[D. Scarlatti]

I think you're being a little hard on the Democrats in this instance. Although the Constitution doesn't differentiate between the two, the Senate, in its advice and consent role, gives the president greater leeway in choosing his cabinet than in making life appointments to the federal court, for example.

Senator Feingold delivered an articulate statement of this principle during John Ashcroft's hearings in 2001. I don't think it's unreasonable to extend to the executive greater deference for its term appointments, as noxious as they may be, as opposed to its life appointments, and the Democrats have been digging in their heels on those.