Posted on 06/07/2005 5:14:35 PM PDT by hipaatwo
By Vicki Allen1 hour, 40 minutes ago
Senate Democrats back from a weeklong recess said on Tuesday they were holding firm against allowing a vote to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations until the Bush administration turns over more information on him.
"I think the support is just as strong as it was," Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate minority whip, said after a meeting of Democratic senators.
In the Senate's last act before leaving for its Memorial Day break, Democrats mustered enough support to block a final vote on Bolton, who they said tried to misuse U.S. intelligence and intimidated or tried to remove intelligence analysts who did not conform to his hard-line views.
Democrats demand the administration turn over more classified material on Bolton, but the White House has refused and accused Democrats of using partisan delaying tactics.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, said he expected to proceed with Bolton's nomination "very soon," but could not say "with certainty" when that would be. He has accused Democrats of using a procedural hurdle called a filibuster to block the confirmation vote.
"I would hope that the Bolton situation is not a standoff," said Senate Minority leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. "I hope the president recognizes that he has an obligation" to provide the material, he said.
Republicans who hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate, need to pick up two more Democrats to vote to end the debate on Bolton and go to the confirmation vote. A simple majority was needed to confirm him, which Republicans expected to get.
One of the Democrats the White House is trying to enlist, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, said he was sticking with his colleagues' demands for the information.
"I remain undecided on how I would vote on the Bolton nomination itself but I do think this is a point of principle for the Senate and the public's right to know," he said.
Lieberman and Ben Nelson of Nebraska were the only Democrats considering supporting Bolton for confirmation. George Voinovich of Ohio and John Thune of South Dakota were the only Republicans who said they intended to vote against him.
Democrats insist the administration turn over e-mails and other internal communications leading up to testimony Bolton gave Congress on Syria's weapons. They also want some access to classified National Security Agency intercepts sought by Bolton that contain the names of Americans.
"This is now beyond Mr. Bolton. It's about whether the Senate should have a right to certain information pertaining to a nominee," said Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), a Connecticut Democrat.
Dodd offered a compromise in which the administration would confirm whether certain names were on the NSA intercepts Bolton asked to see. Democrats said they were trying to determine whether Bolton requested the classified intercepts to exact retribution on his opponents.
Dodd said the administration rejected the offer.
Nothing's changed!!!! The dems are pulling the same crappola they always do.
Nothing's changed!!! All that Mcidiot deal did was allow the dems to control the vote!!!
Nothings changed!!! Some repubs are still dumber than a bag full of doorknobs!
Nothing's changed!! And this isn't even a judge!
Fine. Let's have one last round of well-publicized 'rat and RINO horseplay to leave no doubt whatsoever which senators are or aren't fellating the U.N., then thank them for their time and recess appoint John Bolton with a smile.
I think Frist has the votes. He only needs two and the gang of 14 has heard the voters.
Uh, nothing has changed.
Heck, let's leave the seat open and make the 2006 elections all about the U.N.
I bet we win that one.
Force the weaklings (RINOs/CINOs) to stand on one side of the fence or the other heading towards the '06 elections. They know we'll remember and we'll smell the fear in DC in every weakling's home state.
That's completely false, as you and almost all here well know.
It only says appointments so I think yes.
ping me when the vote to change the cloture rules happens.
Anyone want to see a good example of how cowardly the 7 rinos were, and how terrible was the thing they did, go watch Braveheart where the King of England's representative comes out to offer William Wallace the terms of peace. The 7 rinos did the exact opposite of what the Wallace did. Imagine watching the movie and having him submit.
just the fact that the Dems would make this move on Bolton AGAIN, tells us how much fear they have of the Rs standing up to change the cloture rules. If the Dems really thought we could hold 51 votes to change the rules, would they be doing this?
Figures. And I got three new mailings asking for money from the GOP just today.
I'm going to have a lot of fun writing cuss words over their questionnaires and surveys, etc. and using their prepaid mail envelopes.
"Thune, and a big disappointment...."
Hopefully, he's not "deeply saddened..."
Who cares?
We are better off without having a person at the U.N.
We should just sit back and pretend the UN doesn't exist.
Holtz
JeffersonRepublic.com
Makes me even more mad at the Republicans.
I'm not sure that was possible.
we have apparently lost Thune on Bolton, that's going to change any math associated with getting to 50. its a shell game, any time this issue comes up, another member from our side "sneaks" in there and turns on us, preventing us from changing the rules. the same thing is going to happen with any controversial SCOTUS nominee - we'll think we have the votes, and them magically some "new RINO" will emerge against a particular candidate to scuttle them.
either they all stand together, or they hang separately.
Sheeeeeeesh already. REPUBLICANS MAKE ME SICK!!
LOL! Bolton should have been confirmed two weeks ago, now repubs are going to have to fight a USELESS battle that they NEVER should have ever had to fight, are you serious?
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