Posted on 08/01/2005 1:02:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
WASHINGTON— Anticipating President Bush soon will appoint John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, a leading Democrat said Sunday that Bolton would go without the confidence of Congress.
"He's damaged goods. This is a person who lacks credibility," said Sen. Christopher Dodd, a senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He said Bush should think again before using a recess appointment to place Bolton at the United Nations while the Senate is on its traditional August break.
"That's not what you want to send up, a person who doesn't have the confidence of the Congress and so many people who've urged that he not be sent up to do that job," said Dodd, D-Conn., on "Fox News Sunday."
As Bush left church on Sunday, a reporter shouted a question, asking whether the president would be appointing Bolton. Bush smiled and refrained from answering.
Two administration officials said on Friday that the president would appoint Bolton before leaving on Tuesday to spend August at his Texas ranch. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Bush had yet to made the announcement.
Under the Constitution, the president may issue an appointment and bypass Senate confirmation when it is in recess. Such an appointment ends when the next session of Congress begins — January 2007, in this case.
Senate Democrats have led the effort to hold up a confirmation vote for Bolton, citing what they have described as undiplomatic behavior by the former State Department official.
"If the president recess appoints John Bolton, I can understand why because he's been waiting a long time to get the person that he believes is the best to represent his administration at the U.N," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
McConnell said he doubted that a recess appointment would have a strongly negative impact on the atmosphere in the Senate. If Bush withdrew the nomination, no ambassador would be in place when the U.N. begins taking up important issues in the fall, he said.
"Bolton's been sort of twisting in the wind since March," McConnell said. "Bolton's exactly what the U.N. needs at this point. The president's right on the mark in picking him."
Bush will be sending Bolton to the U.N. "with a cloud over his head," said Sen. Joe Lieberman. Had the administration given the Senate committee all the documents it had requested, the full Senate probably would have voted on the nomination and Bolton would have been confirmed, Lieberman said.
"He will be our U.N. ambassador," Lieberman said on CNN's "Late Edition." "He'll have the obvious authority of the president of the United States and I think we've got to hope he does the best job he can at a tough time, an important time, up there."
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., added, "It would have been better had he been confirmed, but under the circumstances, everybody at the U.N. will know that he's the president's man."
The administration has promoted Bolton for a hard-nosed style that officials believe will help push reform in the United Nations.
Opponents say his criticism of the world organization and reports that he has abused underlings and sought to punish those who disagreed with him render him unfit for the position.
Mr. Dodd, I have two Heinz-Kerry words for you: Shove it.
Right on.
Exactly. Chris Dodd talking about credibility is like Ted Kennedy talking about nautical safety.
Dodd's gotta shorten those sleeves on his coat.......... or is he just slouching in sadness walking behind G.W.?
Hey Dodd...it takes guts for 'half a waitress sandwich' to call Bolton damaged, especially when Mr Bolton enjoys support from a majority of the Senate.
He and Trent Lott are escorting him.
LOL..
The msm doesn't matter any more either. Dramatically declining circulation numbers for the big lefty papers, and the dramatic loss of viewers for the 24/7 cable news stations vis-a-vis Fox News--means that msm is no longer msm--they're marginal.
So, anything they say is marginal, anyone they tout is a has-been, and the only impact they have is comedic.
If shifting the burden of proof is not enough, just discredit outright. Dems are the terminaly ill damaged goods. It's either Bolton or them after all.
The msm needs to be throughly discredited.
The very idea of McCain-Feingold and the power it gives to msm!
It's amazing what gets elected to the U.S. Senate.
So change THE CONGRESS!
LOL
Priceless!!
But as usual, Dodd puffs up the vision of oppostion beyond reality.
Does Dodd even have a neck? That picture reminds me of Jabba the Hutt in a suit! He must be on the Fat Teddy 'Chivas Regal On Your Cornflakes' breakfast, with a side order of waitress sandwich.
And Dodd and Kennedy are damaged goods for their restaurant escapades.
That's just one of their "offensive" behaviors.
If the Dems would allow Congress to vote on Bolton, we could see if what Dodd says is true. My money says Dodd is lying.
Damaged Goods attempted by the MSM, Kennedy, Dodd, Pelousi, Move On.ugh, the New York Times and other socialist Bush haters.
The actual damage to Bolton is only in their own mind which is small and insignificant.
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