NEW: CSPAN TV is showing Bolton hrng, split-screen. (Well, it was.)
“Bolton is the poster child of what the diplomatic corps should not be.” (But he’ll vote him out of committee. Sigh.)
(Note: Voinovich’s speech is far deeper and more profound about our country’s foreign policy than that quote.) CNN/MSNBC covering it live now. MSNBC: “Stunning remarks this morning.” VOINOVICH has guts! Will vote NO! (ALERT: CSPAN3 (wtf?). Listen/watch via CSPAN online. CSPAN3 (video/audio). Laura at War and Piece wrote, “Senate Intelligence committee staff send word that tomorrow’s Bolton hearings by their fellow Foreign Relations committee should be interesting …” More below, with a NEW poll:
Update: One legitimate justification for requesting the US identities from NSA intercepts involves counterintelligence concerns. Did Bolton’s crew try to portray Fulton Armstrong and/or Christian Westermann as spies for Cuba? There seems to be a bizarre degree of extreme reluctance of Fleitz, Freedman and Bolton’s backers now to explain the particular subject at issue or their reason for their heated communications about it or their reluctance to discuss it. Such a witchhunt would constitute an unusually vicious way to attempt to retaliate against intel analysts one disagrees with, wouldn’t it?
Posted by Laura at May 11, 2005 10:14 PM
So, I’m guessing it’ll be on CSPAN2 starting at 10:00 tomorrow (05.12.05) morning.
Here’s the formal announcement of tomorrow’s hearing:
Foreign Relations
Business meeting to consider the nominations of
John Robert Bolton, of Maryland, to be the U.S.
Representative to the United Nations, with the
rank and status of Ambassador, and the U.S.
Representative in the Security Council of the
United Nations, and to be U.S. Representative to
the Sessions of the General Assembly of the
United Nations during his tenure of service as
U.S. Representative to the United Nations.
SD-419
Update [2005-5-12 6:36:43 by susanhbu]: From NBC First Read, May 12:
Here’s the NYT story for tomorrow:
By DOUGLAS JEHL
WASHINGTON, May 11 – With a vote scheduled Thursday on his contested nomination as ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton has told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that a policy maker should maintain the right to “state his own reading of the intelligence” even when it differs from that of intelligence agencies.
Mr. Bolton’s statement came in a written response to a written question from Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, a leading Democratic critic of the nomination, and was disclosed by Democrats legislators opposed to the nomination. They said they would cite it as evidence that Mr. Bolton would adopt a loose standard for accuracy in making statements based on intelligence. …
nice euphemism.
I’m against group think, but playing fast and loose with the facts doesn’t fall under the category of “independent intelligence analysis.”
Well, catnip and others will likely have a live-post. That’ll be interesting…
Time to pop the popcorn!
experts in the field with knowlege of sources and context, do they not.
If Bolton needed surgery would he offer his independent diagnosis after a team of specialists had presented their
diagnosis.
Did anyone read the Larry David letter in support of Bolton on Huffington’s new blog?
I know this may not sound politically correct, but as someone
who has abused and tormented employees and underlings for years,
I am dismayed by all of this yammering directed at John Bolton.
Let’s face it, the people who are screaming the loudest at Bolton
have never been a boss and have no idea what it’s like to deal
with nitwits as dumb as themselves all day long. Why, even
this morning my moronic assistant handed me a cup of coffee
with way too much milk in it. I was incensed.
[…]
OH gawd! That’s hilarious! Thanks, Sybil! Larry David is the best, and so is his wife.
http://ga4.org/campaign/boltonchafee/step1.tcl
TY! I’m so glad you posted this. I couldn’t find the link yesterday.
Should be a wild morning to say the least. Tried to call Chaffee’s office yesterday and got a voicemail box is full. Do any of us believe Chaffee will turn and do the right thing? I rather doubt it but one can hope. I pray just one of them will have a conscience.
Holy moley. …
just a half hour. I can’t wait. The last committee meeting was SPELLBINDING! (And I’m not kidding. More dramatic than “West Wing”!)
