Posted on 07/19/2006 7:58:02 PM PDT by Ooh-Ah
As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have had the rare opportunity to witness firsthand how the diplomatic process works and, in some cases, how it fails. ...
Since Sept. 11, 2001, and our nation's initial response in Afghanistan, the global war on terrorism has taken many twists and turns.
First, Iraq became the primary focus of our troops and our public attention. Then, the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea reached critical mass, followed by the quickly changing and deteriorating situation with Israel, Hezbollah and Hamas.
... Ambassador Bolton's appointment expires this fall when the Senate officially recesses. Should the president choose to renominate him, I cannot imagine a worse message to send to the terrorists -- and to other nations deciding whether to engage in this effort -- than to drag out a possible renomination process or even replace the person our president has entrusted to lead our nation at the United Nations at a time when we are working on these historic objectives.
...
Should the president send his renomination to the Senate, I will vote to confirm him, and I call on my Democratic colleagues to keep in mind the current situation in the Middle East and the rest of the world should the Senate have an opportunity to vote. I do not believe the United States, at this dangerous time, can afford to have a U.N. ambassador who does not have Congress's full support.
For the good of our country, the United Nations and the free world, we must end any ambiguity about whether John Bolton speaks for the United States so that he can work to support our interests at the United Nations during this critical time.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Keep the Kleenex handy....
"For me or my colleagues in the Senate to now question a possible renomination would jeopardize our influence in the United Nations and encourage those who oppose the United States to make Bolton the issue, thereby undermining our policies and agenda."
Where were you Senator, when you were needed?
Oh, good, Bolton's locked up the crybaby vote.
Bolton is GREAT.
George Voinivich believes so strongly in his convictions he CRIES about this and then changes his mind a year later?
Sorry, but pols like Voinivich make me loose breakfast, lunch and dinner. He's appearing as such a Nancy Boy that he may not be able to overcome the suspicion.
He can thank Hillary for that little invasion of privacy, lol!
I got to the Senate meeting late, Biden was making a hissy fit about Bolton, I followed the Dems. I'm sorry.
/translation.
He should have voted for John Bolton when the President first nominated him.
Ditto. Bolton has been our best representative at the UN ever..And Voinovich's performance at his confirmation hearings was a DISGRACE. Better late than never, I suppose.And by this public statement of support I take it he's eating crow because he knows how dead wrong he was.
I agree, to bad some in this "conservative" thing of ours can never ever forgive anyone anything. George Voinovich once upon a time was my mayor. He's a good man. He votes his way for his reasons. Instead of being glad he's come around to our way of thinking, the petty will call him a Rino and snipe at him. I am really beginning to hate being associated with the American Right. I can't go left, but....... something has to give.
Voinovich, as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, took a pass on charges against Hillary for the greatest campaign finance fraud in history.
Cry-baby. Go down on your knees and beg for forgiveness.
Did he cry when he wrote this? :-)
Perhaps...maybe, this is quite sincere and the Senator has grown a bit wiser on this issue. We can always hope.
Voinovich may be a disgrace, and he may be giving all the wrong reasons, but it's good news that he's saying this. It seems to indicate that the Dems don't want to take the political damage that would be result from blocking his confirmation.
And, by the way, he's right about one thing. You don't undermine the President in a time of war. Too bad the Dems ignore that principle most of the time.
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