Poisoned finger

On Sunday, one Republican leader suggested President Clinton name Bill Lann Lee acting assistant attorney general for civil rights, saying the temporary connotation of that job title wouldn’t be as much a “finger in the eye of the Senate” as a full-fledged recess appointment.

On Monday, President Clinton took that advice and immediately was savaged by another Republican leader for “poisoning the water” on other matters requiring concurrence between the Senate and the White House.

In the midst of it all, President Clinton announced that his 1998 agenda will be topped by an intiative to improve the nation’s child care.

What a coincidence.

The Republican tantrum over Lee’s appointment has been puerile from the start. Imagine — a minority-American in charge of the office that looks out for the civil rights of all Americans, a job that just cries out for a white, male millionaire. Besides, there must be something wrong if the president likes him. And anyway, you Democrats trashed Bork. Gotcha last.

So now, according to Sens. Arlen Specter and Orrin Hatch, Lee, in addition to being of Asian descent and having once worked for (gasp) the NAACP, is either a poisoner or an eye-poker, he either has Borgia blood coursing through his veins or can trace his roots back to the Three Stooges.

To the typical American, regardless of hyphen, the method by which Lee fills this vacant post is irrelevant. In the acting capacity, he can serve untouched for 120 days, although, in practical terms, for far longer, perhaps indefinitely. As a recess appointment, he can work until January 1999 without Senate confirmation.

But this is a big deal to Hatch, who, when Republicans held the White House, always said a president should be able to appoint qualified persons unhindered. Apparently, he changed his mind back around Election Day 1992. Today, while most Americans — regardless of race, religion, national origin or gender — want some assurance of equality under the law, the pride of Utah frets most about whether the Senate is taking a digit to the ocular unit.

Then there’s Specter — no fret, just threat. If Lee draws one federal paycheck, this Pennsylvanian says he’ll see to it that the president gets no cooperation whatsoever on any other item of the nation’s business. The Senate will take its ball and go home.

Of course, the entire hissy fit would have been prevented had the Senate simply given Lee a confirmation hearing. Senators could have asked Lee direct questions and gotten straight answers. Then, all this kicking, screaming and pouting wouldn’t be happening. Of course, then the need for better child care never would have crossed the president’s mind.