Democrats clear way for Senate vote on Bolton

[steve2470]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20050524/ts_nm/bush_bolton_dc




By Vicki Allen 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats agreed on Tuesday to clear the way for the Senate to vote on the controversial nomination of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations, which was expected to pass mainly on party lines.

The Senate is to open debate on Wednesday on Bolton, the top U.S. diplomat for arms control and outspoken critic of the United Nations, who has been described by
President Bush as the right man to press for reforms at the world body.

Democrats have harshly criticized Bolton as a hard-line conservative ideologue and a bully who tried to pressure intelligence officials into making their findings support his political views.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on party lines this month to advance Bolton's nomination to the full Senate without a recommendation -- an extremely rare move.

<snip>

[FlemingsGhost]

1. So when Bolton is confirmed, with a terse warning, of course ...

will that be a Democrat "victory" too?

Just wondering.

[Dave Reynolds]

2. Yes, by god

we have them on the run now, don't we?

sigh

[halobeam]

16. to follow Bush's logic....

"giving them all the confirmation's they want, only means they are losing".... YEP.... that's the ticket

[MGKrebs]

3. Well at least we will have avoided...

um, NOT confirming him.

Or something.

[renaissanceguy]

8. God help us.

I think he more than qualifies as an "extreme circumstance."


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.14744967

[merwin]

9. I personally don't think he will get confirmed. Just my opinion though.

[quaoar]

4. I guess Bolton will be confirmed

Since democrats are not allowed to filibuster without Republican permission.

[LightningFlash]

20. We'll soon find out...Voinovich went full opposed to him. n.t .

[Skip Intro]

5. Republicans are more loyal to thier party than the people. This paragraph

--------------------------
Voinovich said earlier this month in a blistering statement said he would not join Republicans in supporting Bolton's nomination. Several other Republicans have also voiced reservations about Bolton, but said they would support the president's nominee.
--------------------------

They know the guy will have a negative effect on the security of the American people, but they're gonna vote for him anyway.

With big-a$$ US flag pins glaring from their lapels, no less.

Shallow people in power.

[Rainscents]

6. Iran... we are coming for you!

I can't stand these basters!

[whoneedstickets]

10. Bolton's nomination will backfire

The administration is setting itself up for a big fall vis-a-vis Iran. There's no hope Iran will negotiate away the huge investment it has made in nuclear production technology and the NPT and EU talks will fail. That will lead the US to try the security council route. But bully Bolton is going to rub the UNSC members the wrong way. There will also be resistance from memory of the post UNSCR 1441 nonsense with Colin Powell and the failed second resolution on Iraq.

The US move to sanction Iran will go down in flames (Russia may veto by abstaining, China too) demonstrating the complete incompetence of this administration's foreign policy one more time....

[newyawker99]

11. Hi whoneedstickets!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Rainscents]

18. I agree!!! Welcome to DU!!!

:hi:

[kysrsoze]

21. Yeah, but doesn't that mean we will be "forced" to unilaterally support

Israel and bomb them because the UN would not cooperate? Isn't that the excuse used for the last Ira* war? Such a danger, we can't wait for the UN to support us! I can see the video now.

[whoneedstickets]

25. The potential for an air attack is there...

Isreal would be the natural candidate, however, to get there they would have to fly through Jordanian and Iraqi airspace. Both would require US support and perhaps even refueling. It is a very long distance from Israel to the Iranian sites and there are probably too many of them for the Isrealis to pull it off. This isn't another Osirak.

The US could do it and get all the sites. But it would be an air campaign of several days or weeks duration requiring the establishing of air superiority by defeating a pretty well-equiped Iranian airforce. I think it could be very messy.

Any attack would also inflame the muslim world and provide more evidence in support of the 'attack on islam' argument that the adminstration has been trying to dodge.

By refusing to offer any concessions, the WH has painted itself into a corner. Iran isn't going to blink. This will be a big FP defeat.

[BadNews]

26. It didn't stop the last invasion. It won't stop this one.

The mind set is that the Arab street already hates the US. What do we really lose by inflaming the Arab street? It make's Israel's situation tougher, and puts the house of Saad in a tough spot, but do you really think the administration cares about that?

[Lochloosa]

22. And from one Newbie to another

Welcome....:beer:

[steve2470]

23. welcome to du !!! nt

[Imajika]

7. Victory!

Bolton and Owens in the same week. We really stuck it to em'. Taught those Republican's a thing or two didn't we?

When we allow Brown and Pryor to clear the Senate, then I will be even more super duper happy with our great deal.

Thank God we preserved the filibuster! We promise to never use it, but damn if we didn't make sure to keep it in place for some future minority party. But hell, what's really important is protecting the collegial and harmonious atmosphere of the Senate right? I mean, we don't want our Senators to have to work in an unhappy environment.

Ok, sarcasm off. I do realize we don't have the votes to block everyone, but I'm pretty damn frustrated that we can't seem to stop much of anyone. Bolton? For God sakes, they couldn't even get him out of committee with a positive recommendation. This guy is the worst of the worst - and he is going to get confirmed? And this deal, I'm effing hard pressed to see that we get much out of this much ballyhooed deal.

Imajika

[AlGore-08.com]

12. We got great press for John McCain! Victory is ours!

:sarcasm:

[Jose Diablo]

13. Yep, I can see the Republican Civil War going at full blast right now

But wait, is my 'holier-than-thou' attitude showing?

[MisterP]

24. you must be one of those evil purists

you know, those that dare to not be purely for whatever the hell any Democrat votes for

[demgrrrll]

14. I've been keeping my mouth shut about these issues. I keep thinking

about that joke about the kid who receives a load of crap in a barn for a Christmas present and starts digging because there's got to be a pony in there somewhere with all that crap. That is about how I feel right now. I keep digging and the pony has not shown up yet. I do remain optimistic and I do hope that this all works out somehow but I am just not sure.

[CityDem]

15. Another great day for us dems

Owen now a appellate court judge and Bolton the UN Ambassador. Whoever is driving the dem bus in the senate must love being kicked in the balls.

[UTdem]

17. WTF?

everytime I think it can't get worse...

[sadiesworld]

19. I just don't see Bolton being confirmed.

Bolton is damaged goods and not consistent with the republicans' new moderate image (thanks for the help, dems!). They'll just find some other equally reprehensible, if less obvious, reptile.