Democrats Criticize Bolton as Ineffective

[Rose Siding]

Senate Democrats unleashed a sharp volley of criticism of President Bush's foreign policy yesterday, arguing that John R. Bolton has done more harm than good as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and does not deserve an extended term. If Bolton's style were less divisive, they said, he might have achieved more reforms at the United Nations and tougher sanctions against Hezbollah and North Korea.
...
"My objection isn't that he's a bully, but that he's been an ineffective bully and can't win the day when it comes, when it really counts," said Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), who led last year's opposition.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), the panel's top Democrat, said, "At the moment of the greatest need for diplomacy in recent history, we are not particularly effective at it."
...
Republican Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) challenged Bolton's claim that "the root cause" of the renewed Israeli-Hezbollah conflict is terrorism.

"You're a brilliant man," Chafee told Bolton. "That statement doesn't make any sense. Terrorism is a device. There's got to be something deeper for the root cause."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/27/AR2006072700224_2.html

[YOY]

1. ...Bolton...

[babylonsister]

2. No offense, Rose Siding, but haven't they been doing that

for years?
:hide:

[Rose Siding]

4. I don't see how they get away with it this time if they don't filibuster

Here they are talking about what a failure he is, but they aren't sure about trying to block him? Doesn't make sense to me.

[w4rma]

5. Sen. Durbin says they are one vote short of winning a filibuster, atm.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001566.php
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1750032&mesg_id=1750032

[wisteria]

3. Is it possible that Chafee-a Repub- will vote against Bolton?

And, Senator Kerry was excellent in his questioning of Bolton today. Kerry's comments should have been included along with Dodd's and Biden's and Boxer's. Feingold did a good job too. IMO, Biden's being included in this piece was a stretch.

[struggle4progress]

12. Chafee changes to 'not decided' on Bolton (CQ via Raw)

RAW STORY
Published: Friday July 28, 2006

A Republican senator who signaled his intent to vote to confirm John Bolton's appointment as US Ambassador to the UN last year has now come out as 'not decided' on the controversial Bush pick, RAW STORY has learned.

A report in today's Congressional Quarterly quoted the spokesperson of Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island as stating that "has not decided how he would vote in committee" on whether to release John Bolton's nomination to the whole Senate for confirmation. Last year, Chafee voted with Republicans in the Committee, and also in favor of invoking cloture on a Democratic filibuster of the nomination ...

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Lincoln_Chafee_changes_to__notdecided_0728.html

[ShockediSay]

6. Awright, so Bolton has enabled the killing of 4 UN service members,

hundreds of Lebanese civilians and the destruction of that fledgling democracy's infrastructure.

What else has he accomplished?

[samsingh]

7. good - he's worse than ineffective, he's dangerous

[MrPrax]

8. Ineffective and Lazy...

Bolton’s Bubble:
U.N. Ambassador Skips
All Security Council Foreign Travel

"...According to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), there have been four UNSC trips since Bolton was recess appointed as ambassador in Aug. 2005 — to Central Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Chad and Sudan, and to the Congo. He did not attend any of them.

In early June, Bolton passed up the delegation trip to Sudan because he had a “full platter here.” In reality, Bolton was giving a lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, a right-wing think tank in London.

ThinkProgress repeatedly attempted to confirm Bolton’s foreign travel with his spokesman, Rick Grenell. Grenell insisted we were “wrong” — that in fact Bolton had attended UNSC trips — but refused to say where Bolton went with the UNSC. Grenell also told us if we publicized the fact that Bolton had not attended UNSC trips “we’ll just blast you out of the water.” ThinkProgress also sent an e-mail to Bolton’s press office with our request, but have not yet received a response.

Think Progress

In the comment section at Think Progress, someone joked:
Bolton cannot fly because he is on the terrorist watch list. LOL

[krispos42]

9. Get'em, Dodd!

Nice to know my former senator can still slap people around!

[krispos42]

10. Colbert slaps Bolton around pretty good last night

I just watched my tape of Colbert Report from last night. God, he is good! Love "The Wørd"

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. I would assume that Bolton has been on his 'best' behavior

this year. Just wait until he doesn't have to worry about going back for anymore confirmation hearings. If Bolton gets approved this time around, then we will see how horrible he really is.