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.
Dodd keeps forgetting he's in the minority, and does not speak for the congress!
We the people or the United States of America, from whom your wages come, have absolute confidence in Bolton and agree with President that he is the man for the job at this time-period.
The only thing about you, Senator Dodd, that we are absolutely confident about, is that every thing you do is, was and always will be in the interest of what is best for Dodd and his Party regaining the power of your and it's infamous glory days.
Put Bolton to work for us-send Dodd home to work for himself.
Dodd and Fat Teddy party hard down in D.C. Remember the waitress they sexually assaulted on the table in that trendy restaurant? Listing Fat Teddy's crimes would take too much space -- both he and Dodd are 'damaged goods'.
"Sandwich" Dodd is damaged goods with 90% of the small percentage of Americans who recognize his name, and yet he remains in the Senate, decade after decade...
< Yeah, they punch your face in, then criticize you for your appearance. >
Exactly.
Dodd uses a great tactic: first he sears Bolton, then calls him damaged goods. Dodd has a damaged brain!
Well, if Dodd's not speaking for the Congress, then Schumer is, or Kennedy is, or Clinton is.....the msm just fawn over these morons.
And that's why they are blocking a vote.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE THE E-MAIL OF THE DAY TO THE SENATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris Dodd is a twit. What else would anyone expect him to say about any appointment by the President?
BUMP!
Ham on tomatoe (and cheese)
Because he KNOWS that Bolton would be confirmed with room to spare.
If he had a better majority leader in the senate it would be different too, than that gutless wonder Frist.
He's just a "Dodd"ering old fool! I can't stand that this scum is my senator.
LOL! Thank you! I was wondering who else remembered.
Yay! Someone else remembered this incident. I can't look at him without experiencing the "yuck" factor.
If that waitress voted D before that incident, I would be surprised if she didn't vote R afterwards.
Considering Congress fiddled while Oil For Food was going on, I don't give a rat's hairy hind end what Congress thinks now.
Dodd,like Kennedy is so much hot air.
If you listen carefully,you hear all the talking points,over and over.
Their theory seems to be that if you say it enough times,someone will start to believe it.
Case in point,Bolton,.
They have been beating him up since March and have come up with nothing more than innuendos,not facts.
Oh, to work in Washington. What a place.
LOL
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