This morning’s Los Angeles Times reports that a “unanimous vote against John R. Bolton is likely in a key Senate panel, which could doom the nomination if a Republican joins them.”
From this morning’s Democracy Now! which covers the nomination in great detail, including newly released video of a Bolton speech 10 years ago:
[I’ll quote this actual program script in full. The transcripts of the interviews mentioned below are not up yet. You can watch video or listen to the show now. NOTE the Web site below.]
The Los Angeles Times is reporting [Susan’s Note: GREAT STORY: READ IT — SUBSCRIPTION, FREE] that every Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to reject John Bolton’s nomination to be US ambassador to the United Nations. This would mark the first time that committee Democrats unanimously opposed a diplomatic selection by President Bush. It could also put Bush’s nomination in peril if any Republicans defected to vote against Bolton. Several groups opposed to Bolton have launched campaigns to urge Republican Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island to vote against his nomination. Chafee is the most moderate Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Meanwhile, a group of former U.S. diplomats and other high level officials have called for the Senate to reject John Bolton’s nomination to become the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 59 former diplomats and other officials have signed an open letter outlining their views to Senator Richard Lugar. Lugar is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which will hold hearings on Bolton’s nomination on April 7. Bolton has been one of the fiercest critics of the United Nations within the Bush administration. The letter to Senator Lugar states that Bolton “is the wrong man for this position” and cites Bolton’s insistence that the U.N. is valuable only when it directly serves the United States- as cause for concern. That view, they stated, would undermine negotiation efforts with other diplomats at the U.N. At the announcement of Bolton’s nomination on March 7th, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice described him as “a tough-minded diplomat” with “a proven track record of effective multilateralism.”
We are joined in the studio by one of the people who signed the letter to Senator Lugar, Spurgeon Keeny. We are also joined by Don Kraus who is the Executive Vice President of Citizens for Global Solutions. They have just released footage of John Bolton from more than 10 years ago where he was speaking at an event called the “Global Structures Convocation,” held on February 3, 1994 in New York.
- John Bolton, speaking in New York on Feb. 3, 1994 in New York.
- Spurgeon Keeny Jr., former deputy director of the U.S Arms Control and Disarmament agency under President Carter 1976-1981. He was one of the 59 who signed a letter to Senator Lugar urging the rejection of John Bolton as U.S Ambassador to the U.N.
- Don Kraus, Executive Vice President of Citizens for Global Solutions. The organization recently launched the website StopBolton.org.
… Then come the interviews, not transcribed yet, begin …
Again: You can watch video or listen to the show now.
Bolton statements played on Dem Now!:
“The point I want to leave with you in this very brief presentation is where I started. There is no United Nations. There is an international community that occasionally can be led by the only real power left in the world, and that’s the United States.”
“I think it would be a real mistake to count on the United Nations as if it is some disembodied entity out there that can function on its own.”
“The United nations would be a failure if the United States did not participate.”
“The United States makes the UN work when it wants it to work. And that is exactly the way it should be, because the only question, the only question for the United States is what’s in our national interest, and if you don’t like that, I’m sorry, but that is the fact.”
“The secretary building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost ten stories today, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.”
One republican, just one republican. I wonder who it might be? Chafee?
Damn, this man sure sends the completely wrong message to people everywhere (at least for those who care about a forum for discussions by the world community) .
I diaried on this yesterday and just to expand a bit on Susan’s piece above, I urge you to go to Stop Bolton which has really straightforward ways to oppose this nomination.
Particularly if you live in the states of Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Virginia or Wisconsin.
as they have Senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that will vote on Bolton.
Particularly Rhode Island, as apparently Sen.Chafee is the most likely Rep. to oppose and tie the committee at 9-9. (If all dems oppose). Thus killing the nomination.
California? The Senators are Boxer and Feinstein, both Democrats. And Susan’s story says the Dems are unanimous against this nomination.
Is a puzzlement.
Me too.
I had seen this comment in Susans Kos diary.
So call you folks in CA
but hadn’t seen the replies to it. As WWWWout says, take nothing for granted 🙂
I seem to recall from my CA friends that Boxer often says “undecided” for a while … Patty Murray does that too … but I’ll bet you my front tooth (or another tooth of your choosing) that she’ll vote no.
Just off the phone with Obama’s Chicago office. They’ve gotten only a few phone calls. (In comparison, their phones were quite busy over Abu Gonzo.)
Perhaps we’re becoming weary, or maybe the Schiavo circus had sucked out the oxygen, and our side needs to catch its breath.
How long before the vote?