Democrats to Allow Panel to Vote on Bolton

[Freddie Stubbs]

It's still unclear what undecided Republicans will do when a Senate committee acts this week on the nominee for ambassador to the U.N.

By Mary Curtius, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats, who have stalled the nomination of John R. Bolton to be U.N. ambassador for three weeks, said Tuesday they would not seek new delays when the panel met this week, bringing Bolton a crucial step closer to a vote of the full Senate.

Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) said that although Democrats believed the Bush administration did not fully cooperate with the panel's investigation of Bolton, they planned to participate in a debate and vote scheduled by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday.

"We're not going to seek any delay," Biden, the senior Democrat on the committee, said in an interview after meeting with committee Democrats.

"That's good news," said Andy Fisher, spokesman for Committee Chairman Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), when told of Biden's comment. Fisher said Lugar believed that the committee would approve Bolton's nomination on a party-line vote, with 10 Republicans voting for him and eight Democrats voting against.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-bolton11may11,1,7318334.story?coll=la-headlines-politics

[Atman]

1. I'd think Biden had something up his sleeve if...

...he hadn't already demonstrated that he is a capitulating, grandstanding pussyboy.

[Dudley_DUright]

2. Yup, yet another in a long line of total surrenders

*sigh*

[Teaser]

3. Let's wait and see on this.

Biden has been exceptionally good on Bolton. He's earned the benefit of the doubt on this issue.

[halobeam]

5. While I hold my breath, cross my fingers...

light a candle, chant regularly, and bow my head in my most deepest prayer.... that this benefit of the doubt doesn't come back and bite us on the ass.

[Atman]

6. No, I believe he has only earned the "doubt"

"I think Condoleeza Rice is terrible choice! So I'll vote for her"

The bankruptcy bill...fuck him. He's looking out for his presidential ambitions, and if he crosses BushCo, they'll have three years to develop their game plan to destroy him.

[ElectroPrincess]

12. Yeah, and that letter Biden Signed for PNAC

is "very comforting" that his kiss assing of both Corporations and the Military Industrial machine - will not ever come to an end. But oh, isn't it so much fun to see him PRETEND to act tough with the Republican Majority prior to decision points.

Feigning kiss-up Asshole!

I despise him and Reid more than most radical right-wing Republicans ... at least with the RW nut cases you can see the knives coming at you. :grr:

[KoKo]

4. You said it. Biden always looks good out of the 'Starting Gate" but in

the end he caves. Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas hearings. He made a big fuss about it but in the end he caved by not allowing the last witness to verify Hill's comments to testify.

I hope I'm wrong this time...but what you say is what I've seen of him for years and years. Bloviating, preening...and in the end there's nothing there.

[Strawman]

11. Yep. He's gotten his face time on Meet the Press out of this

Mission accomplished. He looked like a very "muscular," "independent minded," "straight talker" on TV. That's all that matters.

[Roland99]

10. I dunno...I still think there's something behind the scenes here.

Perhaps some key GOP members are holding their cards close to their chest and the Dems know it.

[AlCzervik]

13. i hope you're right because if not the democrats

will look weak. Biden better have something.

[PATRICK]

24. So far

we have seen nothing but upfront strategies from the Dem leaders. So upfront that it is beyond disapppointing. It's scary. The OTHER side does the sneaky stuff which would not be all that powerful were it not for the above board, distracted, deflected and genuflected "opposition" in search of bi-partisanship as if someone had dropped it under the table.

Please let us know on LBN whenever some secret strategy has been successfully employed. The horrors and and surrenders we have seen are all we have got so far, besides the yeoman-like re-engagement with last line "invincible" issues.

The GOP swallows its brain and charcoals its soul and votes party line more than the Dems are even capable of doing.

[zipplewrath]

27. Filibuster

Nothing in the senate happens that isn't related to everything else. You'll never know. It could easily be that they've already lined up the filibuster in the senate by a democrat and ensured they have just enough republican votes (Lott is trying to protect his military bases from the closing commission) to ensure it doesn't move on. Question is what did the dems "give up" to get them on board? McCain could be in on this too, ya just never know.

[onehandle]

7. He'll be the highest serving freeper in the land. nt

[MadHound]

8. Another day, another Dem rolling over and pissing all over themselves

In order to please Bushco and their corporate masters.

Are you awake yet? Do you see the writing on the wall? Do you finally hear what I and my fellow left wing "whackos" have been screaming about for the past fifteen years?

We are no longer represented in this government that is supposedly of the people, by the people and for the people. We are living under the two party/same corporate master system of government, where our so called "leaders" care more about pleasing those who pay them, and leaving their voters and constituent to rot.

It is high time that we took back our government, while we still can. It is time to abandon this farce of a two party system, and to only vote for candidates who do not take corporate cash. That leaves Dennis Kucinich, the Greens, and a very few other principled politicians to vote for. Throw your support behind them, push hard for publicly financed election campaigns, and instant runoff voting. We have to persue these options if we are ever going to have a chance to get our country back.

