The Bush Administration made 17 recess appointments this week. Recess appointments?? You know those appointments that are made because they were not able to go through congress (these last for only a year). Well these guys are the bureaucrats that influence policy and often end up being those who are directly involved in carrying the programs out.

Here are a few of them...

Floyd Hall: Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board.
Has no political experience but was the CEO of KMart (didn't that company almost go belly up before SEARS bought it out)

Enrique J. Sosa: Member of the AMTRAK Reform Board.
Another person without political experience but was an Exec at BP (one of the top four energy businesses in the world. Oh and for those of you don't remember BP owns AMOCO which was Standard Oil which in the early part of the last century bought out many of the light rail companies in the US... circle of life!!)

Gordon England: Deputy Secretary of Defense.
Secretary of the Navy is possibly best known for the fact that he has held that position while still holding his options with the contractors he has been working with.

Benjamin A. Powell: General Counsel of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
This guy was held up in the Senate because the White House refused to present his notes on "war of terror" detainees. At least he has some sort of political experience but this torture and rendition supporter is now going to work for John Negroponte (cough* death squads in Honduras *cough) in the Intelligence Dept.

Ronald E. Meisburg: General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board.
Has been on this board before and has some political experience, but was also the President of the Energy and Mineral Law Foundation (energy lobbiets) and on the US Council for International Business. Sounds like this guy really has labor in his heart. (woof)

Julie L. Myers: Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement)
She has no imigration experience but is former Joint Chief of Staff Richard Myers niece. And Michael Chertof's secratary's wife.

Tracy A. Henke: Executive Director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness at the Department of Homeland Security.
Federal government did a report on racial profiling in the US through the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Henke ended up changing the stats when she worked for that department. This caused a problem with the deputy who worked on the report and Henke eventually scrapped the project altogether instead of letting it go through. The deputy was fired and now she got promoted. She also helped right sections of the Patriot Act.

Arthur F. Rosenfeld: Federal Mediation and Conciliation Director at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Worked in the National Labor Relations Board and helped make it harder to unionize in the States. He also took things a step further by making it almost impossible for new NLRB staff to unionize. Really dedicated man when it comes to mediation. Its his way or the highway.

Ellen R. Sauerbrey: Assistant Secretary of State (Population, Refugees, and Migration).
Was in the Maryland house for 12 years before she lost two campaigns for Governor. She was also Bush-Cheney campaign co-chair and is now going to run a $1 Billion department despite the protests of non-profit groups about her lack of experience in foreign affairs.

Dorrance Smith: Assistant Secretary of Defense .
Said once that the US Media that does not support the Bush Administration should be called terrorists. Smith should be in Homeland Security instead.

Robert D. Lenhard: Member of the Federal Election Commission.
Argued against the McCain - Feingold Act on Campaing Finance Reform.

Hans Von Spakovsk: Member of the Federal Election Commission.
Counciled the Administration as they rejected the Election Commisions report calling Texas Redistricting and Georgia Voter ID cards were unconstitional. So hey why not put him on that board right!!

Man I wish I got in on the last campaign run, I could be working in Washington right now too!