The continuing public debate over the constitutionality and propriety of President Obama's recess appointments last week is something that I think is quite healthy for a democracy. One of the few things we can say for certain about the issue is that the Constitution is vague on the matter, and therefore open to a variety of interpretations that are equally plausible. Don't listen to anyone to tries to convince you that this is a settled matter with a definitive answer. It's not. Ditto for anyone who tries to tell you that it's a prospectively easy court opinion to write; my inclination (against my normative wishes) is that the Obama recess appointments are constitutional, by one logic or another. But I think it's far from an open-and-shut case, and I can easily imagine an opinion to the contrary.
Recess appointments: watch what you cite...
Recess appointments: watch what you cite...
Recess appointments: watch what you cite...
The continuing public debate over the constitutionality and propriety of President Obama's recess appointments last week is something that I think is quite healthy for a democracy. One of the few things we can say for certain about the issue is that the Constitution is vague on the matter, and therefore open to a variety of interpretations that are equally plausible. Don't listen to anyone to tries to convince you that this is a settled matter with a definitive answer. It's not. Ditto for anyone who tries to tell you that it's a prospectively easy court opinion to write; my inclination (against my normative wishes) is that the Obama recess appointments are constitutional, by one logic or another. But I think it's far from an open-and-shut case, and I can easily imagine an opinion to the contrary.