Neo-Cons

http://tinyurl.com/2vglxe (Think Progress)
http://tinyurl.com/39zcxa (Democratic Underground)
http://tinyurl.com/3dw8df (Daily Kos)

Despite having withdrawn his nomination just weeks ago to avoid political embarrassment in the Senate, the White House has just recess-appointed SBVT funder and major RNC meal ticket Sam Fox to his previously-rejected post as Ambassador to Belgium.

This is so totally wrong, in so many different ways.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats will be assessing every option -- both legal and within the SFRC itself -- for taking on this recess appointment.

Never before has a withdrawn nominee been recess appointed in this fashion. The White House withdrew Fox's nomination on March 27th, less than an hour before the hearing was to start, admitting later that he did not have the votes to survive.

It’s sad (but not surprising) that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency to send a big-money Rethug Party donor to a post in Belgium over the objections of the Senate.

When it comes to getting body armor for our soldiers or relief for New Orleans, they’re AWOL, but they'll move heaven and earth to reward a smear.

This administration has governed on fear and smear for far too long. Today's move shows it is so wedded to the politics of personal character assassination that they are willing to take unprecedented steps to reward Sam Fox with an ambassadorship that he clearly does not deserve.

In refreshing my memory about Gerald Ford's legacy, I reckoned what he in common with James Brown : They're both godfathers of two American cultural movements.

James Brown, the godfather of soul, funk and the African American pop culture revolution.

Gerald Ford, the godfather of soulless compassionate conservatism.

It's so clear to me now. Ford, called healer of the nation was the poster child for compassionate conservatism.

Yet, as Timothy Noah explains in Why Pardoning Nixon Was Wrong, Ford's blanket pardon of Nixon opened the doors for not only a "teflon president" with Ronald Reagan; but it created the unaccountable monster that is George W. Bush.

Gerald Ford should go down in history as the godfather of the GOP's soulless compassionate conservatism and neo-con corruption.