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.
Ditto. Though given Ginsburg's latest remarks she thinks the issue of abortion should have been left to the states, perhaps it should be amended to include a kennedy or an O'Connor.
If I am wrong about this, I know I will be corrected, but I believe that the BRAC commision was removed from influence, to the extent possible, of the parties some time ago, since it made it impossible to close anything. That would make Thune wrong to expect to be rewarded by leadership
Works for me -- every day that goes by is one more day that McCain looks like a chump which works for me. Spotlight is on McCain and his agreement on judicial nominations which most Americans thought extended to all nominees and as far as I am concerned let them think that. I can live with McCain with egg on his face.
As for Thune, he had better pick another item to throw a hissy fit because the DoD wants to close Ellsworth if he wants any further support.
You are absolutely correct on the BRAC -- it was removed from political influence as far as the final vote goes and Thune is dead wrong to use this Bolton nomination to make a statement IMO.
Just wait and see. I don't know if you'll ever celebrate, but Bush is going to get his nominees through.
Ginsburg said that? was she stoned at the time?
That's your problem, you do see where McPrick undermined Frist plan to give dems more TIME to fight.
The dems were never going to confirm Bolton anyway, BUT if Frist was able to use the CO 2 weeks ago we wouldn't even be having this discussion right now. The USELESS dem bashing of the adm for not releasing info, or some other RINO defecting would be an option!
The "debate" would have been OVER, not dragged out so the dems could make hay.
Any questions?.....The gubbmint is by the gubbmint and for the gubbmint. Anyone who thinks any of these AH's want to do anything for YOU...try to wake up please. It's about them, individually and collectively.
FEH!
FMCDH(BITS)
I already stated I would celebrate if votes were allowed on ALL qualified nominees from Bolton to Justices. I generally attempt to keep my word.
You can get a nice long nap in the meantime. And maybe a vacation, or some work done around the house you've been putting off.
More or less.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/03/11/ginsburg_touches_on_roe_v_wade_in_kansas/
Please refer to this post.
I wonder if the ACLU mailed her a dead fish wrapped in newspaper after reading that.
Frist, get off your ass and slap these Dems down. Blow up the damn Senate if necessary. This is beyond ridiculous! Either that or the President just recess-appoints him and slaps Dodd and Biden in the face with this.
Irritating the GOP base to the point where they stay at home in 06 and 08 is not helpful, which I think is the real point.
Coop, it's not 1 or even 4 confimations...it's the whole lot without the SAME fight. You don't give your opponent, especially one that you have NO reason to trust, an opportunity to regather once you've got them cornered. That's what Mcditz did, basically allowed the dems to reconstitute the SAME fight.
You've got to remember any time the dems do something the MSM is siding with them and furthering their agenda.
The worst part of Thune's tactics was his lies---
Instead of standing up and saying, "Heck, ya, I'm going to use my NO vote for Bolton, because I am mad that S. Dakota is losing the Air Base. I campaigned saying that I would save the base, and I intend to make sure that my message is heard."
INSTEAD, when asked, he meekly, said,"Well, I wasn't really crazy about Bolton anyway". OR, "Well, we could have gotten someone better". Something like that...
which we all KNOW is not the reason, so he comes off as a liar!!!! BAD Politics, Thune...really bad
I heard Frist say today that they have a lot of work to do before the 4th of July recess---so there is your answer.
I happen to think that a recess appointment on Independence Day sounds pretty patriotic, doesn't it!!! How about that red, white, and blue....you betcha, I would be for it!!!
Wouldn't be surprised.
I'm sure it caused a few mild skips in heart beat among their faithful. Republicans moving Left is common. A Liberal Justice advocating state rights in R V W is definitely not.
Meanwhile Kennedy is advocating the introduction of foreign law. World's upside down.
Let's see-Biden and Carter want us to shut down Gitmo--so I guess Delaware and Georgia get the detainees in their prisons, huh?
BTW, if they won't let us put detainees in Gitmo, even though we (the taxpayers) have spent millions to build the barracks and stuff, can we use it for the illegal immigrants that we catch coming over the border?
BTW, Dean gave a speech in San FRAn. and when talking about immigration reform, he said the illegals hadn't broken any laws...I kid you not!!
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