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Tuesday, June 21, 2005
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Stygius: "The John Bolton nomination initially seemed to reflect a hubristic, all-powerful White House steamrolling over any opposition. It first appeared as an annoying inevitability, and initially there were no indiciations Senate Democrats were willing to fight over it. Luckily, enough people started jumping up and down, making noise about his tenure at State and raising the fight's profile such that is has now become an emblem in the broader struggle of Democrats and moderate Republicans against Cheneyism...American politics after the 2004 election are alive and well, and its thanks not to blue-staters putatively showing red staters their errors, but rather to the vast, often-silent Purple Nation that could be the real power in this country. This country is so much more than any red state-blue state dichotomy."
Josh Marshall: "Even radio producers can't trust Bill Frist."
Blogs for Bush: "What he (Frist) should do is force the Democrats to actually filibuster."
Blogs for Bush: "It does seem a bit odd, doesn't it? I mean, Ambassador to the United Nations is an important post, but it isn't exactly the most important post, is it? John Bolton's overall views are not markedly different from those of Donald Rumsfeld or Condi Rice, so why is the left so extra determined to prevent his approval?"
Political Wire: "Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) predicts that those interests groups that are 'poised for warfare over the next Supreme Court nomination' will have to 'hold their fire for a while,' the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Specter said Chief Justice William Rehnquist 'looked really good" at a congressional leadership luncheon last week and "did not look like a man about to step down.'"
Category: 2004 Presidential Transition
6:46:20 PM 
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Senate Republicans came up short again on ending the filibuster of John Bolton, according to the Los Angeles Times via the Denver Post [June 21, 2005, "Senate Dems again stymie Bolton's U.N. confirmation"]. From the article, "Senate Democrats on Monday again blocked a confirmation vote on John Bolton, opening the possibility that President Bush would bypass lawmakers and use a recess appointment to install the embattled nominee as U.N. ambassador. Despite last-minute lobbying by the White House and public pressure from Bush, Republicans fell well short of the 60 votes they needed to break a Democratic filibuster and cut off debate on the nomination. Afterward, both Democrats and Republicans indicated that the 54-38 vote dimmed the prospects of Bolton's nomination eventually making it through the Senate and underscored the high political stakes involved for both parties. Under the Constitution, the president has the right to make appointments without a confirmation vote when the Senate is not in session. But such an appointment lasts only through the next congressional year - in Bolton's case, until January 2007. Presidents generally avoid the practice for fear of antagonizing Congress and because the appointees then bear the stigma of not having the Senate's backing."
Steve Clemons: "The Senate spoke loud and clear today. John Bolton is NOT getting the approval of the United States Senate unless the White House fully concedes on the document requests that Senators have requested since April that might help better inform them as to controversial and important parts of John Bolton's record." Thanks to Josh Marshall for the link.
Category: 2004 Presidential Transition
6:07:10 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 8:29:58 AM.
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