Posted on 05/28/2005 12:01:20 PM PDT by concentric circles
The Bush administration said yesterday that Democratic senators should not expect to get the documents they are seeking before they will allow an up-or-down vote on John R. Bolton...
"They have what they need," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "The Democratic and Republican leaders of the Intelligence Committee have had access to this sensitive, highly classified information. The Democrats clamoring for it have already voted against the nomination. This is about partisan politics."
...The documents sought by Democratic Sens. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut are e-mail messages and other background material for congressional testimony Mr. Bolton was to give in 2003 about Syria's weapons programs and 10 foreign communications intercepts the nominee requested in his current role as undersecretary of state for arms control and international security...
... Republicans said the requests for information are just a delay tactic.
The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee have seen redacted versions of the intercepts, and concluded nothing could be learned from allowing Mr. Biden to see censored versions.
Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas Republican and the committee chairman, went further, saying that releasing the intercepts to anyone else would set a bad precedent for compromising some of the most sensitive intelligence...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
This is crapola, you have this guy's whole career and everything he's ever said and done to decide whether to vote him in as UN ambassador, why focus on some email messages?
Is this the Thune that replaced Tommy Daschle?
I thought he was supposed to be on our side?
Don't know about the votes. Since they only need 50 votes plus Cheney to confirm, they can afford to lose 5 wayward Republicans.
From the linked story: "The U.N. ambassador's position has not traditionally been a big point of contention. Roll-call votes have been required on only one out of every four nominees to the position. The most negative votes anyone has received were cast against Richard Holbrooke, President Clinton's third ambassador. He was confirmed 81-16."
I cant quite make that out
The democrat party is the sworn enemy, a "clear and present danger," to the United States.
There is a reason sensitive information isn't handed out like candy. The rank and file senators don't have a "need to know" what is in those documents. They want access so that they can publicize highly classified information and lie about the contents to sink the Bolton nomination.
agreed
If I recall correctly, Biden has had previous episodes of difficulty keeping the lid on classified information.
"Is this the Thune that replaced Tommy Daschle?"
At least he's publicly threatening (in NY Times) to vote against Bolton. Thune is upset about the closing of Ellsworth Air Force base, 2nd largest employer in South Dakota. Thune campaigned on the notion that as a Republican, he could better protect the base than Daschle. The Dems have been running ads pointing out that NV and TN gained jobs in the base realignment, and that Daschle would have had a seat on the commission.
Basically, Thune's embarrassed and angry, and using Bolton as retribution.
Because they suspect that the NSA just might have "heard" their own conversations that could prove embarassing or even treasoness.
Perhaps Senator McCain can broker a deal such as this: Bolton gets no up or down vote, Frist does nothing about it.
Meanwhile, George Bush plays 'Waldo'.
I think they should close Luke AFB as a reward to McCain.
I'd say the odds are excellent for that.
Bidena dns Reid are both guitly of that. They think they are fooling people, but people who pay attention know this isn't about information, its about obstruction.
They were, are, and will always be steaming, stinking POS'
That would take the heat off the Senate regarding the matter of voting presidential nominations up-or-down. Better to keep the heat on the Senate. The UN can wait.
But Feinstein said Wednesday afternoon she had already decided to vote "no" on the nomination.So, you see no need to get more information on Bolton, I asked Sen. Feinstein, you already have enough reason to vote "no" on the nomination?
"That's right," she said.
Sometime in the next 24 hours, Feinstein changed her mind. She voted against cloture, one of the surprises that bushwhacked Frist on the Senate floor.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8006390/
Excellent !!!!
And there's McCainiac out front, leading the charge for the documents.
Some say McCain is a RINO. I disagree. He's a DIABN (Democrat in all but name).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.