Democrats rebuff Bush's pick for UN envoy

[onehandle]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John Bolton's prospects for staying on as U.N. ambassador essentially died Thursday as Democrats and a pivotal Republican said they would continue to oppose his nomination.

It was another blow to President Bush, two days after Democrats triumphed in elections that will give them control of Congress next year. On Wednesday, Bush had announced that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, a polarizing figure and face of the Iraq war, would step down.

On Thursday, the White House resubmitted Bolton's nomination to the Senate, where the appointment has languished for more than a year. Bush appointed him to the job temporarily in August 2005 while Congress was in recess, an appointment that will expire when the Congress adjourns, no later than January.

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island, who was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday, told reporters in Rhode Island that he would continue opposing Bolton. That would likely deny Republicans the votes needed to move Bolton's nomination from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the full Senate.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/09/bolton.ap/index.html

[MadMaddie]

1. Good News....

[skooooo]

2. hee hee hee...

Life is so much better now!

[Botany]

3. the news keeps getting better & better

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Let's have an Up-or-Down Vote

In January...

:rofl:

[MADem]

8. Bwahahahahahahaha...

Time to use that damned mantra against them, eh?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Oh! Oh, my!

:rofl:




Definately. Definately January.

[featherman]

5. Hurray for Lincoln Chafee... might as well go out with a bang now

[IndianaGreen]

13. Bolton is an embarrassment to the American people

Democrats should recruit Chafee. Chafee has already said he may leave GOP, and he is closer to the Democratic mainstream than Jim Webb, a fine human being himself.

[NOLADEM]

6. YEHAW

John Bolton is the worst person (besides bush, cheney and rummy) America could ever put forward to represent us. He is a hateful, ignorant, scorched earth hothead PNACer who belongs in a straight jacket in the Hague, not at the UN which he once said he wanted to blow up.

[fidgeting wildly]

10. Very well said.

:applause:

[LibMom]

16. hear, hear!

Bolton must go. Thank god we'll be able to do something about it now. He's the last person we need representing the US in the United Nations.

[MADem]

7. WHAT a BULLSHIT HEADLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To the politically stupid, they'd read it and not realize that the SENATE is STILL GOP-controlled. And also not realize that the knife was put in, and twisted, by a lame duck Republican, Linc Chaffee:

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-Rhode Island, who was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday, told reporters in Rhode Island that he would continue opposing Bolton. That would likely deny Republicans the votes needed to move Bolton's nomination from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the full Senate....Democrats indicated that even should the Senate try debating Bolton's nomination when lawmakers reconvene next week -- still under Republican control -- they would stretch out debate on Bolton with the aim of killing it. Republicans lack the 60 votes needed to force a vote on the nomination.



The Democrats don't take over until the NEXT SESSION. When they do, the nomination won't do any better, but the way the headline is written, it suggests that they are already ruining the Monkey's day all by themselves.

Man, that is a SLEAZY thing to do!!!

No one wants "Plato's Retreat" Bolton. He's an ASSHOLE.

And that's a bipartisan assessment!!!!!

[mcscajun]

9. Despite the headline...YIPPEE!!

I will cheer his Long overdue departure.

[crossroads]

11. How sweeeet it is! nt

[Zorra]

14. Diplomats across the globe are popping corks on champagne

bottles, knowing they will no longer have to duck into the nearest loo when they see Bolton approaching them in the halls at the UN.

[opihimoimoi]

15. Condi the Loser is NX

[mithnanthy]

26. Condi is next!

Wouldn't that be SWEET?

[Pastiche423]

17. Hot Damn

and good bye bolton!

[young_at_heart]

18. Worst UN ambassador ever!

I can't imagine that he's admired by many delegates.

[antonialee839]

19. President Bipartisan in action. We can only hope

the Dems are not falling for his ridiculous bullshit.

[Hawkowl]

20. Same old BS

I can see that this Pretzeldent is unshakeably deterimined to destroy himself. Oh well. Let us assist him by all possible means in his self immolation.

