I participated in a terrific lunch today hosted at the home of the Dutch Ambassador, Boudewijn Johannes Van Eenennaam, for Anneka and Marc Chavannes, who is the brilliant outgoing Washington Bureau Chief for the NRC Handelsblad, Holland’s most important daily newspaper.

Did Arlen Specter misspeak? TWN hopes not. In his commentary about newly confirmed judge Janice Rogers Brown, Specter argued that she was “undiplomatic” but deserving of confirmation — because “she’s not in the State Department.” Full stop. Senator Specter — John Bolton IS in the State Department and doesn’t belong there.

This sculpture at the Visitor’s Plaza of the United Nations in New York was a gift from the Government of Luxembourg and presented to the United Nations in 1988.

Frist called for cloture on John Bolton’s confirmation vote because he thought he had the votes. They thought they were so in the clear that they did not need Arlen Specter on hand for the vote.

My colleague Robert Wright, who authored the acclaimed Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, penned a very smart op-ed on the currents of thinking around John Bolton’s nomination to the U.N. in Slate today. Here is an excerpt from the piece: . . .

. . .so reports Vicki Allen in a new Reuters report. Here is the opener: Senate Democrats back from a weeklong recess said on Tuesday they were holding firm against allowing a vote to confirm John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations until the Bush administration turns over more information on him.

On Face the Nation in an interview with Bob Schieffer, Senator Frist states that the filibuster is legitimate if used to obtain more information. SCHIEFFER: “…why did you vote to filibuster Judge Richard Paez when President Clinton nominated him to the 9th Circuit?” Sen.

Senator Leahy is opposed to John Bolton but seems to want to convey that in the end John Bolton is going to squeak through.

Senators Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, and other members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — including Senator Lugar for that matter — have winnowed down evidence requests from the administration several times.

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.