More from War and Piece:
Here’s the exchange between O’Connell, other staff (Bruce Brown seems to be a State Department attorney “representing” Fleitz), and Fleitz:
Can someone please explain to me what’s going on here? What is Freedman’s real role and why is Fleitz so reluctant to speak about it? I read the Freedman interview closely, go to the very last two pages, and he also refuses to answer why he might have been the recipient of the Fleitz email concerning Cuba intelligence/intelligence analysis. What’s going on here? Clearly something pretty sensitive.
Update: When O’Connell asks Fleitz why he sent the email to Freedman, and he refuses to answer, she asks again, is it because he is your buddy and he blogs?
So, is O’Connell being sarcastic here, or…did Freedman blog?
Just up at War and Piece:
Was Bolton looking for a Cuba mole? Here’s my read of the tea leaves surrounding the NSA intercepts and the barest hints from the staff and media reports of the aftermath of the briefing Senate Intelligence committee received, and here’s more from Steve Clemons. All eyes on the hearings starting at 10 this morning.
(I don’t see anything new from Raw Story on the Larry Flynt angle.)
Oh I am with you on that Susan. I am a resident manager at an apartment complex so I kept running up to my apartment to stay with what was happening. I am hoping for a slow day today so I can catch cspan. My heart is already racing in anticipation. Think Lugar will try to push for vote right out of the box like last time?
Another news junkie! I’m so irritated with Norm Coleman at the moment … he’s yappering while our hearts are racing in anticipation!
(Bad as having to sit through a long pre-meal prayer when you’re so hungry you just want to shove the dinner plate in your face!)
(I meant he’s yammering.)
…
I will say a prayer for you. No broken toilets, no leaky pipes, no appliances on the fritz … or anything else that may typically befall you!
LOL…thanks susan. Yeah…what’s up with Coleman? I expected fireworks in committee by now. Are they going to have a running thread on Dkos or here today? I get to watch for an hour before I have to get ready for work.
This is strange … why the delay?
(Take the new poll up yonder while you wait.)
did…trying to put positive vibe out there…lol.
Do you think delay is a good sign?
See my new alert .. it’s on CSPAN3, which I don’t get on TV. Dammit… but I’m listening to the audio feed. I put the link at the top of the diary.
Video working now. Go here.
Just checked the cable news on the off-chance. Hopes dashed again! CNN is showing a car chase though.
is a jerk.
What’s his story? I don’t know much about Lugar.
Now Lugar is picking apart Melody’s story … that she admitted that “chasing” might not be the best word … Oh, and Lugar points out, Bolton wasn’t a gov’t employee at the time! He was a private attorney. (And, most egregiously, she is a “liberal Democrat” who worked for Mothers Against Bush.)
Lugar says his staff has had trouble finding witnesses to the events. Now that is worrisome. Have any of you followed the story of her accusations? Are there holes in her story?
don’t know where he’s going with this … he has concerns…
I think he is going to vote no, sounds like it…..
HOLY COW!
What a man of integrity. He reminds of me the fine Republicans I grew up around (decades ago).
Looks like Bolton is done!!!
But my mouse just broke 🙁
Shit … do you have a store nearby?
Darcy has one of those wireless ones at work. Kinda cool!
No and my wife is at work with the car.
Actually, only my roll-bar broke, but it is making me more insane than John Bolton.
I wonder if — aside from Voinovich’s own concerns and his integrity — the GOP internecine campaign against him BACKFIRED.
They ran nasty ads against V. in his own state. That is so low.
I am so happy for at least one minute here, that a Republican is willing to stand up and tell the truth.
Sorry about your mouse, Booman.
Is Voinovich’s vote enough to keep him from getting out of committee?
3 cheers for Voinovich
Oh he is good today…….
Yeah. Why did he sound so drained at first … was it because he almost thought there, for a second, that Voinovich would vote no in committee?
(Btw, on Kos someone said that sending Bolton to the floor without a recommendation is often the kiss of death. But, I fear that Bolton will make it through the Senate easily. V. really needed to vote NO in committtee to end this. So his speech, while incredibly strong and thoughtful, was just that. A speech. )
Am I wrong? Oh god I hope so.
WEll we just have to see this play out and hope for a no vote or two on the Rep. side. At least this is all getting out on cable and the people will know something of what is going on in Congress and with the Reps..
Lugar looks ill and uncomfortable.
