Bush May Recess Appoint Homophobic Surgeon General Nominee

Posted by Amanda Terkel at 11:00 AM on October 29, 2007.

Amanda Terkel: James Holsinger founded a church that "ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian."

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This post, written by Amanda Terkel, originally appeared on Think Progress

President Bush's Surgeon General nominee James Holsinger appeared before the Senate health committee on July 12, forced to defend his controversial positions on homosexuality. Yet three months later, Holsinger is "no closer to becoming the nation's next surgeon general."

ThinkProgress today spoke with a spokesperson for chairman Edward Kennedy (D-MA) who said the committee still has not received a response to a follow-up questionnaire it sent Holsinger three months ago:

We sent out the questions on 7/26 and requested that they be returned by COB on 8/10. We have not received the answers and there is no Committee action scheduled at this time.

Holsinger's lengthy delay indicates that Bush may be angling to recess appoint Holsinger. The Louisville Courier-Journal reports:

The committee must vote before the full Senate can consider the nomination, and senators are hoping to adjourn for the year by mid-November.

The delay leaves open the possibility that Holsinger will either have to wait until next year for a confirmation vote or get the job through a "recess appointment" by Bush. [...]

A recess appointment would allow Holsinger to serve as surgeon general until the end of the current Congress late next year.

Bush has been more than willing to use this executive power to avoid or delay battles over divisive nominees such as former U.N. ambassador John Bolton and Swift Boat-funder Sam Fox. In June, the Washington Post reported that Bush had filled 105 full-time positions with recess appointments, compared to just 42 such appointments under President Clinton at the same point in his presidency.

Holsinger has come under intense criticism for his long history of prejudice toward gays and lesbians. He founded a church that "ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian" and "opposed a decision to allow a practicing lesbian to be an associate pastor" in the United Methodist Church. In 1991, he also authored a graphic document arguing that gay sex is "intuitively" unnatural and can lead to "lacerations, perforations and deaths."

Tagged as: bush administration, homophobia, holsinger, surgeon general, recess appointment

Amanda Terkel is Deputy Research Director at the Center for American Progress and serves as Deputy Editor for The Progress Report and ThinkProgress.org at the Center for American Progress.

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buying a pig in a poke [Report this comment] Posted by: KaptainSpiffy on Oct 29, 2007 12:22 PM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." we've not been 'fooled' mr. 'president', just left dumbfounded . . . [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: buying a pig in a poke Posted by: AMERICAN VETERAN » RE: buying a pig in a poke Posted by: thekidde DOES BUSH KNOW ANY NORMAL PEOPLE ? [Report this comment] Posted by: VZEQICVA on Oct 29, 2007 2:27 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Everyone who gets appointed for anything just looks wierd. They have strange beliefs and a cult like way about them. The "Wanna be the new Attorney General" guy is a loser. Just another Bush worshipper who refuses to answer important questions. The Dems have got to start rejecting these people. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] He founded a church... [Report this comment] Posted by: Suz on Oct 29, 2007 6:33 PM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] ...that "ministers to people who no longer wish to be gay or lesbian"? Well, that answers that. He must be gay. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Gay and tolerance activists will "minister" to him 24/7 and that will be the end of his post [Report this comment] Posted by: xbj on Oct 30, 2007 5:15 AM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Even thought the entire point is to hire someone who WON'T do the job anyway, the MSM will make such a fuss on this one that he'll be harrassed right out of office within the first month. "For the times, they are a-changin'." [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Is anybody else [Report this comment] Posted by: walldodger1969 on Oct 30, 2007 4:44 AM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] REALLY REALLY tired of these clowns that are running & ruining our country. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: YES! Posted by: boydranchitos A real embarassment [Report this comment] Posted by: Rainbowharold on Oct 30, 2007 8:36 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Holzinger has already managed to screw up the United Methodist Church with his homophobic stuff, why shouldn't he work on destroying the country as well. Bush has no regard for the wishes of the people, just for forwarding his own political agenda, so why wouldn't he sneak in a jerk like Holzinger? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] A good choice for SG [Report this comment] Posted by: Staggo on Oct 30, 2007 9:51 AM Current rating: 5 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] There is little else this administration can currently do which will so benefit the LGBT community. Associating a lunatic with a cause with the Bush administration denigrates the sick cause. Though a hard-core group will praise the potential SG, most others will view his notions with the same disgust they view Bush. Sometimes, a bigot needs a pulpit in order to truly appear moronic. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Checks and Balances [Report this comment] Posted by: maxloen on Oct 30, 2007 12:18 PM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I hope Congress has learned at being Bushwhacked whenever they recess for some holiday. Just like firemen and Federated Stores employees have to work when everyone else his enjoying time with their loved ones, if they have the right, Congress should keep a few Congresspersons on duty so it's not officially 'out,' Then they could call others to fulfill their obligatory checks and balances, and of being a independent power separate from an Administration of incompetent opportunists. I'm sure quite a few Congress-people families' would gladly help preserve Democracy by shuttling to Washington to see how the Prez pardons yet another turkey. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] thekidde [Report this comment] Posted by: thekidde on Oct 30, 2007 12:41 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Geez, if I believed in the god bullshit, I would wish this clown struck down by a bolt of lightning. Unfortunately, the Christian bible would have all homosexuals stoned to death - go figure where that fits in with tolerance and taking care of everyone with love? Screw all these bible thumpers, we need to make their life on Earth hell since there isn't one elsewhere. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] As Usual Alternet Distorts the Facts [Report this comment] Posted by: rcase on Oct 30, 2007 5:08 PM Current rating: 4 [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] As usual Alternet by way of the Terkel article distorts the facts for its liberal agenda. Holsinger was a part of the Judicial Council that upheld church law in the case of the openly confessing practicing lesbian Beth Stroud. The church law says practicing homosexuals shall not be appointed to pastor a church. Stroud went public with her lesbian relationship. A church council pronouced her guilty. An appeals courts said she was not guilty because the church law was unclear (???). The Judicial Council said it was not unclear. Holsinger joined 6 other council members in making this decision. It was not a matter of whether one did or did not approve of lesbians serving as pastors. It was a matter of whether the law meant what it said. Holsinger did not found the church in question. He is a member of a church that believes change is possible for those who want it. Does this make him unfit for the job of Surgeon General? The paper Holsinger wrote about gay sex was written more than 15 years ago and in a church context. He has said his position is now different. Can we discuss this reasonably? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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