Jim Webb was the only senator who had to go to work yesterday, being a junior member and convienently located in Northern Virginia. He opened the Senate for a full 30 seconds on Tuesday, as part of Harry Reid's plan to keep the president from making appointments while the Senate is on recess. As long as the Senate technically meets again after three days off, it is not in recess. That means the Senate will next need to "reconvene" on Friday, when Byron Dorgan of Nebraska is scheduled to preside over another 30-second session. Jack Reed of Rhode Island takes over next week.
Most notably, this would foul up any plans President Bush might have had to appoint his controversial Surgeon General nominee, Dr. James Holsinger. Many on the left consider Holsinger a preposterous choice for Surgeon General, given his tendency to weave his religious beliefs into his medical work, especially with regard to homosexuality. Now that he can't sneak into the post while the Senate is in recess, it looks like Holsinger is going to have to face the music and answer the questions of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, if he wants his nomination to get anywhere.
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