Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers,
"The Appointing Power of the President," No. 76 To what purpose
then require the co-operation of the Senate? I answer, that the necessity of
their concurrence would have a powerful, though, in general, a silent operation.
It would be an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the President, and
would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters from State
prejudice, from family connection, from personal attachment, or from a view to
popularity. . . . He would be both ashamed and afraid to bring forward, for the
most distinguished or lucrative stations, candidates who had no other merit than
that of coming from the same State to which he particularly belonged, or of
being in some way or other personally allied to him, or of possessing the
necessary insignificance and pliancy to render them the obsequious instruments
of his pleasure.
Let’s not forget that the Imperial Presidency we see today is not what the framers envisioned. So, Al and his pals would likely be quite shocked at today’s goings on.
This is not so much what we’ve seen in our lifetimes, but remember Congress is designed to be the superior body.
The Senate’s consent is required on major appointments
Congress can remove a President or a Supreme Court Justice, not vice versa
Congress controls the purse
Congress declares war
Congress over the years has allowed the Executive to act in ways not envisioned by the framers and Bush is just the best example of why that’s bad for America.
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