As reported by the Washington Post:
President Bush named Republican fundraiser Sam Fox as U.S. ambassador to Belgium on Wednesday, using a maneuver that allowed him to bypass Congress, where Democrats had derailed Fox’s nomination.[.]
Recognizing Fox did not have the votes to obtain Senate confirmation in the Foreign Relations Committee, Bush withdrew the nomination last week. On Wednesday, with the Senate on a one-week break, the president used his power to make recess appointments to put Fox in the job without Senate confirmation.
This means Fox can remain ambassador until the end of the next session of Congress, effectively through the end of the Bush presidency.
Fox, of course, drew fire for being a contributor to the Swift Boat Veterans for “Truth”, the group whose campaign ads against Kerry in the ‘04 elections had a few of us wondering if federal campaign laws ought to include a requirement for non-deceptiveness.