It may be good that this will go to the floor and then Dems can say over and over the case against him and the Reps. can say over and over, they don’t care they will still vote for him.
This all in all is very damaging to the Pres. I think, that he would continue to support this man, who needs supervising.
Norah McDonald (host) reg. Voinovich’s statment, this is a knock your socks off moment. They are already doing an analysis of what it means. Called his statement scathing against Bolton. She is now disceting Voinovich’s statement and it doesn’t sound to good for Bolton’s side.
Yesterday she was named Chief Correspondent for the White House or some BS position like that. She was all POOFY with pride about it.
I wonder if Rush dates her too.
Gee whiz. Bush is having a press announcement right now .. timing is everything.
I am going crazy with flipping channels, listening to Cspan on internet, tv, sounds up and down, boy this is a fun day.
Timing for the press conference is interesting, isn’t it, I bet he will get questions from press, if he takes questions, reg. Bolton, so I have to listen to both, oops I guess no questions, it’s over.
BTW Biden is talking too long, he needs to let Kerry and others talk and I can’t wait to see what other Reps. will say.
Who said — was it you — that this thing is going to go on for five hours.
Gawd, I don’t want to listen to five hours. But, when the vote comes, I’d like to listen. (However, we all know what will happen .. sigh.)
that said 5 hours, but it’s supposed to go on for awhile without a break, that’s what I saw or heard somewhere.
I lost connection with Booman on my Opera browser, so after emailing Booman, I tried firefox and now have connection.
I was so disgusted with Allen, saying it’s all about the UN and not Bolton.
Also cannot stand Monica Crowley msmbc any more, she is so dense with her narrow minded opinion she spouts all over the place. Is she paid by the White house?
Discussion on that station was the Dems. are doing this to assert power and etc. what bull.
Allen is a t-rd.
MSNBC sure is featuring Ron Reagan and Crowley a lot. Seems they’re on every time I tune in. Hope they get paid a lot.
Reagan is so rational. Maybe he’ll run for office in WA state someday. A girl can hope.
have two shows every day, our time pacific, is 9 and 2.
Yes I would like to see Ron run for some office, he is so balanced and he is registered Independent.
It is bolder than I thought it would be.
Just this information alone is embarassing to
Bush. That he would dare nominate this under-under-under
qualified bully is outrageous. Oh that word does not work
with the Bush admin anymore.
Senator Dodd is on to the White House, he wants to move
on to more useful work.
Wow. CNN’s back to the car chase .. the LA cops shot a guy on live teevee!
But, thank god, they tastefully only showed the first shot that hit him.
I missed that last part of his statement, what did he end up saying….?
All the cable stations are saying Dems. trying to make a lame duck president!!!!!!!!!!!
More information…pleeeeeease! This poor girl cannot get out of office right now. Who is saying what? What did Chaffee say? God I want him to do the right thing. When they showed ealier he looked really awful, as if he hadn’t slept in two weeks.
Voinovich was the key. He gave an extremely powerful indictment of Bolton — detailed and thoughtful — but, in the end, he said he’d vote yes in committee and let the full Senate decide on Bolton’s nomination.
Biden spoke a length … and now Russ Feingold is speaking.
The GOP speakers are dwelling on the Melody Townsend (sp?) story because they’ve managed, they feel, to discredit her. THe Democrats, best I can tell, haven’t mentioned her… they’ve concentrated on the testimony of Ford before the committee last month, and new info that affirms their concerns about Bolton.
check DK they are doing a lot more commenting on that site. Chaffee said he will not reccommend but will not vote no for sending to the floor.
Coleman sounded like the WH wrote his statement, Allen sound like his father wrote his statement.
Chaffee was not favorable to Bolton, it did not seem to me.
Finegold speaking now.
Uhoh, Biden just got some papers handed to him by staff, wonder what’s in them, maybe some more evidence.
Pretty much they are saying what they said at the last hearing, on the Dem. side so far.
What twist is he going to take looks so far like he’s just going to talk about the committee, can’t see exactly where he is going with this.
Says committe is not partisan,….I just have this tiny feeling that he may be jumping ship on this nomination, will see, can’t wait.
I meant Hagel, not Lugar.
Hagel slapped Allen pretty hard.
