Silberman for AG?

You wanted Gonzales out, this is the consequence. A recess appointment might be nice, but it's really the coward's way out... and not particularly in keeping with our constitutional traditions. Constitutional, yes, but not really in accordance with the traditions of these institutions of government. There would be a political cost to a recess appointment, as well, if the Dems aren't shown to be stonewalling first. Worse, the Democrats might well retaliate by further delaying judicial appointments, and I'd much rather have a circus hearing for AG confirmation than damage what lingering ability the administration and the Senate GOP have to push the judges through.

The DOJ needs some attention and some light. The Dems certainly won't shine any rational light on it during the confirmation process, but Congressional investigations rarely do that, and still manage to occasionally change behavior for the better. As we've all agreed, Gonzales was a bad AG, and the DOJ suffered under his tenure. It could use some fixing. A recess appointee will have very little stature to do that.

That's why a Silberman or some equally old, sage, "elder statesman" is what's needed. With no personal skeletons and respect on the Hill, the confirmation hearings won't be too brutal.

With a recess appointment, though, Congressional Dems will again scream cover-up, and they'll have more ammunition to justify their on-going, perpetual attacks on the Department. If they approve somebody, however, the Administration can say: "hey, give AG Silberman (or whoever) a break, he's straightening things out, give him some breathing room, don't bury him in subpoenas over things his predecessor did or didn't do."