Senator Joe Biden has sent a letter to Secretary of State Rice asking her to clarify whether John Bolton has testified before the Fitzgerald grand jury. (Thinkprogress has the text; thanks to snowbird42 in comments for bringing it to my attention). MSNBC reported that he has — and it is standing by its story.

Hello to all. I blog at Stygius, and I want to thank Steve for allowing me to guest-blog at The Washington Note while heâ€ââ€

One of the things that surprises me the most about the Bolton battle is that it has reignited a long-dormant debate over America’s role in the world.

Greetings Washington Note readers, and well met. It’s an honor that Steve thought of me to help steward the site in his absence, and I’m looking forward as much as anyone to reading the motley crew of guest contributors he’s lined up for the next couple of days.

There is an ongoing skirmish about whether John Bolton did or did not testify before or meet with investigators from the Valerie Plame case grand jury.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee requires that all nominees that come before the Committe for confirmation answer a roster of questions, which must be answered truthfully and as if under oath. This is the question that Karen Hughes recently responded to in the affirmative.

TWN will have an amazing roster of guest-bloggers. I will be hovering in an undisclosed location, trying to improve the world in some modest ways.

What do Howard Baker, Sandy Berger, Zbigniew Brzezinksi, Warren Christopher, John Danforth, Lawrence Eagleburger, Lee Hamilton, Gary Hart, Rita Hauser, Carla Hills, Richard Holbrooke, Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Thomas Kean, Anthony Lake, Robert McFarlane, Donald McHenry, William Perry, Thomas Pickering, Warren Rudman, Theodore Sorensen, and John Whitehead HAVE IN COMMON? Well, they all agree with TWN…

Efforts are underway to resolve “officially” whether John Bolton met with the Valerie Plame grand jury or its investigators. If he did before submitting his declaration statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his recess appointment will not occur.

MSNBC reports to TWN that its source on Bolton being interviewed by the Valerie Plame Wilson grand jury “is unimpeachable.” MSNBC is standing “firmly” by its story — and is shirking off the fact that other networks and major news organizations have been unable to confirm what MSNBC feels is a solid fact.