Max Baucus proves, yet again, that he's a major obstacle to any improvement in our nation's health care system. Now he's throwing a hissy fit over Obama's recess appointment of Donald Berwick.
"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," Baucus said in a statement.
Berwick had not been vetted by the Finance panel, nor had Baucus scheduled a hearing to examine the nominee.
Baucus obviously takes the "essential process" of Senate confirmation so seriously that he couldn't be bothered in all this time to take on the Republican detractors of this nomination by pushing it through. Maybe he was waiting for Olympia Snowe's blessing. He might as well be Mitch McConnell, who said: “As if shoving a trillion-dollar government takeover of healthcare down the throat of a disapproving American public wasn't enough, apparently the Obama administration intends to arrogantly circumvent the American people yet again by recess-appointing one of the most prominent advocates of rationed healthcare to implement their national plan."
And for good measure, McConnell hits the Dems for not even bothering to schedule the hearings for Berwick, which led to this recess appointment. Gee, thanks, Max. You've been ever so helpful on this, per usual.