Bolton Moves to Senate Floor Vote

With no surprise, Bolton's nomination was passed out of committee yesterday without recommendation. The vote was again on party lines (10-8). The one surprise for me was how vociferously Republican, Senator George V. Voinovich of Ohio, spoke out against Bolton, and how little opposition Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) presented. Lugar who is an ardent "internationalist" who believes in fostering ties with allies did show some subtle indication of his disapproval by repeatedly calling Mr. Bolton the "presidents choice."

I was able to see some of the hearings yesterday on C-Span (yes, I know, I'm a polinerd). Voinovich, while agreeing to vote Bolton out of committee, laid into Bolton for his temperament and lack of credibility.

"I'm afraid that his confirmation will tell the world that we're not dedicated to repairing our relationships or working as a team, but that we believe only someone with sharp elbows can deal properly with the international community,"

"What message are we sending to the world community?" Mr. Voinovich said of Mr. Bolton's nomination, when "we have sought to appoint an ambassador to the United Nations who himself has been accused of being arrogant, of not listening to his friends, of acting unilaterally, and of bullying those who do not have ability to properly defend themselves. Those are the very characteristics that we are trying to dispel."

"The United States can do better than John Bolton," Voinovich said.

Dick Lugar was much more mellow

"Secretary Bolton's actions were not always exemplary," Mr. Lugar said. "On several occasion, he made incorrect assumptions about the behavior and motivations of subordinates. At other times, he failed to use proper managerial channels or unnecessarily personalized internal disputes. The picture is one of an aggressive policy maker who pressed his missions at every opportunity and argued vociferously for his point of view. In the process, his blunt style alienated some colleagues. But there is no evidence that he has broken laws or engaged in serious ethical misconduct."

I give Bolton a 95% chance of passing the floor vote, but I am still hoping there are some moderate Republican Senators who can see what needs to be done to repair relationships and how Bolton will only create more of a divide.



Nominee for U.N. Moves to Senate; No Endorsement

One Slim Win After Another for Bush