Dayton Uncertain Of Bolton For U.N. Ambassador

WCCO.com ^ | 7/25/06 | AP

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Sen. Mark Dayton, who voted to block the nomination of John Bolton as U.N. ambassador last year, said he's keeping an open mind on the re-nomination this time but still needs to be persuaded that Bolton is the right man for the job.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing on Bolton Thursday. The committee will then decide whether to endorse the nomination before it goes to the full Senate for a possible vote.

President Bush used a recess appointment to name Bolton to the post last August after Democrats blocked a vote on the nomination. That appointment expires at the end of the year.

"I'm willing to look anew at what he's done," Dayton, D-Minn., said in a telephone interview. "I want to let the committee hearing fill the record on those pros and cons."

But Dayton said he was concerned about a recent New York Times story, which reported that foreign diplomats said that Bolton had alienated traditional allies with a combative style.

"Those descriptions echo what was said about Mr. Bolton before when he came to Senate initially," Dayton said. "Whatever the merits of his particular position, the way he conducts himself, the lack of respectful conduct backfires on him and the United States, and unfortunately reinforces the common perception that the U.S. believes that it has the right to do whatever it wants."

But Dayton said he wasn't leaning one way or the other at this point.

"I will have to be persuaded," he said. "I'll keep an open mind. I will follow with interest the hearing."

White House spokesman Alex Conant responded: "Ambassador Bolton is doing an excellent job at the U.N. during very challenging times. Senators are seeing the fruits of John Bolton's labor and so we're seeing stronger support for his nomination. We're hopeful that other senators will be open to taking a new look."

Hopes for winning Senate confirmation rose last week when Sen. George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican who voted against the nomination in committee last year, announced he no longer opposes Bolton's nomination.

[Marathoner]

As a Minnesotan, I would like to apologize to the entire world for the grotesque idiocy of our senior Senator Marky Dayton.

Hey, I'll gladly forgive you, as long as you forgive us in the People's Republic of Illinois for unleashing Turbin Durbin and Osama Obama on the world (You've got the harder forgiving job here, I can assure you).

[q_an_a]

if the nomination is not voted on until the next congress why would Dayton get a vote?

[Atchafalaya]

Trained under Yoda!

[bwteim]

"he remains an essentially powerless turd."

LOL. What an image.

[EQAndyBuzz]

"But Dayton said he was concerned about a recent New York Times story, which reported that foreign diplomats said that Bolton had alienated traditional allies with a combative style."

Ah yes, another "I vote the way the NY Times editorial bord makes me" politician.