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,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 beive 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.
F = 7 subjected to failed cloture motions in 108th Congress
4 = "1 of 4" that DEMs offered to let GOP choose which 3 to dump
S = Positive mention in Specter's May 9, 2005 speech
M = MOU of 14 will not vote against cloture
m = MOU of 14 makes no promise regarding cloture
R = Post-MOU, Reid indicates desire to filibuster
C = Out of committee & on the Senate's Executive Calendar
U = Unanimous consent to debate - date TBD
D = Democrats offer to debate - date TBD
v = Debate and vote scheduled
V = Vote -on the nomination- concluded
--S -- C-- Boyle, Terrence W. (4th Cir)
--- -R --- Haynes, William James II (4th Cir)
F4S M- CUV Owen, Priscilla (5th Cir)
F-S -- CUV Griffin, Richard A. (6th Cir)
F-S -- CUV McKeague, David W. (6th Cir)
--S -- -D- Neilson, Susan Bieke (6th Cir)
F-- mR --- Saad, Henry W. (6th Cir)
F4S mR C-- Myers, William Gerry III (9th Cir)
F4S M- CUV Pryor, William H. (11th Cir)
F4S M- CUV Brown, Janice Rogers (D.C. Cir)
--S -- CUV Griffith, Thomas B. (D.C. Cir)
--- -R --- Kavanaugh, Brett M. (D.C. Cir)
Last updated, June 21, 2005
Owen: Cloture passed 81-18 on May 24. Confirmed 55-43 on May 25.
Brown: Cloture passed 65-32 on June 7. Confirmed 56-43 on June 8.
Pryor: Cloture passed 67-32 on June 8. Confirmed 53-45 on June 9.
Griffin: Confirmed 95-0 on June 9.
McKeague: Confirmed 96-0 on June 9.
Griffith: Confirmed 73-24 on June 14.
Myers: Out of Committee on March 17.
Boyle: Out of Committee on June 16.
Considering that a majority of Senators support him, it is a false argument for Dodd to say the Bolton lacks the confidence of the Senate. He is being denied a vote by partisan political shenanigans requiring a supermajority, not by lack of confidence.
Bolton should have received an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor, but the Liberals didn't want to give Bush the political victory.
THe good news: We only need Bolton for 17 months, he can start the clean up of the vipers nest in that time. Other good news: the Dem filibuster on the Bolton nomination has made it more difficult for them to filibuster other nominees-- not impossible, just more difficult. Because they look petty and mean-spirited.
I need to start looking for a new tag line.
Can anyone list ten things Christopher Dodd has been RIGHT about within the last ten years?
Or five, within twenty years?
So, again... why would anyone care what he thinks?
Dan
Thank you for the information and LINKS.
It's probably one of those things that if it came out it would threaten national security, so we can't be told. Yada.... yada ....yada.
That's a stretch but I'll give you points for imagination.
LOL
The only damage to Mr. Bolton is being done by partisan obstructionist hacks in the democrat party. Go look in the mirror Sen. Dodd...and practice saying "UN Ambassador Bolton". Get used to it you old fart.
"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."
If so many people in Congress are against him, why won't they allow him a confirmation vote?
I also could care less if he has the confidence of Congress.
He has a proven track record of looking after US interests.
He's very clear in his opposition to the corruption in the UN.
He's clear on what the UN is good for, and what is outside the bounds of it's authority.
He's perfect for the job.
I think it's doubtful that he doesn't enjoy the confidence of the majority of the American people.
Congress should quit playing politics and let Bolton do the job for which he's well suited.
"I don't care what the public wants, I'm going to give it what it needs!" - Christopher Dodd
Here's a bonus quote.
"I take great pride in the fact that I have lived in a Spanish-speaking country." - Christopher Dodd
Bump!
Guess, what Chrissie ... we DON'T care.
Fine with me if we send no representative or money to that evil, useless organization.
We don't have much confidence in Congress, or in Dodd.
In Bush's announcement, I sure would like him to include something about the Dems and how they are now manifesting a vested interest in seeing the U.S. FAIL at the U.N.
And Dodd isn't?
Hey, Chris, how was that "waitress sandwich" you and Teddy had?
I hope you're right about it being harder for the Dims to filibuster. I hope you're not relying on them not wanting to look bad again. Please note what's building in the Robert's matter.
Bush and the Repubs are in pretty good shape at the moment, but I believe they're going to have to use the NUKE, because the Dims have tried to foul up every appointment without triggering the NUKE. Why would they stop the obstructionist tactics when the Repubs can't get their stuff together to use the NUKE?
Where is McLame these days?
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