David Thomas: “Had the administration done its job, Congressman Peterson would have been spared the surprise and awkwardness of having…”

“Had the administration done its job, Congressman Peterson would have been spared the surprise and awkwardness of having his hearing postponed for several months. It is unfortunate that he has become a victim of this administration's unfortunate tendency to be reactive, rather than proactive, in its foreign policy decisions. In some other circumstances, Mr. President, I might worry about a delay in sending an ambassador to a particular country and the effect such a delay might have on our foreign policy. Since May the State Department has been strongly urging the Senate to take up the Peterson nomination at the earliest possible date because "it is vital to U.S. interests that we have an Ambassador in place there." With that sense of urgency, the Department was continually requesting that the nomination be placed on a fast track. That sense of urgency is unabated, but the White House has terminally undercut its own argument by stating that even if the Senate gave its advice and consent in this session to avoid a constitutional problem it would not officially commission and send him to Hanoi until after the expiration of his present term--in other words not until next January--to avoid constitutional complications. It seems to make little sense to hold a hearing now on a nominee who all sides agree is constitutionally barred from taking office until the next Congress convenes.”