President Bush's Whitehouse announced several recess appointments over the weekend including Jonathan Dudas to be undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Dudas had already been nominated to the position, but the confirmation has been delayed in the senate.
What is a Recess Appointment?
Under Article II of the Constitution, the President has the "Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the end of their next Session." Essentially, any fight over Senate confirmation is pushed to the next session of Congress.
The delay in Dudas' appointment appears to be purely political and not related to his qualifications or background.
Link: Biography of Jon Dudas.