Bush resubmits Bolton’s nomination to Senate; Update: Chafee will oppose Bolton

posted at 2:27 pm on November 9, 2006 by Allahpundit

I don’t get it. The plan supposedly is to try to push him through the lame-duck Republican-controlled Congress, but the Democrats have already filibustered him once before. They’re not going to let him sail through now when they kill the nomination in committee in January.

I think Newsmax had it right this morning. He’s DOA. Presumably Bush sent the nomination back up as a sop to the base, to force the Dems to shoot him down; after having handed them Rumsfeld’s scalp yesterday, he must know that we wouldn’t look kindly on Bolton getting thrown under the bus too. According to Andrea Koppel, reporting on this about a half hour ago for CNN, an aide to Biden is already expressing disappointment that Bush hasn’t embraced the new spirit of bipartisan yadda yadda.

Exit question: could he keep Bolton on with a second recess appointment? I heard someone on Fox say the other day that such a move would probably be legal — but that they might not be allowed to pay him a salary(!).

Update: Good ol’ Linc, dicking us over ’til the bitter end. I’m glad to see him go. But alas, Bolton is done:

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., who was defeated by Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday, told reporters in Rhode Island on Thursday that he would continue opposing Bolton. That would deny Republicans the votes they would need 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.

“I see no point in considering Mr. Bolton’s nomination again in the Foreign Relations Committee because regardless of what happens there, he is unlikely to be considered by the full Senate,” said Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

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Comment pages: 1 2

I thought that the Republicans in the House were the ones who wouldn’t go to bat for Bolton before? Am I confused? How transparent of a sop is this? (apologies for mixed metaphor…)

honora on November 10, 2006 at 10:55 AM

I dunno…call me crazy, but the policy wonks tell us that 87% of America’s Jews voted Dem this time: Bolton not only stands up for this country (almost unique in that respect), but he also stands up for Israel in the U.N.
Maybe Dem Jews will demand that he stay as well as we evil Christian righties.
What are they gonna say to Bork him? “He puts his hands on his hips when he gets mad?”

Jen the Neocon on November 9, 2006 at 8:35 PM

So I guess the conclusion is that Jews (like blacks) are too stupid to realize that Dem support is against their own best interest. Perhaps if we really, really concentrate and think really, really hard we can come up with another reason why these two groups, who have historically been the victims of prejudice*, stick with Dems?

(*And by prejudice, I don’t mean to equate the suffering of these folks to the unparallelled suffering today’s American white Christians endure…)

honora on November 10, 2006 at 11:00 AM

2 above, Senate, not House. Sorry.

honora on November 10, 2006 at 11:08 AM

Specter was a complete no-show for Santorum despite Rick sticking his neck out, and subsequently getting it chopped off, by siding with Specter against Toomey. cms

Here is an interesting column on that subject. I can’t link directly, you have to go to the citzenoutreach site, click on the “Uncommon Sense” blog, and then click on “Lots of Coservative Silver Linings on the left side. A pain in the rear way to get there but some great insights

entagor on November 10, 2006 at 11:44 AM

honora, the GOP has stood up for Israel every time, whereas the Dem party has sold them out numerous times!
Lessee, when did the Second Intifada start? Oh, yeah! After Clintoon failed to get Ehud Barak to give away all of Israel to Arafat!
Who was the one and only leader to visit the White House during the Clowntoon regency?
Oh yeah, Arafat, the jihadi murderer of Israeli Jews!
Why does Egypt get $2 billion in aid each and every year in return for their not killing Jews and Christians, although remaining a hotbed for jihadi insurgency? Oh yeah, the diplomacy of Jimmy Carter with the Camp David treaty.
Carter also enabled the criminal regime of Iran that we and Israel both are facing down today…
Speak not to me regarding why Jews should vote Republican…Ed Koch does, though, as does Ron Silver and maybe even Alan Dershowitz, because they know.
Israel had no greater friend than Tom Delay, whom the Dems destroyed.
As Zell Miller said, “I could go own and own and own….”

Jen the Neocon on November 10, 2006 at 12:18 PM

Grebrook=assclown
ROFL–love it, cms!
Delay, Rumsfeld, Frist, Santorum, Hayworth and Bolton–Fine men who served their country well.
It’s not just the GOP’s loss, it’s America’s loss.
But Mr. G. A*sclown is too pig ignorant to realize it.

Jen the Neocon on November 10, 2006 at 12:21 PM

Chafee was on local radio (WRKO-Boston) saying he was glad the Dems took over congress.

TheBigOldDog on November 10, 2006 at 12:22 PM

Just as I predicted in an earlier post [where did my post go?!?!]. Fat chance that Bolton would get through the Senate, and as Chafee has hinted that he too will be joining the democrats as has Bush, it was to be expected.

Impeach Bush!

DannoJyd on November 10, 2006 at 5:42 PM

Comment pages: 1 2