Posted on 11/10/2006 4:26:31 AM PST by excludethis
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- This is probably not what President Bush had in mind when he stressed bipartisanship after the Democratic Party's midterm elections sweep.
A key Senate Republican has joined Democrats in opposing one of Bush's initiatives for the lame-duck Congress: John Bolton's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
With leaders from both parties promising a new bipartisan Washington, Bush began efforts to get two of his most controversial decisions approved before the Democrats take over.
. . . .
But Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who was defeated in this week's election, said he would block Bolton's nomination.
Chafee, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that he did not believe Bolton's nomination would move forward without his support.
"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," the Rhode Island moderate told The Associated Press.
"And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoke out against."
The committee, dominated 10-8 by Republicans, requires a majority vote to send the nomination to the Senate floor. A tie would be the same as a no vote.
. . .
Bolton's appointment will expire in January unless the Senate confirms him, and the probable next chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee says approval is unlikely.
"I see no point in considering Mr. Bolton's nomination again in the Foreign Relations Committee because, regardless of what happens there, he is unlikely to be considered by the full Senate," said Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, who is set to become the committee's chairman and control the agenda in January.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Seriously: is there one good reason for them not removing his pasty white butt from that committee?
At the very least this guy is out. No more rinos to set us back.
You would think the least he could do is give us this one victory.
It's not like Bolton is the devil.
He lost his opportunity to destroy the enemy and guarantee most of his agenda. Let that be a lesson to our future leaders!
Can Lieberman help?
I suggest that they get physical if necessary.
I've said it many times here before....Chaffee is the worst kind of slimeball. The true poster boy for all that is wrong with Washington.
I don't know when McCaskil may have said she'd vote for Bolton, but I don't trust her to tie her shoes the same way once she gets in D.C. with Hillary and gang, much less maintain any pledge to do something sensible.
You would think that anyone winning on such narrow margins would maintain a more moderate position to keep reelections close, but don't hold your breath with that one. McCaskil will be very quickly supporting increased Medicare and Medicaid payments to her family's nursing homes and cow-towing whatever policies the Dem leadership puts forward to maintain her good graces with them.
How can you call it a sweep if Bob Corker won?
The Senate Republican have the power to remove Chafee from the committee, don't they? Just do it.
He doesn't need to, he's independently wealthy. Got it the old-fashioned way, he inherited it all. Good riddance to him, what a POS.
Linc is one of five senators worth over $25 million. Got it from Daddy, of course.
But he actually worked for several years as a blacksmith, believe it or not. I guess he looked at the rear end of a horse long enough that he eventually become one.
Ha!! 40% turn out, 20 each is hardly a fabulous gotv accomplishment. It may be for the dims but defiance won Tuesday, and now there is no mandate to do anything "conservative".
I don't want to hear any b!tching when the dems start moving their liberal angenda.
The conservative cause was just defeated by it's own.
Sounds like sour grapes Chaffee will go out with a BANG! The wrong direction, of course. But whoever said he had his head screwed on correctly...
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