Greetings from the centrist Republican corner of the blogosphere! I’m Jeremy Dibbell, and I’ve been blogging over at Charging RINO since late March. One of the major stories I’ve been focused on since the beginning is the Bolton nomination, and I’ve been a very regular reader of Steve’s excellent commentary. I too was very honored that Steve asked me to take a role in guest blogging while he’s away – as part of such an incredibly talented lineup – and I hope that my commentary and analysis will be of interest to you all.
Now that “the big question” of whether Bolton has testified before the Fitzgerald grand jury has officially been asked, as Dave notes below, we enter yet another orbit of uncertainty. Will the Administration respond to Biden’s request for information? If the answer is that Bolton did not testify, it seems to me that would be a fact they’d want to make known as loudly and widely as possible. If he did testify (in this or any other investigation, as Stygius reminds us), and failed to disclose that, the nomination has an even more serious problem than it’s had since the outset.
While I do not doubt that those in this White House will do and have done practically anything to get their way, I would hope that even they would find it difficult to recess-appoint Bolton with this question hanging over the nomination. Withholding information from Congress is an extremely serious issue – possibly in this case even a crime – and sending Bolton to the United Nations under such a cloud of uncertainty would be a black eye for the nation.
Having said that, sending John Bolton to the United Nations under any
circumstances would be a black eye for the nation…
From a Republican standpoint, I would hope that Senator Lugar as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as all other members, would join with Senator Biden in requesting an answer to this important question. Anyone interested in knowing the truth and having a complete and honest record of disclosure from this nominee should demand nothing less.
I think I speak for all of us in saying we’ll be not-so-patiently awaiting a response to Biden’s letter from Secretary Rice.
