Coasting

Al Kamen says the Obama administration's pace of appointments has slowed considerably, putting the president behind his predecessor both in folks tapped for top jobs and people confirmed. There's no question that both the young administration and the Senate are busy these days, and I can understand how dealing with an appointment might seem like less of a priority than major legislation. But appointments are the priorities that make other priorities possible, they are a necessary, underlying condition. And the administration and Senate will let that issue coast at the peril of their policy priorities.