The 'Do-Nothing' Democrats Getting It Done

[WilliamPitt]

It seems the minority still has some clout after all.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/041305W.shtml

Senate Committee Delays Vote on Bolton
By Barry Schweid
The Associated Press

Wednesday 13 April 2005

Washington - President Bush's drive to make John R. Bolton the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations got sidetracked Wednesday as Senate Democrats forced a delay until next week of an important confirmation vote. In buying time, they hoped to win over a pivotal Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, by amassing evidence that Bolton harassed U.S. officials who challenged his judgment on weapons issues.

Chafee said Wednesday he is leaning toward supporting Bolton, which would all but assure Bolton's confirmation. Bolton, currently the undersecretary of state, has rejected the accusations. A committee vote, tentatively planned for Thursday, was scrubbed after Democrats objected, said Andy Fisher, spokesman for the chairman, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.

Under Senate rules, at least one Democratic senator has to attend a meeting for a vote to occur. Democrats want further questioning of Bolton in writing and they are seeking testimony by three U.S. officials on what lawmakers said were Bolton's efforts to remove the dissenting analysts.

...more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52963-2005Apr14.html

Senator to Block Vote on Bush EPA Nominee

By John Heilprin
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 14, 2005; 11:29 AM

Frustrated by the Bush administration's air pollution policies, Democratic Sen. Thomas Carper plans to block the Senate from confirming President Bush's nominee to become administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Delaware senator is "going to place a hold on the nomination of Stephen Johnson to be head of the EPA," Carper's spokesman, Bill Ghent, said Thursday. All senators have the power to hold up the confirmation of a nominee.

The White House had no immediate comment.

Carper has complained about what he describes as stonewalling by the White House and EPA over data requested during the past several years on various legislative proposals aimed at cutting pollution from power plants.

...more...

[gratuitous]

1. Yes indeed!

Memo to Tom Daschle: This is what you could have done 2002-04. And if you had, you just might have been Majority Leader right now.

[FreedomAngel82]

5. I LOVE Harry Reid

He's the best! Sure I was disappointed in the bankruptcy bill (:mad:) but he's still doing a good job. And how typical of Bolton to be threatning people to vote for him. :eyes: That's how the republicans work. If you can't get your way whine and threaten. Asshole.

[IrateCitizen]

2. Good, and good.

I'm glad to see this. It helps me retain at least a sliver of hope against all reality to the contrary when the Dems can band together to hold up a nominee as utterly reactionary and repellent as John Bolton.

As for the EPA hearings, that may be a bit more significant because he's not nearly as controversial.

[kentuck]

3. This is good but...

I wish they were as effective on the "big" issues. Bankruptcy. War. Taxes. etc.

[Jo March]

6. I think that they are finding their spines again and are hearing us

I keep saying it over and over but we have to manage up.

We want them to do their jobs? Then we need to by golly TELL them what we want them to do. In the past, we just sat back and hoped that they would understand the meaning of the (D) behind their names.

No more. We have to manage up - tell them what we want and make them do it.

[HereSince1628]

7. I could be very wrong but I think this IS an issue of war.

Bolton is one of the Hawkiest neocons on planet USA.

In his role as UN Ambassador I doubt he would do much of anything other than try to build coalitions to enable further pre-emptive military activity.

[kentuck]

10. It is an important issue but...

relatively speaking, not at the top of our agenda, in my opinion. But we will take our victories wherever we can get them. :)

[thefloyd]

12. I agree with you 100%

I think the Bolton nomination is a strong signal Bushco is going after Iran.

[bloom]

13. Worldwide Diplomacy (and our role in it) and the Environment (pollution)

Are the big issues. To me.


Getting corporations out of the gov't is part of it - and wrapped up with these things also.

[kentuck]

4. delete

dupe

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

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

[PuraVidaDreamin]

11. Yeah, just like they delayed condasleezy.

He's in. The bastards just keep F'in us in the A

[WilliamPitt]

15. Perhaps

But it also gives the good people of RI another week to jump up and down on Chafee and remind him of the hard run he is facing next year.

[blm]

16. Of COURSE you were told that. I hear inside stuff from Republicans all

the time, too.

[DemBeans]

9. it's encouraging

These are two reprehensible nominations - as usual - and I'm glad to see some unity in the party to try to block them.

[quiet.american]

14. Why does it take SO MUCH to convince Repubs of the obvious!

This is a no-brainer, and Democrats have to assemble evidence worthy of a CSI team to convince this Lincoln Chafee he should not vote for anti-UN, abuse-of-power nominee Bolton!

Chafee is not worthy of his first name if he is "leaning towards Bolton."

But God bless the Democrats for pulling out all the stops and doing what they have to do.