Lugar: Bolton Nomination Likely to Pass Committee

[stevedeshazer]

Sun Apr 17, 8:54 PM ET

New allegations of bureaucratic bullying are unlikely to change minds on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations committee over whether to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, the Republican chairman said on Sunday.

Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana said he would press ahead with the committee vote set for Tuesday, while the leading Democrat on the panel, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, said Democrats were waiting for further responses from Bolton before deciding whether to demand more hearings.

"Hopefully not, but we're waiting for Bolton's answers to find out whether or not he's giving us honest responses," Biden said on "Fox News Sunday."

"I think his credibility is in question," he added.

more: http://beta.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050418/pl_nm/bush_bolton_dc

[AuntiBush]

1. Don't' think this country can take any more surprises!

Then again, nuttin' surprises me anymore.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Nothing Without Hope]

4. Actually, Biden has been a good player this time

As can be seen in the posts in the larger thread linked to in the next post - especially the replies near the end - he has emailed dozens of DC reporters the letter by Bolton accuser Melody Townsel and continues to argue against Bolton's confirmation. Especially see the LA Times article.

Could he have done more, yes. But he's not been so bad this time as he was before. Maybe he didn't like the backlash?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

6. Or maybe he's tossing a token vote of dissent to the unwashed masses.

Sorry...IF, over time, Biden reverses the extremely unfortunate trend HE HIMSELF has created over the last few years, I'll eat my statements. With tartar sauce and a wedge of lemon.

Until then, I'm standing firmly behind the "WHORE" label.

BUT...the good news is that it's just little old me, expressing my personal opinion.

:toast:

[Nothing Without Hope]

8. Yeah, given some of his past antics, I'm rather surprised at his

opposition to Bolton. Putting the most positive spin on it all, perhaps it shows just how horrible a candidate Bolton really is, that Biden would actually side with the progressive Democrats on this vote and make some effort to publicize some of the accusations.

It's not clear to me whether he could have prolonged the committee hearings and done more to locate corroborating witnesses to the accusations made by Melody Townsel. The Repubs are saying she's lying (using nicer words in public, but that's what they mean) and imply this is because she opposes Bush. Could Biden have done more? I'd like to know. He DID, at the last minute, email dozens of Wash DC reporters copies of Ms. Townsel's amazing letter of accusation, which he didn't have to do. And he is still speaking against the nomination.

There is no doubt that Bolton is a total disaster in every way, and that the country will pay a huge price in what is left of its credibility and reputation because of him.

And hey, if opinions were banished from DU, what would be left?
ZZZZZZZZZZ :boring: zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So I vote for opinions! :toast:

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Also see this thread on the Bolton nomination and the accusations

especially those by Melody Townsel. The various newspaper articles, sound files, and other sites are continuing to be added:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1727593
Title: From a Kos diary: 'Horrifying, personal John Bolton story"

[Kool Kitty]

5. At first, I was going to say

"Un-fuckin' believable", but, you know-it isn't. This happens every time that W wants to give one his scumbag pals a job. The democrats say "NO! NO! A Thousand times no! Oh, well, okay." I would expect that some of the repubs might say no, there have to be one or two that can see how crappy these nominees are, right? But the democrats protest and then give in. Why does this happen practically every time?

[NYC]

7. It isn't at all unbelievable.

If they could resurrect Hitler, they'd put him in charge of something.

It doesn't matter how bad someone is, or how unsuitable he is for the job, if he's bad for America, he'll get the job.

[Kool Kitty]

9. Ain't that the truth?

Sometimes I think that this administration goes through a list and says, who is the most UNSUITABLE person for this job? And then they get that person on the phone.

[NYC]

10. Who can do the most damage?

That's what I sincerely believe they want.

It's one thing to have an opposing party controlling the government. It's quite another when the government is actively destroying the country.

[stevedeshazer]

11. This is true

The BFEE will sink to any level, and some Dems (not all) will jump overboard with them.