The other day Josh Marshall asked an important question about the growing controversy over giving the Senate Judiciary Committee access to the memos John Roberts wrote when he worked in the Reagan and Bush 41 Administrations. In short, Josh wondered why the Senate should be any less informed about Roberts’ past than the President.
A couple of characteristics seem to set apart the neocons and their allies who so readily, indeed, enthusiastically, make war. One, of course, is to avoid actually serving in combat. Vice President Dick Cheney famously allowed that he had “other priorities” — evidenced by his five deferments.
As I noted late last night, Senator Chafee of Rhode Island told the Associated Press that the newest revelations about John Bolton were enough to make him withdraw his support for the nomination and oppose a recess appointment.
From One State to Three “Virtual States” If only grandmother had four wheels: If you believe the front-page report from Iraq in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal that “U.S. opens door for big pullback in Iraq next year,” then I’ll sell you a bridge over the Euphrates.
I was surprised when Steve asked me to join in as a guest blogger. I remain a books and print kind-of-guy in the internet age, so it’s a new thing for me. I also warned Steve that he risked having the Washington Note turned into a “Blog for Bolton” site.
I took Peter Scoblic’s suggestion and read his new piece in The New Republic, and I must say it’s magnificent.
The Associated Press, along with other news outlets, is now reporting that President Bush will send John Bolton to the United Nations next week via his power of recess appointment. This is, as I have said repeatedly, an unfortunate step, but a particularly egregious one now that we have learned that Mr.
CBS News, 7/29/05: President Bush intends to announce next week that he is going around Congress to install embattled nominee John Bolton as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, senior administration officials said Friday.
Alright, I’ve finally deciphered all the signatures on the letter [pdf] sent to Bush today by 36 members of the U.S. Senate, calling on the president to withdraw Bolton’s name in light of his “memory lapse” (discussed in depth here).
President Bush should walk into the Oval Office on Monday morning and contact Bill Frist, Harry Reid, Dick Lugar, and Joe Biden. Then he should make a recess appointment to fill the UN Ambassador vacancy. You’re probably wondering right now why in the world Steve would let me write for his blog in his absence….
