Bush fills five government positions, bypassing Senate

Associated Press WriterCRAWFORD, Texas AP) -- President Bush bypassed Senate confirmation procedures Friday and filled five government positions, putting the Republican National Committee's top lawyer on the Federal Election Commission.

The other appointments were to the Transportation and Education departments and to an international commission.

Michael E. Toner, RNC chief counsel, was the Bush campaign's general counsel and an attorney for former GOP Sen. Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. At the FEC he succeeds fellow Republican Darryl Wold, whose term expired last April.

The six-member FEC enforces federal campaign finance laws. It includes three commissioners each from the Republican and Democratic parties, serving six-year terms.

Bush nominated Toner in November; four months later, the Senate has not approved the appointment.

Traditionally, new Democratic and Republican commissioners are named to the FEC at the same time. Bush asked Democratic commissioner Karl Sandstrom to remain on the panel, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

A president can bypass the Senate approval process on many positions by making temporary appointments while the Senate is in recess, as it is now for spring break. Toner will serve until the new Congress is seated in January.

Bush has expressed annoyance with the Senate for bottling up his nominees, and installed several others earlier this year during a congressional recess.

Friday, he also named Dennis L. Schornack the commissioner and chairman of the International Joint Commission for the United States and Canada.

Bush named Emil H. Frankel assistant secretary of transportation for transportation policy, and Jeffrey Shane associate deputy secretary of transportation. He also made Gerald Reynolds assistant secretary of education for civil rights.

"All these individuals are highly qualified for the positions to which they have been nominated," Johndroe said. Each was nominated "to fill a critical position in the administration that can no longer go unoccupied," he said.

"The American people deserve to have the full strength of the federal government working for them," he said.

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On the Net:FEC: http://www.fec.gov