Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) does not support confirmation of John Bolton as America’s Ambassador to the U.N. The only problem is that he knows more about Bolton than nearly any other Senator and can’t do much with what he knows.

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Doug Jehl captured the rarity of a Senator like Voinovich breaking not only once with his party — but essentially THREE TIMES — given his “Dear Colleagues” letter today on Bolton. Jehl’s article begins: The Ohio Republican whose opposition to John R.

George Voinovich is reminding his colleagues to remember that their sacred contract is with the citizens of their states in this nation — and not with a political party boss or some party machine — when it comes to the manner in which American diplomacy and international conduct are managed.

The White House is losing its grip because it’s losing its moderates.

Here is the actual text of the “deal” between 7 Republican and 7 Democratic Senators: MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS We respect the diligent, conscientious efforts, to date, rendered to the Senate by Majority Leader Frist and Democratic Leader Ried, This memorandum confirms an understanding among the signatories, based upon mutual trust and confidence,…

and maybe the Republican Caucus Lunch also. Today, the Senate Democratic caucus is having its weekly lunch session, and the topic of the day is John Bolton.

This is an excerpt from the public statement issued last night be Senator Harry Reid in the wake of the filibuster deal: We have sent President George Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and the radical arm of the Republican base an undeniable message: Abuse of power will not be tolerated, and attempts to trample the…

Surprisingly, the filibuster showdown over President Bush’s judicial nominations has been averted. This throws the Bolton battle into new territory — and TWN does not yet have a fix on how conciliatory both sides want to be in choking down a nominee to the U.N. that seems such a mismatch for the job.

The fascinating thing about the John Bolton fight is that Bolton is a second priority on most lists when compared to the fight over Bush’s judicial appointments.