Posted on 06/20/2005 12:14:09 PM PDT by GPBurdell
Send Bolton to U.N. now - Bush
7 minutes ago
President Bush demanded on Monday an immediate up-or-down Senate vote on John Bolton's nomination as U.N. ambassador, and top aides would not rule out Bush bypassing the Senate by issuing a "recess appointment" giving Bolton the post for 18 months.
"It's time for the Senate to give an up-or-down vote now," Bush said at a news conference with European Union leaders. "Well, put him in. If they're interested in reforming the United Nations, they ought to approve John Bolton."
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hinted on Sunday that Bush could install Bolton to the U.N. post by appointing him during a congressional recess, which would allow him to serve through January 2007 without confirmation. "We'll see what happens this week," she told "Fox News Sunday."
Pressed on the possibility of a recess appointment, White House spokesman Scott McClellan did not rule it out, but said: "We continue to urge the Senate to let him have an up-or-down vote on the floor."
Senate Republicans have scheduled a procedural vote on Monday to try to break the deadlock over Bolton. But Democrats said they had enough votes to stall the nomination until the White House turns over information they have demanded about the nominee.
Many Democrats have criticized Bolton, the top U.S. diplomat for arms control and an outspoken critic of the United Nations, as a hard-line conservative ideologue. Bush described him as the right man to press for U.N. reforms.
"The American people know why I nominated him: because the U.N. needs reform. And I thought it made sense to send a reformer to the United Nations," Bush said.
"The U.N. is an important organization and the American people, I think, will understand how important it is when the U.N. is reformed and is held to account. And so we want more accountability and transparency and less bureaucracy. And John Bolton will help to achieve that mission," he added.
Bush has on occasion issued recess appointments to sidestep Senate opposition to his nominees. He could do so for Bolton during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday recess or during Congress' monthlong August break.
McClellan said there has been "a reasonable effort to reach a compromise" and urged Democrats in the Senate to "break with the ranks of their leadership" and agree to an up-or-down vote on Bolton's nomination.
"It's unfortunate that the Democratic leadership continues to block his nomination, particularly when he has majority support," McClellan said. "It's very clear now that the Democratic leadership is not interested in the information. They're only interested in blocking this nomination."
About time he called out the Senate.
Send him to the UN one way or another. Temporary now and perm appointment during the recess.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=a8d3_Je9gT2g&refer=us
This is exactly what the dems want. This way they get to threaten Bolton's job if he's too harsh with the UN, and they also get to make recess appointments more standard fare.
Oh.........they can't do THAT. My Senator might cry again!
"Send Bolton to U.N. now - Bush"
Dear God, I hope they don't send MICHAEL Bolton to the UN.
*snore*
Voinovich---that mysterious and troubling display of ? has still not been solved, has it? Sounds very personal.
Start Defending the Borders Now - Texan
Sen. Allen was on Tony Snow's radio show this morning that Voinovich will vote for cloture
I let him know what I thought of them, though..........
Maybe a few thousand angry e-mails and phone calls shook some sense into him.
He might vote for cloture .. but I don't think he will vote for Bolton
Go with the recess apointment. Hopefully it will infuriate the dems enough that the compromise on the judges nominations will collapse and eventually trigger the nuclear option. Then maybe the Republicans in the Senate will finally stand up on their hind legs and begin to run the Senate like they have a majority there
I'm hearing that the votes aren't there for cloture. Is that right, as far as you know?
Well, that's why your Senate puke opposition don't want him.
To be honest .. I don't know if they are there or not
I guess we'll both find out, eh?
They may have the votes .. or they may be getting it on record to see who votes which way
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