I missed that. What did he say?
I really loathe Allen. Oh, I said that already.
He said that he didn’t think Jeanne Kirkpatrick, George H.W. Bush, etc. considered themselves milquetoast teadrinkers.
split-screen with House coverage.
CSPAN2 is showing Robert Byrd giving a very strange speech.
what’s Byrd waving around? Is that Bolton’s little black book?
(and what’s the topic?)
the constitution. This is the opening of the filibuster debate. Byrd offered an amendment, it was just ruled ungermane.
CSPAN1 went back to House coverage … maybe they’ll return to Senate soon?
And, this new Kos diary on the live hearings has a summary of all the speakers so far.
makes me ill, the only charge of merit (he says) is that he was rude to his staff, and senators are rude also, so that is no problem.
He got his speech from the WH also, or maye the WC as in Water closet.
He supports Bolton with fervor.
This is very funny two press conferences (Bush and Rumseld) in less than 2 hours to divert the attention away from hearing, I would guess.
Obamma speaking now and sounds good as usual.
Thanks to all here trying to keep us updated. I take lunch about 1/2 hour from now so hope they do not do lunch/break at same time. I am longing to hear from Boxer. You are doing a great job Boo, Diane101 and Susan. Thanks again.
She said there will be a fight if this nomination goes to the floor. She was good as usual.
Sununu is on now and he got his speech from the DOD and Rice. He again says allegations against Bolton are not true, I think that is what he is saying.
Obfuscating is going on big time with the Reps. Now dismissing Westerman claims, says Westerman was wrong, not Bolton…..
That’s the best I can do with the Sununu statement.
I kept thinking ‘is she going to say she does not support the recommend>” but yet she didn’t, even tho she was very disturbed at some of his behaviors.
Martinez just lied, I think, about what Armitage said reg. Bolton, Armitage did not like Bolton and did not deem him satisfactory by any regards, is what I have heard. Powell sent Armitage to deal with Bolton.
Cannot stand this bull coming out of Martinez, “great guy Bolton,”.
On the one hand I support the president’s nominee
on the other hand his behaviour is very bad but
on the other hand he is the president’s nominee
on the other hand though will he properly represent the US
but.
sickening
I think that it may be the best thing that this goes to the floor for debate as that will bring this before the country for a longer time as it may expose some things about Bush Aministration i.e. bolton’s manuevering.
I should add. Glad this hearing is over, now for the discecting by the pundits.
Thanks again to all for keeping up on this. I made it home for lunch in time to hear last of Biden’s remarks and the vote. I have this deep sinking feeling in my gut and a lump so big in my throat it is a good thing I am typing instead of talking. At this point I don’t think I would be able to get the words out verbally. The vote goes through without recommendation. Is that a draw? God, I am at a loss. Our side fought so hard to squash this loose cannon and some repub members gave us hope and then they still vote yes. What has become of the country I so dearly loved? I no longer recognise it? I am deeply saddened by todays events. Sorry to be such a downer friends but where do we go from here? Is this the beginning of the end of the two party system?
I think this is a small victory for Dems. and I think they(Reps) voted to not recommend because there are others who are caving on this nomination. All in all I think it was a good day for Dems. and it may be a good thing to have this go the floor for debate, that will be covered by cspan and many more will see just what kind of man Bush wants to put in the UN.
It’s not over Aloha, and I personally think if he gets through it will be a squeak at best. Bush is definitely weaker regarding this nomination and that was his mistake and maybe we can turn this into our victory. One more crack in his armor for the world and US people to see.
Thanks Diane…sure hope you are right. Gotta go back to the office. Thanks again folks.
I think you will see at least six moderate republicans vote against this nomination. I believe that many moderates in the GOP are seeing exactly what the Reichwingers are up to and are becoming disgusted. I can only hope that the moderates take back the party of Lincoln and help restore the USA to its founding roots, a democratically elected republic. I was amazed to hear the motion was to submit the nominee to the floor of the Senate without recommendation. It still split down party lines, but I think it saved murky, voinivich and chaffee the embarassment of voting against the nomination in committee. I believe these three will move against this nomination on the Senate floor. Only time will tell. I see this a small victory in the gigantic stuggle to reclaim our republic.