Rice w/withhold Bolton NSA transcripts - EMAIL JOE BIDEN HERE

[cyberpj]

Rice's Reason for Withholding Bolton Files: A Chilling Effect

By DOUGLAS JEHL
Published: May 9, 2005
WASHINGTON, May 8 - The State Department is refusing to make public internal documents sought by Senate Democrats in their attempt to seek more information about repeated clashes between John R. Bolton and American intelligence agencies over Syria, administration officials say.

In rejecting the request, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said that the information involves "internal deliberations" and their disclosure could have a chilling effect on debates within the administration.

The decision was spelled out in a letter that Ms. Rice sent Friday to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is evaluating the administration's nomination of Mr. Bolton to be the United States ambassador to the United Nations. Republicans on the panel had declined to endorse the Democratic request, but the State Department had not previously made its position clear.

The decision by Ms. Rice prompted a sharp new protest from Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the top Democrat on the panel, who described the move as a lack of cooperation by the administration into the panel's examination of Mr. Bolton.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/09/politics/09bolton.html

==============================================
The next meeting on this isn't until Thursday at 10am so we have plenty of time to tell Joe to hold his ground.

[email protected]

[BR_Parkway]

1. Well, the simple solution would be to say "Sorry, without that info

we can't support this nominee, find another one".

not that I'm holding my breath

[cyberpj]

7. Here is a site to contact Harry Reid as well

it wouldn't hurt to suggest he support Biden and the Dems on the committee -

http://reid.senate.gov/

[cyberpj]

16. The pressure this administration has on the entire US congress is unreal

How long can this go on?

[Tesla]

2. done

sent him an email already.
Com'on DU, we need to use our voices.

We accomplished what seemed to be the impossible for Andy, lets do it for the rest of the country.

Someone has to do it!!!

[cyberpj]

10. Thanks - It's true - we have POWER IN NUMBERS if we only use it.

Also nominate if you can to get this on the front page.

[tmooses]

3. Does the release of these documents to the committee have to

be made public? If they're so sensitive (I don't believe that for a second) why can't they just be released to the members of the committee
without being made public. Just doesn't make any sense.

[cyberpj]

11. Don't know for sure but I have seen other committees keep docs private -

In fact, it's happened more often than not in this administration.

[gratuitous]

4. Judge our nominee on the record

But sorry, you can't see his record. Judge him on having the biggest, ugliest goddam mustache you've ever seen! On that alone, he puts Adlai Stevenson AND Jeane Kirkpatrick to shame. Vote "yes" for Bolton as UN ambassador.

Sit back and watch your worst estimations of the Senate's collective intelligence confirmed.

[saltpoint]

5. 'Have just sent the following to all members of the Foreign Relations --

-- Committee:

----
Honorable _____
United States Senate

Dear Senator _____:

Dr. Rice's obstinacy in withholding information regarding John Bolton is in my view tantamount to treason.

It is appalling that the Foreign Relations Committee should be told 'no' to a prudent request when so much is at stake.

I ask you to vehemently oppose Bolton's nomination for any number of reasons, Dr. Rice's treasonous stonewalling not least among them.

Thank you for your consideration.

_____

----

My personal take is that John Bolton is a nihilist. I don't think nihilists should be conducting U.S. diplomacy at the United Nations.

[cyberpj]

8. Excellent. Here's LINK TO the list of FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE MEMB

http://foreign.senate.gov/about.html

You have to click on each one and then locate their contact info - unless someone knows of an easier way........

We really need to fight this - it will be considered a major loss (finally) for Bush!

[saltpoint]

18. You're absolutely right on all counts. I'm good for email letters --

-- tomorrow and Wednesday, once again to all members of the Committee.

Lugar himself was screwed out of the Foreign Relations Committee when Jesse Helms wrangled for that post. Helms' advisor and strategist for that screwjob on Lugar was John Bolton.

It would be VERY interesting to know what Rove promised Lugar to shove this nomination thru to the full Senate.

[cyberpj]

9. Or you can PHONE the committee to express your thoughts:

Committee Contact Information

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-6225

Majority Phone: [phone]
Minority Phone: [phone]

http://foreign.senate.gov/contact.html

[pk_du]

6. Done! - Webform email also available here if you prefer...

http://biden.senate.gov/contact/emailjoe.cfm

[dicknbush]

12. I will do this but I have to think the fix is in unless Chafee,Voinovich e

Get some back bone. I am sure since the last fiasco Bush does not want a repeat of that incident. I guarentee that since they shut the committe down there has been some serious stuff going on in the back room against Voinovich (We will put a republican up aginst you in primary?) Against Chafee (we will take away your milk supsidies?) etc etc. So I suspect the Republicans will get in line and do what they are told as usuall and this psycho is going to the UN.

[cyberpj]

13. I know exactly what you're saying. The backroom tactics must be severe-

and Bush dynasty has a LOT of power.

But I think we still need to voice our objections so they see how many of us are paying attention.

Thanks for adding yours.

[pgh_dem]

14. Voinovich/Chafee

V doesn't have to worry about reelection until 2010, even if he is interested (he'll be 74 years old). Chafee is up for re-election in 2006. I still think V and C made a deal, so C could avoid a vote which could damage him with moderate RI voters, and at the same time not alienate the Repub fundraising apparatus.

I think they'll both vote for Bolton on Thursday, and try to spin it like "Look, we took some extra time, and we didn't see any evidence supporting a reason not to give * what he wants". The fact that the evidence was withheld will be forgotten by Nov 2006.

[burythehatchet]

15. My gut tells me that what they would find in those documents

would implicate cheney in a criminal act of treason

[0007]

17. My stomach just answered your suspicions. n/t

[Disturbed]

20. Sent email.

Without those Docs I feel that the Committee should pass on this nominee.

[MassLiberal]

19. done

Emails to Biden and Reid.