[AIJ Alom]

21. CNN: Key Republican joins Dems opposing Bolton nomination.

Key Republican joins Dems opposing Bolton nomination
POSTED: 6:04 a.m. EST, November 10, 2006

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/10/bolton.congress/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- This is probably not what President Bush had in mind when he stressed bipartisanship after the Democratic Party's midterm elections sweep.

A key Senate Republican has joined Democrats in opposing one of Bush's initiatives for the lame-duck Congress: John Bolton's nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

With leaders from both parties promising a new bipartisan Washington, Bush began efforts to get two of his most controversial decisions approved before the Democrats take over. (Watch reason to hope for national unity -- 2:16 Video)

But Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who was defeated in this week's election, said he would block Bolton's nomination.

Chafee, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters that he did not believe Bolton's nomination would move forward without his support.

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," the Rhode Island moderate told The Associated Press.

The committee, dominated 10-8 by Republicans, requires a majority vote to send the nomination to the Senate floor. A tie would be the same as a no vote.

Last year Democrats launched a heated debate about Bolton as they blocked a vote on his nomination.

They complained he gave the Senate false information when he failed to note on a questionnaire that he had been questioned by the department's inspector general as part of a joint inquiry by the State Department and CIA into allegations that Iraq attempted to obtain uranium from Niger in Africa.

The State Department acknowledged the error in Bolton's statement.

Also, Sen. George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican, took to the floor and read a list of complaints by Bolton's subordinates who said he had a reputation of bullying his colleagues, taking facts out of context and exaggerating intelligence.

Carl Ford, the former chief of the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research, called Bolton "a quintessential kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy" and a "serial abuser" of subordinates.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's becoming the end of the rubberstamp era. Good for Lincoln Chafee on blocking Bolton, the Bush stamp.

[liberal N proud]

22. Voinovich didn't want his nomination to go forward the first time

But there must have been some arm twisting.

[AIJ Alom]

23. And now Chafee won't even allow it to get out of a committee.

He has discovered his conscience and rebuffed the party that has used and abused him. Our nation is becoming more blue by the second. The lame duck Congress will not cooperate with the Chief Lame Duck.

[Tellurian]

25. You don't know what you're talking about!

Chafee has always opposed Bush!
He's the old time Eisenhower republican.

He voted AGAINST the Iraq WAR!

He's NEVER been used or abused. He's always stood for what he believes in.
His record is stellar, something he will aways be proud of..

I'm hoping he runs for governor of our state, after he turn Demo or Indy!

[spiral]

31. chafee

i second the motion

[qanda]

24. What is it with this "Dems" stuff

Am I just now noticing this or have we always been referred to as Dems?

[rodeodance]

27. US envoy to UN 'set to lose job'

go to website to see a photo of Bush at the UN (not flattering te he)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6134734.stm

Last Updated: Friday, 10 November 2006, 11:37 GMT
US envoy to UN 'set to lose job'
...........
PHoto caption:
George W Bush lifts his hand to vote as John Bolton looks on
Mr Bolton's nomination was due to be reviewed by the end of the year
The US envoy to the UN, John Bolton, looks set to lose his job after the Democrats' victory in mid-term polls.
......


Mr Bolton was appointed to the post during a Congressional recess after his nomination stalled in the Senate.

The White House wants Mr Bolton to stay at the UN, but the chances are slim of him being backed by the Senate.

.......
Mr Bolton's appointment in August 2005 was a procedural manoeuvre which avoided the need for him to be confirmed until the end of this year.

That procedure cannot be repeated, and the new climate in Congress appears to rule out winning a two-thirds majority of senators.

President Bush has formally asked for Mr Bolton to be confirmed during the final session of the outgoing Senate.

Climate change .......

[SAXMAR]

28. Realistic UN Envoy Candidates

So if Bolton is rejected who will be nominated and possibly get Senate approval. Colin Powell comes to mind.

[Marie26]

29. Well, that was quick.

I have the sudden urge to stand in front of Bolton, point & laugh my ass off. Thanks Chafee!

[Vidar]

30. I'm pleased the Dems have the courage to back Chafee.

Another demon vanquished.