Bolton Nomination Looks Dead

[zimv20]

washpost (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/09/AR2006110901185.html)


U.S. ambassador to the United Nations John R. Bolton's prospects for staying on past the end of the year appeared dead today after a crucial Republican senator said he would continue to block the nomination and a leading Democratic lawmaker said he saw "no point" in considering it again.

The developments were yet another blow to the Bush administration two days after Republicans lost control of Congress in the midterm elections and the day after President Bush replaced embattled Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a pivotal vote on the controversial Bolton nomination, announced today he would continue his opposition to the confirmation. Chafee lost his Senate seat in Tuesday's midterm elections and later said voters had shown their "rage" at the Bush administration.

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," Chafee told reporters in Rhode Island, according to news agency reports. "And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoke out against."

The White House resubmitted Bolton's nomination to the Senate today in a last-ditch effort to get him confirmed before the new Congress takes power.

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good on chafee. bad on bush for the resubmission. guess his bipartisanship spirit lasted only a day.

[Ugg]

good on chafee. bad on bush for the resubmission. guess his bipartisanship spirit lasted only a day.

Yep, this is the first battle of many to come. The thing is, Bolton is pure pond scum. It surprises me in a way because Gates seems assured of getting rummy's job.

[clevin]

i always admire Chafee, he is a great senator, such a waste for GOP, he would be a great democrat senator, current GOP is totally inconsistence with his idea, he should jump ship ASAP.

[zimv20]

you may get your wish (http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/11/09/chafee_unsure_of_staying_with_gop_after_losing_election/):

Chafee unsure of staying with GOP after losing election

PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Two days after losing a bid for a second term in an election seen as a referendum on President Bush and the Republican Party, Sen. Lincoln Chafee said he was unsure whether he'd remain a Republican.

"I haven't made any decisions. I just haven't even thought about where my place is," Chafee said at a news conference Thursday when asked whether he would stick with the Republican Party or switch to be an independent or Democrat.

When asked if his comments meant he thought he might not belong in the Republican Party, he replied: "That's fair."

Chafee, 53, is the most liberal Republican in the Senate and was the sole Senate Republican to vote against the war in Iraq. That was not enough to save his seat against the winner, Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse, who shared many of Chafee's views but was a member of the dominant party in a state where Democrats far outnumber Republicans.

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[clevin]

great, I will be waiting.

[pseudobrit]

I wonder if Chafee would be considering this change if he'd won reelection.

Furthermore, I wonder if he'd switch if he won and the GOP lost the Senate anyway, at the expense of another seat.

[clevin]

I wonder if Chafee would be considering this change if he'd won reelection.
Furthermore, I wonder if he'd switch if he won and the GOP lost the Senate anyway, at the expense of another seat.
I believe he would even if he had won, but would be later, and slower, RI is going blue, and GOP is more and more intolerant for him. there really no reason for him to stay there.

lets all write email to him ask him to switch party, so when Jack Reed retire, he would come back, Sen. Reed is almost 70, might retire in 09.

[Thomas Veil]

I don't know his positions on a lot of things. I know he's anti-war, but in other areas he could turn out to be just another Lieberman.

Still, if they think it's worthwhile, I hope the Democratic leadership will make overtures to Chaffee to show him that he would be welcome.

[solvs]

Sorry to see Chaffee go, he was one of the good ones. Hoping even if he doesn't jump ship, he gets back in the game somewhere. Not sorry to see Bolton go. He's the worst person for his job, and there's no way he'll be confirmed. No way.

Maybe they should see if Chaffee wants the job. :D