Democrats say have votes to delay Bolton vote

[deminks]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats back from a weeklong recess said on Tuesday they were holding firm against allowing a vote to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations until the Bush administration turns over more information on him.

"I would hope that the Bolton situation is not a standoff," said Senate Minority leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. "I hope the president recognizes that he has an obligation" to provide the material, he said.

Dodd offered a compromise in which the administration would confirm whether certain names were on the NSA intercepts Bolton asked to see. Democrats said they were trying to determine whether Bolton requested the classified intercepts to exact retribution on his opponents.

Dodd said the administration rejected the offer.

(snip)

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050607/pl_nm/bush_bolton_dc_1

[Jack Rabbit]

1. There are only three ways this will not be a standoff

1. Bush releases the documents requested.

2. Bush withdraws the nomination.

3. The Democrats cave (oh, please, let's not think about that).

[candy331]

2. #'s 1and 2 are out so # 3 must be the winner, ding, ding # 3 is the

winner.

[cestpaspossible]

3. wanna bet?

[Journeyman]

16. z z Z

[Mr.Green93]

7. 4. recess appointment

[Lerkfish]

11. oh! Oh! OH! I KNOW!!!!

number 3

[livinginphotographs]

15. I'm thinking........

.................................#3.

Call me cynical, but the Dems haven't exactly impressed me lately.

[Baclava]

4. Interesting...

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A senior Democratic senator said Monday John Bolton would be confirmed by the "tiniest" of margins as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, thereby sending a signal to the rest of the world that he lacked strong support at home.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, of Vermont, like other leading Democrats, predicted the Senate would approve Bolton, a strong critic of the United Nations, this week or next...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050607/pl_nm/bush_bolton_leahy_dc_6

[Gothmog]

5. Yeah

I hope that they stand their ground and get the documents requested as a matter of honor. Bolton is going to be a horrible choice

[Pachamama]

6. Why does Bush Co refuse to release the requested documents?

What are they hiding? What are they afraid of? :shrug:

[americanstranger]

8. Because of the individuals and corporations mentioned.

The leaders of the committees got to see the docs in private, and names of individuals and corporations involved were blacked out.

"Some of the information that the White House has refused to provide to Congress for its review of the nomination of John bolton includes the names of American companies mentioned in intelligence reports on commerce with China and other countries covered by export restrictions, say government officials who have been briefed on the documents.

It had previously been reported only that the White House was refusing to hand over the names of 19 American persons mentioned in 10 intelligence reports by the National Security Agency.

The fact that the documents also included the names of American companies, and that the subject had to do with possible violations of American export restrictions, provides a new clue as to why the White House might be rebuffing the congressional requests.

The names of the Americans and the companies remain highly classified, but they were provided to bolton by the National Security Agency in response to special requests he made as under secretary of state for arms control. The Democrats who forced the postponement last week of a vote on bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations argued that the Senate should insist on access to the same information that was provided to bolton."

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/01/news/bolton.php

-as

[ckramer]

9. Why can't democrats fight like a man in this case?

Let's demand showing of the information before considering voting for him.

If they are hiding something from public scrutiny, something is fishy here.

[Toots]

10. I guess the Democrats have learned nothing. Bush* will decide what's

relevant and what isn't and no one else. Got it? Cheney's energy meetings for instance or Presidential Papers which are required to be released by an act of Congressional Law and yet Bush* refuses to do so and is there a squeak to be heard from the Democrats? :shrug: Why do they expect things to change now. They have not made Bush* accountable yet so why should Bush* think they will do anything now?

[kskiska]

12. Democrats say have votes to delay Bolton vote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats back from a weeklong recess said on Tuesday they were holding firm against allowing a vote to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations until the Bush administration turns over more information on him.

"I think the support is just as strong as it was," Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate minority whip, said after a meeting of Democratic senators.

In the Senate's last act before leaving for its Memorial Day break, Democrats mustered enough support to block a final vote on Bolton, who they said tried to misuse U.S. intelligence and intimidated or tried to remove intelligence analysts who did not conform to his hard-line views.

Democrats demand the administration turn over more classified material on Bolton, but the White House has refused and accused Democrats of using partisan delaying tactics.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, said he expected to proceed with Bolton's nomination "very soon," but could not say "with certainty" when that would be. He has accused Democrats of using a procedural hurdle called a filibuster to block the confirmation vote.

more…
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050607/pl_nm/bush_bolton_dc_1

[burrowowl]

13. Keep your fingers

and toes crossed!

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

14. Stride.

It's being hit.

[wisteria]

17. We can't let them have Bolton!

The man is corrupt and just plain inappropriate for this position. His name should have been withdrawn weeks ago. If this was another administration where the President actually had some sense, and wasn't hell bent or winning no matter the cost we could have actually voted and had the nominee in place already.

[DeepModem Mom]

18. kick