Is Congress Necessary?

More and more, the Bush Administration seems to be answering this question with a no. We've already seen the President's willingness to go around both the law and Congressional oversight in the NSA domestic spying situation, and in signing the McCain torture amendment (you remember the one--it said the U.S. wouldn't torture its prisoners), Bush issued a "signing statement" essentially claiming he could ignore the torture ban whenever he thought he needed to (Charlie Savage explains in The Boston Globe). Yesterday he sidestepped the Senate's responsibility for advice and consent when he "recess appointed" (according to the White House, it's a verb now) seventeen officials who normally would have gone through the Senate for hearings and approval. Kos and Aravosis call it Bush "dissolving Congress." Even Stepford Republican Michelle Malkin is up in arms over the cronyism involved in the appointment of Julie Myers:

Oh, give me a ^*&%$# break and a half! This nomination is a monumental political and policy blunder in the wake of the Michael Brown/FEMA fiasco. And I can tell you that contrary to the Miss Mary Sunshine White House spokeswoman's comments, rank-and-file DHS employees and immigration enforcement officials are absolutely livid about Myers' nomination.

(A big hat tip to thirdparty at Daily Kos, because I don't have the patience to troll through Malkin's bilge myself.)