Posted on 09/07/2006 10:50:44 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Chafee delays vote on Bolton nomination
By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer (Published: September 7, 2006)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Lincoln Chafee has pulled the plug on a push by his fellow Republicans to confirm John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, saying he had more questions that needed to be answered.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was expected to vote along party lines during a committee meeting Thursday to approve Bolton. But the panel postponed the vote after Chafee, R-R.I., expressed doubt.
"Sen. Chafee said he still had questions that were not answered," said the senator's spokesman, Stephen Hourahan.
Chafee was expected to send a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice later in the day outlining his questions about Bolton, Hourahan said.
During the hearing, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., gave no reason for the delay and did not say when the vote would be held. Bolton had been opposed by many Democrats but was expected to be confirmed by the Republican-led panel.
Lugar said he removed the nomination from the agenda of Thursday's committee meeting after conferring with several senators.
Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the panel, said he did not know what the delayed vote means for Bolton, or whether Democrats would push for a filibuster. Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said he plans to recommend his colleagues filibuster the floor vote on Bolton to keep him from being confirmed.
Democrats have questioned Bolton's brusque style and whether he could be an effective bureaucrat who could force reform at the U.N.
Biden did say Democrats would not push for a committee vote any time soon. "I feel zero urgency with Mr. Bolton," said Biden, D-Del.
(Excerpt) Read more at pressofatlanticcity.com ...
He KNOWS he's toast....Laffey is FABULOUS and WILL WIN....even in Rhode Island they don't want to have an IDIOT for a Senator.
Yes, it is. And yet we have too many here at FR who enthusiastically subscribe to the party-above-principle GOP/RNC Big Tent philosophy of "Just win, baby!" These party cultists never met a principle they couldn't rise above in order to elect worthless RINOs like Chafee.
Incumbent member of the President's party. No other reason.
Dang, that's a good election season pic!
I'm pretty well sick of this pissant.
"Leave me alone you meanie old FReepers."
No, just royalty (you know what that makes you?). And God's chosen ones to rule the likes of you (and me).
"Sen. Chafee said he still had questions that were not answered," said the senator's spokesman, Stephen Hourahan.
I think Stephen Hourahan had better start looking for another job because his boss probably just lost another couple thousand primary votes. (I hope)
"No problem!
going to beat you like a rug in your R.I. primary.
On Brit's show tonight Brit and Fred discussed a poll they claimed was very reliable showing Chafee comfortably beating Laffey if I recall around 51% to 38%..........
Considering he is to the left of numerous Democrats, I don't blame you.
Chafee is stalling until after the primary. He will defeat Laffey (boo). He will then stall some more to keep Bolton bottled up in committee until after Nov. 7 if he thinks that will help him defeat Whitehouse(the Dem candidate). If he wins on Nov 7, he may go ahead and vote in the affirmative, sending Bolton out of the Committee with its recommendation (by party line) whereupon Bolton would be confirmed by the lame duck Congress. All this BS will endear him to wealthy conflicted RI liberals.
Oh yes. It was his RINO father instead. Thank you for pointing that out. Sigh. I guess the apple certainly didn't fall far from the tree in this case!
Chaffee did not vote for Bush, but has a leadership position in the Republican party...
What is wrong with this picture?
Not in Russell's Day. Not in Lyndon Johnson's day. Not in George Mitchell's day.
But...in any ol' republican's day....it's ok.
I agree. He's beyond "holding your nose".
IMO, it's only a matter of time before he does a "Jumping Jim Jeffords". Don't forget that it was right after Jeffords took GOP money and got re-elected that he switched parties (okay, he called himself "independent, but he voted with the rat caucus). I can smell Chafee doing the same thing.
I don't think he will, though. He had his chance to do that when Jeffords did. Daschle approached Chafee about switching parties, figuring that since he was young and moderate, he could get him to do it. However, Chafee declined, and then Jeffords approached Daschle about doing it instead. Daschle probably figured that a long-time Senator and party member like Jeffords would decline, but we all saw what happened. I think Chafee just makes noises like he's thinking about it in order to make him more appealing to moderates and liberals. I also think that Bush/Rove would not be supporting him without making him promise to stay in the caucus, just like I'm sure they made clear to Specter that he'd better push through Bush's judges.
Time for the RNC to DUMP Chafee
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