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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jlallen who wrote (8332)	12/7/2001 8:54:55 AM
From: jttmab	Respond to of 93284

The Washington Post seems to have printed a story that reports both sides. Sounds a bit different than your story. You seem to want to throw the race card into it as well. Bush Swears In Disputed Choice For Rights Panel By Hanna Rosin Washington Post Staff Writer Friday, December 7, 2001; Page A39 White House officials provoked a confrontation with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights by suddenly swearing in President Bush's new appointee late last night over adamant objections from the commission's chairwoman. The White House this week announced the appointment of Peter N. Kirsanow, a Cleveland labor lawyer and chairman of the Center for New Black Leadership. But commissioner Mary Frances Berry disputed there was any vacancy to fill and said she would sue the White House next week if the president insisted on swearing in Kirsanow. Berry said the White House was misinterpreting a statute to force in Kirsanow, in retaliation for the panel's investigation of voting irregularities in Florida during the 2000 presidential election. But White House officials said they were surprised by her objections and are following the law. "The American people have put Florida behind them and this is about moving forward," said one White House official. The civil rights commission issued a report this fall concluding that minority rights had been violated in Florida in last year's election, and intends to question Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), the president's brother, next year, said Berry. "This is an attempt to muddle the commission's work in reaction to the work we've done in Florida, and the work we intend to do," Berry said. "They feel if they can rip off a seat they can muzzle us." Both sides maintain the law is clearly on their side. Kirsanow would replace Victoria Wilson, a vice president at Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., who was appointed in January 2000 to replace former federal judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., who died in 1998. She is listed as an independent but often sides with Berry. A 1994 law reestablishing the commission omitted a directive that appointees who fill vacancies will serve out the remainder of a term, and just said generally that all commissioners will serve six years. But Wilson's certificate of appointment from former President Bill Clinton says her term ends Nov. 29, 2001. Her attorney, Leon Friedman, said this was a "clerical error." The White House counsel's office and an attorney for Kirsanow responded that the 1994 law intended to preserve the same structure of the commission, with staggered six-year terms for every seat. Otherwise, a president could reappoint his people just before leaving office. Most current commission members have sided with Berry. One exception is Abigail Thernstrom, a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute and the only one of eight members who lists herself as Republican. "I think it's in the interest of the chairperson to allow this to be a truly bipartisan commission," said Thernstrom. Right now, two are Democrats and the other five list themselves as independent. "Most people regard the commission as partisan hacks," said Thernstrom, who described commission meetings as similar to meetings that activist Al Sharpton runs. "The chairperson is afraid of dissent." Wilson and Kirsanow plan to show up at the meeting Saturday, which will be at the commission's offices in downtown Washington. © 2001 The Washington Post Company