By Steve Clemons

Today, I will be on the Al Franken Show on Air America Radio at 1 p.m. discussing John Bolton and the state of play over his nomination at this point. Then at 1:30 p.m.

Senator Frist isn’t going to co-mingle judges and John Bolton again. This week he is pushing to judicial nominations: Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor.

I only have a few moments as I have to meet an important source shortly on Capitol Hill. However, I want to make a couple of quick points. First, the White House is attempting to get reporters to parrot the line that the stand against cloture on Bolton is weak.

John Bolton so irritated British negotiators who were working on a resolution to Libya’s WMD programs that they asked the American team on Libya to remove John Bolton from the case. Bolton was dropped.

This weekend, Senator Joseph Biden was quoted as saying that the Dems probably did not have enough votes to block John Bolton’s nomination — but he also said that they were going to keep insisting that the White House turn over requested documents.

John Bolton has now been displaced by the newly confirmed Under Secretary of State for International Security and Arms Control Robert Joseph — himself a bit controversial for having worked hard to insert the “Niger Uranium claim” into the President’s State of the Union Address.

Let’s work that Senate vote count again. . . 41 Senators (less Frist) voted against cloture on Bolton. Mark Pryor and Mary Landrieu bring those opposed to Bolton to 43. Inouye — who was absent — makes it 44. George Voinovich and John Thune bring the Nays to 46.

Open thread time. You commenters have been impressing me, and educating me. Many thanks. Just as interesting side point, I really do like The Belgravia Dispatch. It’s straightforward, pulls no punches — and agrees with TWN about half the time — which makes things interesting.

Well. . .we win then anyway. There are many who go somewhat haywire with the thought that John Bolton might get a recess appointment rather than trudging through the Senate to get confirmation. I don’t.

The Bangor Daily News editors hit one out of the park today in their article, “The File on Bolton,” outlining the compelling, overwhelming case against John Bolton’s confirmation. Here is a key exerpt: Never mind that John R.