Many people have been fooled by the good cop/bad cop play acting that has gone on for years now. It is time to wake up and realized that we the people have been fooled for way to long. It is time to take our country back.

[second edition]

9. I can't believe they are just going to let this one go!

I am so disappointed. Bolton is a bad, bad choice. So Bush will get what he wants again like a spoiled little boy.

[Zodiak]

14. Why be dissapointed? Did we expect more?

Why should we think otherwise? This pattern has been going on for four and a half years.

I agree with the good cop/bad cop analogy. We cannot rely on Democrats to save us; crossing our fingers has been met with zero reward as our freedoms, privacy, and economic stability have been undermined at every opportunity.

These are not brilliant political strategies; these are capitulations from Democrats who want to keep their seat at the "big table".

How many lines in the sand will we draw and run away from before we realize that this is a fool's game?

[w4rma]

15. Rubber-stamp Chafee is going down next year over this vote. (nt)

[ElectroPrincess]

17. Good point ...

If a DINO is running against a "less than" whacked-out Republican (more conservative than radical) I'm going to stay home on voting day.

I hope and pray the "We the little people" by sheer numbers and motivation, hand these DINO representatives their political asses. Unfortunately it's going to take perhaps a decade of Republican bullies ruling before Democratic Representatives find their spine. They won't have a voice.

Why can't they see that by placating the majority at the expense of the people will only make them LOSE the next election? Arrogant idiots! There's not enough spin on any of the corporate networks to encourage me to vote for a DINO.

I'm so ashamed of far too many of our Democratic Representatives. May they get exactly what they deserve for their dishonesty to the people they vowed to represent.

[Freddie Stubbs]

18. I'm not too sure this is the kind of thing that would bring down Chaffee

Most voters have no idea who Bolton is.

[w4rma]

28. It would not be hard to inform everyone in Rhode Island who Bolton is.

This is the smallest state in America we are talking about here. Everyone in Rhode Island could be informed of whom Bolton is for very very little money.

[Zhade]

30. So when does rubber-stamp Biden go down?

I mean, besides on his corporate masters and PNAC buddies?

[Toucano]

16. Bolton is necessary for Bush's next invasion.

My hope that we'll be able to block him is decreasing.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. How is he necessary?

Couldn't whomever he appoints do exactly what the administration wants done?

[paulk]

21. actually, I agree that Bolton is a major piece

in the puzzle for the neocon's plans. His abrasiveness and willingness to disregard intelligence makes him a perfect fit in the PNAC strategy of marginalizing the UN.

Making the UN irrelevent is a big part of the Bush junta's Iran policy. And Bush clearly thinks that Bolton, (and no one else) is the guy for the job.

[Hamsta1]

23. Bolton IS the PNAC

[Toucano]

22. Not entirely.

It can't be just anybody who will be able to accomplish the "reforms" that will be necessary to get the body to accept the fake evidence that will be presented against the next target, but I concede it doesn't have to be Bolton specifically.

The successful candidate will possess the following traits.

1. Must be a fervent true-believer. No half-assed Colin Powell types please.
2. Must have pre-existing sociopathic personality disorder. We're going to need some major bullying.
3. Must have absolutely no shred of conscience. Lot's of children are going to die.
4. We have to have enough dirt on you to make sure you remain loyal.

The pool of "qualified" candidates is pretty small, and Bolton fits the bill to a T.

[salin]

20. Maybe Biden read this:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000594.html

Clemons has been doing a great job on this issue. He declares that the stakes are very high on both sides on the Bolton issue... both sides of the GOP divide, that is. Interesting read... and if you have the time - poke around his other posts on the topic.

[PATRICK]

25. GOP conflicts of values

At the very best could be compared to Lee's choice of Virginia over country. In this case it is Bush over everything that is good and holy, much less the country. It is a wild bit of hypocrisy to accede to Bush's tantrum as a principle. Principle is voided in the terrible choice.

Putting men like that in critical positions affecting world relations is putting a loaded hair trigger to everyone's head when we desperately need bare competence just to tread water.

[jazzjunkysue]

26. God, I hope we have the votes.

[Mojorabbit]

29. Perhaps

he has read that Larry Flynt has said he has info on group sex parties and is just going to let it implode on it's own?

[ElectroPrincess]

31. Oh boy ... please let this be true!?!

These arrogant right wing warmongers often have little to no control over their libidos. IMO there's more "sex freaks" who are conservative than liberal.

Gosh, if this is true, the whorish corporate media is too "sensationalist driven" to ignore it.

As Flounder says in Animal House, "This is good!"

[phasev]

32. you know he's going to get the nomination

The democrats are really this impotent and Bolton will get the nomination. In the end this whole fiasco is just another waste of time.

Iraq War - failure
Medicare Prescription - failure
Alberto Gonzales nomination - failure
RealID - failure
Bankruptcy law - failure
Bolton Nomination - failure
Judicial filibusters - failure

Until we get majority seats there will be very little victories if any for the Democratic party. Just expect the worst to happen and put the energy in 2006.

[Dover]

33. .