Shelving Durbin For Bolton
After hearing what I heard this morning over the radio, I’ve given up any hope of Durbin being held accountable for his blatant, foolishly idiotic remarks. He’ll be at a DNC fundraiser tomorrow with Howard Dean. The democrats are giving him a 100% pass. Wonderful. I hope everyone pays attention to this, as it is more than obvious that the Democrats are nothing more than a party of "rebels without a clue". So, for the time being, I’m shelving Durbin. If Marcie gets something new on him, she can keep jumping on him, but I’d like to focus on John Bolton.
Another vote is slated to go down tomorrow in the Senate. The AP Wires had this waiting for me this morning.
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is keeping open the possibility that President Bush will bypass the Senate to get John R. Bolton installed as U.N. ambassador temporarily if Democrats persist in holding up a confirmation vote.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan did not rule out that Bush would consider a recess appointment if the Senate does not approve Bolton's nomination. He blamed the Democrats for "obstructing progress" by stalling a vote on Bolton.
"We continue to urge the Senate to let him have an up or down vote on the floor," McClellan said Monday. "It's unfortunate that the democratic leadership continues to block his nomination, particularly when he has majority support. It is critical that we get him in place."
Rice, on a trip to the Middle East and Europe, commented in a round of television interviews Sunday as Democrats defended their attempt to block a vote on Bolton's nomination. They said the administration's refusal to turn over information they seek is delaying an up-or-down decision.
To determine whether Bolton improperly used intelligence to intimidate officials who didn't agree with his views, Democrats say they want to check a list of 36 U.S. officials against names — initially blacked out — that Bolton requested and received from national security intercepts he reviewed. They rejected a list of seven names offered last week by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Roberts and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., the lead Democrat on the committee, previously were briefed on the intercept issue and said there was no indication Bolton acted improperly.
Democrats also want documents related to the preparation of testimony that Bolton, as the State Department's arms control chief, planned to give in the House in July 2003 about Syria's weapons capability. They want to know if Bolton misled the Senate during his confirmation hearings when he said he was not involved in the preparation of that testimony.
Rice, in Jerusalem, said Roberts "has already spoken to the issue of the nature of those inquiries."
Asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether Bush would consider a recess appointment of Bolton — a temporary placement that does not require Senate approval — Rice said: "We'll see what happens this week."
The Senate plans to take a July Fourth recess in two weeks. Under the Constitution, a president can make an appointment during a Senate recess without the chamber's approval of the nominee. That appointment lasts only through the next one-year session of Congress — which in this case would mean until January 2007.
It was unclear whether Rice's statement was an indication that the administration would seriously consider a recess appointment for Bolton or whether it was meant to increase leverage for White House bargaining with Senate Democrats.
"What we need to do is we need to get an up-or-down vote on John Bolton," Rice said on ABC's "This Week." "Let's find out whether, in fact, the Senate — in its whole, in its entirety — intends and wants to confirm him. That's all that we're asking."
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., predicted that Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., would fail in an effort late Monday to end the filibuster. He said Democrats are standing for principle by delaying the vote until the administration provides what they seek.
"Once we get it, we can have an up-and-down vote immediately," Biden said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "We're not going to let the administration tell us we're not entitled to exercise our oversight responsibility. If we give up on this, we might as well forget about oversight."
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., told ABC that a recess appointment would send to theUnited Nations an ambassador "who lacks the confidence of the United States Senate." That, he said, would "cripple" Bolton as he goes to the world body and damage his standing with the Senate.
If I may offer a bit of wisdom for the GOP in the Senate? There’s no need to rely on the president to recess appoint Bolton. He shouldn’t have to. (And it’s going to irritate me to no end if the president is forced to) Frist has one option left if he can’t obtain cloture. It’s the same choice he had a few weeks ago before members of his own party sold the party down the river.
It’s the Constitutional Option.
The deal struck by seven Republicans and seven Democrats focused solely on the judicial nominees. They mentioned nothing of Bolton. It was also stipulated in the deal that the Con Option was off the table for judges. It wasn’t off the table for ALL nominees. Just judges. So, if Frist can locate his spine tomorrow, and the cloture fails again, he should activate the Option. Believe me, he will lose the cloture vote. The vote last week only netted him 57 votes. He needs 60. But 57 will pass Bolton in a straight up-or-down vote.
