I’m writing this from the Red Carpet Lounge in San Francisco International Airport and have been offline today while I flew across country, but all the news looks good.
This just came in from The Hill‘s E-News:
GOP Action on Bolton Stalls
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), facing unified Democratic opposition, has postponed until Monday a vote to cut off a filibuster of the nomination of John Bolton to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Frist said that if negotiations with Democrats progressed over the weekend, he may not move on Bolton’s nomination until later next week. Republicans had expected
Frist to attempt to end debate on Bolton today. Senate Foreign Relations chairman Richard Luger (R-Ind.) said, Frist indicated there might be a cloture vote on Bolton today, but added that the leader had “discretion.”
Meanwhile, Democrats are holding firm in their opposition. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said that Democrats have the votes to extend the Bolton filibuster. Republicans lost ground on that front earlier this week when Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), who had previously voted to move to an up-or-down vote on Bolton, said he might change his mind and join his fellow Democrats in blocking Bolton.
Bob Novak is apparently nudging the White House to give up this charade in the Senate that seems to be backfiring on Frist and the administration and give Bolton a recess appointment.
Momentum still on our side.
More posts soon. . .Need to get to the hotel.
— Steve Clemons
