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Machiavellian on 15 November 2018
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pokoko said:
NightlyPoe said:

This seems to be a case of it only being unconstitutional or even controversial because Trump did it.  There are a ton of examples of presidents making appointments like Whitaker's going back to the beginning of the republic.  Well over a hundred by some estimates I've seen.

I'm open to the suggestion that presidents can abuse this power, (Clinton did and Congress passed a law setting limits) or even that it's been unconstitutional for the past 230 years and we're only just now realizing now that it's been bad.  But it's hard to escape the notion that the sudden panic over the Constitution being trampled by temporary appointments is simply because of the man making the appointment in a manner that virtually all his predecessors also followed at one point or another.

It's controversial because it's attached to something that is already a controversy.  Most politicians are careful not to make more waves around a controversial issue but Trump has never cared about that.  A referee in a football game makes a disputed call in the middle of the game that doesn't seem to have an effect on the score and no one really cares.  They make that same call on a play that determines who wins the game or not and it becomes a controversy.  Context and timing are the difference.

I like your answer better than mine and you are on point. 

On a funny note Trump did it again where he basically stated Whitaker appointment was due to the Russian probe.  You would think the man would have learned his lesson the last time which started this whole mess for him but stupidity knows no bounds for this man.

Just like before, when he stated that the Russian Probe was on his mind when he fired Comey, Trump basically admitted that he hired Whitaker because of his views on the Mueller.  Even if Whitaker was going to do exactly has the President wants, Trump just threw a bone to the Dems and anyone who wants Mueller to continue what he is doing.  This is not the first time Trump words have come up in court cases overturning directives he has done.  I wonder if this one will come back to bite him just like the others.