Fresh battle cries over Bush nominee (Bolton)

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/15/news/bolton.php

Fresh battle cries over Bush nominee
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg The New York Times

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005


WASHINGTON Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Republican leader, has vowed to hold another vote by the end of this week on the stalled nomination of John Bolton to be UN ambassador, if only to embarrass Democrats by putting a spotlight on their decision to block his confirmation.

But Democrats, undaunted, said they would continue to block any vote until the White House provides information they are seeking relating to Bolton's tenure at the State Department, where he served until recently as undersecretary for arms control.

"Instead of calling the vote," said Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, "Senator Frist ought to call the White House."

Though there are several sticking points, the central issue is Bolton's review of names of American individuals and companies mentioned in communications intercepted by the National Security Agency. Democrats at first sought a complete list of the names, but recently narrowed the request and asked the White House to compare a list of about 36 "names of concern," which have not been publicly disclosed, against those Bolton reviewed.

....

When the nomination came up last month, three Democratic senators - Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas - joined with Republicans in favor of ending the filibuster. But Pryor has now suggested that the Bush administration is in danger of losing his support.
"If they continue to be reasonable," Pryor said, referring to Democrats, "and the White House won't provide information, I want to reserve the right to change my vote. I think this is a matter of balance of power and checks and balances."

<</SNIP>>

[bemildred]

1. Frist must get frustrated about losing all the time.

Remember the months of babble about the "Nucular option"?
Or would that be "Fristrated"?

[annabanana]

6. "Fristrated" lololol

Let's keep him all fristrated, him and his friggen fristians...

[damntexdem]

10. Well, Frist's judgment was clear in the Schiavo case:

remember, he said that Terri was following visual stimuli? Well, guess what the autopsy showed -- Terri was blind!

Obviously, it's a miracle!

[Supersedeas]

2. Richard Freaking Durbin!! Stand up Richard....Stand UP!!!

[pacalo]

3. (self-delete) (Emily LaTella says, "Nevermind.")

:eyes:

[Justice]

4. I love it - don't call a vote, call the White House - Go Durbin!

[Orion The Hunter]

5. RE:

First Frist was wrong about Terry Schiavo...then the Nuclear Option...and now this. It's the trifecta!!

<tossing hat on the ice for the hat trick>

[corbett]

12. Agreed - It Was A Great Line!

[consuming]

13. go!

[0007]

7. Best advice Frist ever had - and its a classic

"Instead of calling the vote," said Senator Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, "Senator Frist ought to call the White House."

[DemoTex]

8. "Embarrass Democrats"? WTF?

The GOP should be profoundly embarrassed for even considering Bolton. The only Democrats that should be embarrassed are Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, all of whom sided with the GOP on Bolton (although it sounds like Pryor might be having second thoughts).

[Dudley_DUright]

9. Pryor is having second thoughts

Senate GOP leaders, acknowledging no apparent progress on Bolton, said they will call for another vote to end debate in a renewed effort to portray Democrats as obstructionists, probably this week. But one of the three Democrats who sided with them on an unsuccessful "cloture" vote on May 26, Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.), said he may abandon the Republicans, leaving them farther from their goal than they were three weeks ago.

If Democrats "continue being reasonable and the White House won't provide the information, I want to reserve the right to change my vote," Pryor told reporters.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061401462.html

[wallwriter]

11. There they go again

The Repugs are going to step on their own d**ks one more time...