And if the Option is used, and the motion is appealed to the chair, the chair will recognize that the filibuster of John Bolton is unconstitutional, and an up-or-down vote will be called for. And, Sen. Dodd, Bolton does have the confidence of the US senate. He has it with a count of 57 votes. That’s a majority, and that’s enough to pass him onto the UN. (He should be called Christopher "Dolt" because that’s really what he is.)
It aggravates me to see this sort of behavior coming from the Senate. Partisanship had it’s place throughout this nation’s long and storied history, but I can’t seem to recall a single time in history where one party or another has engaged in obstructionism to this magnitude. It’s getting to the point that if a GOP senator has to use the bathroom, the Democrats might filibuster his motion. How truly pathetic can a party get?
But that applies to the GOP even more. For forty-plus years, the GOP controlled nothing in Congress. Now they do, and they don’t know what to do with it. They have the House (which is run brilliantly by Dennis Hastert) and the Senate (Not being run too well by Bill Frist) and the White House (Being run by someone who throws the Left into a tizzy every time he speaks). They talk tough to the cameras, and at campaign stops, and fundraisers, but they can’t seem to muster up the courage of their convictions when it really counts.
This is Frist’s opportunity to do something right, and show the country why he is the Majority Leader. The Constitutional Option should be executed on John Bolton. We need him in the UN now—more than ever. The Democrats can fuss and fiddle around over these classified documents they keep screaming for, but they’re not coming. The White House isn’t budging. And neither should Frist. If Frist blows this one, and the White House is forced recess appoint Bolton, someone should pull Frist aside and educate him on the legacy of LBJ.
I disliked LBJ as a president, but—like many other people—I respect his work in the Senate. If something had to be done in the Senate when LBJ was there, you had to go through him. You want something done? He wanted something in return. Someone step out of line, he’d snap them back in line so hard, that they’d have whiplash. That is what is needed out of Frist; not a dictator, but someone who runs the show, and everyone knows it. If Frist lacks this ability, then the GOP had better find a replacement. We have a long fight ahead, and it’s going to really heat up in about a week or so when Rehnquist steps down.
Publius II
UPDATE: The Bolton vote has been moved up to tonight. It is slated to begin at 5 p.m. EST.
After hearing what I heard this morning over the radio, I’ve given up any hope of Durbin being held accountable for his blatant, foolishly idiotic remarks. He’ll be at a DNC fundraiser tomorrow with Howard Dean. The democrats are giving him a 100% pass. Wonderful. I hope everyone pays attention to this, as it is more than obvious that the Democrats are nothing more than a party of "rebels without a clue". So, for the time being, I’m shelving Durbin. If Marcie gets something new on him, she can keep jumping on him, but I’d like to focus on John Bolton.
Another vote is slated to go down tomorrow in the Senate. The AP Wires had this waiting for me this morning.
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is keeping open the possibility that President Bush will bypass the Senate to get John R. Bolton installed as U.N. ambassador temporarily if Democrats persist in holding up a confirmation vote.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan did not rule out that Bush would consider a recess appointment if the Senate does not approve Bolton's nomination. He blamed the Democrats for "obstructing progress" by stalling a vote on Bolton.
"We continue to urge the Senate to let him have an up or down vote on the floor," McClellan said Monday. "It's unfortunate that the democratic leadership continues to block his nomination, particularly when he has majority support. It is critical that we get him in place."
Rice, on a trip to the Middle East and Europe, commented in a round of television interviews Sunday as Democrats defended their attempt to block a vote on Bolton's nomination. They said the administration's refusal to turn over information they seek is delaying an up-or-down decision.
To determine whether Bolton improperly used intelligence to intimidate officials who didn't agree with his views, Democrats say they want to check a list of 36 U.S. officials against names — initially blacked out — that Bolton requested and received from national security intercepts he reviewed. They rejected a list of seven names offered last week by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Roberts and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., the lead Democrat on the committee, previously were briefed on the intercept issue and said there was no indication Bolton acted improperly.
Democrats also want documents related to the preparation of testimony that Bolton, as the State Department's arms control chief, planned to give in the House in July 2003 about Syria's weapons capability. They want to know if Bolton misled the Senate during his confirmation hearings when he said he was not involved in the preparation of that testimony.
Rice, in Jerusalem, said Roberts "has already spoken to the issue of the nature of those inquiries."
Asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether Bush would consider a recess appointment of Bolton — a temporary placement that does not require Senate approval — Rice said: "We'll see what happens this week."
The Senate plans to take a July Fourth recess in two weeks. Under the Constitution, a president can make an appointment during a Senate recess without the chamber's approval of the nominee. That appointment lasts only through the next one-year session of Congress — which in this case would mean until January 2007.
It was unclear whether Rice's statement was an indication that the administration would seriously consider a recess appointment for Bolton or whether it was meant to increase leverage for White House bargaining with Senate Democrats.
"What we need to do is we need to get an up-or-down vote on John Bolton," Rice said on ABC's "This Week." "Let's find out whether, in fact, the Senate — in its whole, in its entirety — intends and wants to confirm him. That's all that we're asking."
Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., predicted that Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., would fail in an effort late Monday to end the filibuster. He said Democrats are standing for principle by delaying the vote until the administration provides what they seek.
"Once we get it, we can have an up-and-down vote immediately," Biden said on CBS' "Face the Nation." "We're not going to let the administration tell us we're not entitled to exercise our oversight responsibility. If we give up on this, we might as well forget about oversight."
Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., told ABC that a recess appointment would send to theUnited Nations an ambassador "who lacks the confidence of the United States Senate." That, he said, would "cripple" Bolton as he goes to the world body and damage his standing with the Senate.
If I may offer a bit of wisdom for the GOP in the Senate? There’s no need to rely on the president to recess appoint Bolton. He shouldn’t have to. (And it’s going to irritate me to no end if the president is forced to) Frist has one option left if he can’t obtain cloture. It’s the same choice he had a few weeks ago before members of his own party sold the party down the river.
It’s the Constitutional Option.
The deal struck by seven Republicans and seven Democrats focused solely on the judicial nominees. They mentioned nothing of Bolton. It was also stipulated in the deal that the Con Option was off the table for judges. It wasn’t off the table for ALL nominees. Just judges. So, if Frist can locate his spine tomorrow, and the cloture fails again, he should activate the Option. Believe me, he will lose the cloture vote. The vote last week only netted him 57 votes. He needs 60. But 57 will pass Bolton in a straight up-or-down vote.
And if the Option is used, and the motion is appealed to the chair, the chair will recognize that the filibuster of John Bolton is unconstitutional, and an up-or-down vote will be called for. And, Sen. Dodd, Bolton does have the confidence of the US senate. He has it with a count of 57 votes. That’s a majority, and that’s enough to pass him onto the UN. (He should be called Christopher "Dolt" because that’s really what he is.)
It aggravates me to see this sort of behavior coming from the Senate. Partisanship had it’s place throughout this nation’s long and storied history, but I can’t seem to recall a single time in history where one party or another has engaged in obstructionism to this magnitude. It’s getting to the point that if a GOP senator has to use the bathroom, the Democrats might filibuster his motion. How truly pathetic can a party get?
But that applies to the GOP even more. For forty-plus years, the GOP controlled nothing in Congress. Now they do, and they don’t know what to do with it. They have the House (which is run brilliantly by Dennis Hastert) and the Senate (Not being run too well by Bill Frist) and the White House (Being run by someone who throws the Left into a tizzy every time he speaks). They talk tough to the cameras, and at campaign stops, and fundraisers, but they can’t seem to muster up the courage of their convictions when it really counts.
This is Frist’s opportunity to do something right, and show the country why he is the Majority Leader. The Constitutional Option should be executed on John Bolton. We need him in the UN now—more than ever. The Democrats can fuss and fiddle around over these classified documents they keep screaming for, but they’re not coming. The White House isn’t budging. And neither should Frist. If Frist blows this one, and the White House is forced recess appoint Bolton, someone should pull Frist aside and educate him on the legacy of LBJ.
I disliked LBJ as a president, but—like many other people—I respect his work in the Senate. If something had to be done in the Senate when LBJ was there, you had to go through him. You want something done? He wanted something in return. Someone step out of line, he’d snap them back in line so hard, that they’d have whiplash. That is what is needed out of Frist; not a dictator, but someone who runs the show, and everyone knows it. If Frist lacks this ability, then the GOP had better find a replacement. We have a long fight ahead, and it’s going to really heat up in about a week or so when Rehnquist steps down.
Publius II
UPDATE: The Bolton vote has been moved up to tonight. It is slated to begin at 5 p.m. EST.
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 11:12 AM
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