Baucus Shows His Blue Dog Idiocy

Over the July 4th weekend President Obama made an important recess appointment. He used the "recess appointment" process to install Dr. Donald Berwick as the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The president had originally nominated Dr. Berwick back in April, but the Senate had taken no action to approve the nomination. In fact, Senate Republicans had promised to delay Dr. Berwick's approval for as long as they could. Now Dr. Berwick can serve as the agency head through 2011 without Senate approval.

I expected the Republicans would be upset by the recess appointment because it was their delaying for political reasons (since no one questions Dr. Berwick's qualifications) that the president was trying to get around. But I am appalled by the words of a so-called "leading" Democrat -- Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana).

Baucus said, "I'm troubled that, rather than going through the standard nomination process, Dr. Berwick was recess appointed. Senate confirmation of presidential appointees is an essential process prescribed by the Constitution that serves as a check on executive power and protects Montanans and all Americans by ensuring that crucial questions are asked of the nominee -- and answered."

What an idiot! If he had some questions that needed answers then why didn't he ask them? Why the three month wait without even having a hearing on the nomination? Just how long does this blue dog think the president must wait to have appointments approved? Why hasn't Baucus been pushing for the hearings if he thought they were so necessary?

Frankly, I'm not sure that Baucus has enough credibility as a Democrat to be making that kind of statement. He was one of those blue dog Democrats that opposed single-payer or even a public option being included in the health care reform. He and his blue dog cohorts watered that bill down to where it was barely acceptable and contained only minor reforms.

Then he, as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, helped block much of the real reform needed in the financial reform of Wall Street and the giant financial firms. Substantial new regulations were needed in the wake of the financial meltdown, but Baucus helped insure that only minor changes would be made.

Baucus (pictured) might be worth listening to if he acted more like a real Democrat, but he doesn't. With his record, he should be ashamed to criticize a president who is actually trying to accomplish some good things for this country.