means, he should have had the book thrown at him far more severaly than he got.

But, two wrongs don't make a right. The fact that Berger got off light changes absolutely nothing today. We can't have U.S. Attorney's acting as political hit squads for whatever party happens to be power at the time. I don't support this for Dems or Republicans.

I'm not saying the US Attorneys should act as political hit squads. They should do their job. They dropped the ball with Berger, and that to me equals poor performance. Or they were Clinton holdovers, suppressing any indictments agains't Berger. Either way, he or she should be fired.

As for the other Attorneys..............TFB. Go into private practice. The whole lot of them should have been fired, not just the eight. I don't know why the Admin didn't do that.

[__Kratos__]

Update: Swift Boat donor's appointment sidesteps Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination.

Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat's losing the election.

Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.

This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sneaky, sneaky.

[IronGhost]

Update: Swift Boat donor's appointment sidesteps Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination.

Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat's losing the election.

Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.

This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sneaky, sneaky.

Wow! They used a similar manuever to get Bolton into his U.S. job. The contempt this President has for Congress is extraordinary. I must say, however, that I know Clinton and other Prexys have used this manuever as well.

But still, it's amazing how short lived were all the promises to "work together in a bi-partison way" after the election -- I'm sure this move will infuriate Democrats just a bit more. I guess there was no bipartison love to begin with anyway -- but can't they at least try?

[Bob26003]

Update: Swift Boat donor's appointment sidesteps Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress where Democrats had derailed Fox's nomination.

Democrats had denounced Fox for his 2004 donation to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group's TV ads, which claimed that Sen. John Kerry exaggerated his military record in Vietnam, were viewed as a major factor in the Massachusetts Democrat's losing the election.

Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation, Bush withdrew the nomination last month. On Wednesday, with Congress out of town for a spring break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.

This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sneaky, sneaky.

Usual Bush tactics. The same thing he did with the lackeys he put in as the US attorneys. This guy is a serious criminal......... and a threat to our system of Government.

[ships-cat]

Wow - what a diplomatic shocker.... the nomination for ambassador to BELGIUM has been pranged ?

Worldwide diplomatic upheavals... US foreign policy in tatters... emergency meeting of the UN Security Council averted at the last minute when delegates suddenly realised that NOBODY could remember where Belgium is. NATO put on high alert as everyone falls asleep in outrage.

Well... can YOU point to Belgium on a map of the world ? How about on a map of Belgium ?

Could someone tell me why America CARES about this ?

Meow Purr.

Edited April 6, 2007 by ships-cat

[IronGhost]

Wow - what a diplomatic shocker.... the nomination for ambassador to BELGIUM has been pranged ?

Worldwide diplomatic upheavals... US foreign policy in tatters... emergency meeting of the UN Security Council averted at the last minute when delegates suddenly realised that NOBODY could remember where Belgium is. NATO put on high alert as everyone falls asleep in outrage.

Well... can YOU point to Belgium on a map of the world ? How about on a map of Belgium ?

Could someone tell me why America CARES about this ?

Meow Purr.

"Pranged" ??

Please tell me what this word means. I want to add it to my own vocabulary as soon as possible.

[ships-cat]

Errr... Ironghost... the term is possibly unique to the UK... and even then, only to people older than about 40.

The term means "to crash , or cause to crash" (e.g. a car or aeroplane)...

I believe it was originaly coined by the RAF (Royal Air Force) and was exclusively reserved to someone who arranged to bring an aircraft in intimate contact with the ground in an unintentional manner, and at a speed that exceeded the manufactorers recommended tolerances. (and in extreme cases, one that exceeded the tolerances of the human frame).

To quote from the popular "Biggles" series (circa 1940, UK only)

"Gosh Ginger, the Hun got me from the Sun... I pranged my Kite Sausage-side, and had to run from the Jerries to get back to Blighty"

Err... no... I'm not ENTIRELY sure either...

Be that as it may, it has survived as a metaphor for "crashing" something, or causing a crash to happen ?

Meow Purr.

(for more on "Biggles", see here )

Edited April 7, 2007 by ships-cat