Pick up nearly any major paper in the United States today and there is a front page story on the implications of Colin Powell discreetly sharing his thoughts on John Bolton’s past behavior and performance with Senators Hagel and Chafee.

This is getting interesting. Didn’t Bush also look into Putin’s eyes and see a good man? Bush’s team is trying to make this about White House infallibility. It’s sad that the White House can’t step back and study the many reasons why there is so much national indigestion about the Bolton nomination.

I spoke with Senator Chafee’s Chief Spokesman, Steve Hourahan, yesterday and was very pleased with the discussion. I think Senator Chafee is now moving from the ‘passive’ and ‘reactive’ in this matter on John Bolton — to ‘proactive’ and ‘aggressive’ in trying to get to the truth about the many allegations about Bolton.

But didn’t John Bolton testify that his only beef with some of these intelligence analysts was over process? That they went behind his back? Did he know he was under oath? This from AP: Senators considering John R. Bolton’s nomination to be U.N.

Counselor to the President Dan Bartlett has reported that the White House intends to power on and doesn’t consider Voinovich’s stand a “no vote” yet. Just in case anyone at the White House is reading (and I’ve been informed that they are), no problem.

While I am planting sod out in front of my house today, some of you might enjoy reading the transcripts of Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff interviews regarding John Bolton. They are fascinating. Some novelist out there is going to be able to draw some great material from these interviews.

Chris Nelson sent this out yesterday as part of his 19 April Nelson Report: Bolton. . .it may be that Republican Senators George Voinovich and Chuck Hagel have taken a stand which will empower a Republican center to emerge and hold on other issues.

This may sound odd because I feel that it is the public’s right and responsibility to communicate criticism and praise regarding the positions our elected leaders take. However, word has been reached here that Senator Voinovich can be negatively influenced by a mountain of phone calls from some organized campaign.

No good deed goes unpunished. Reports have just come in that Senator Voinovich is receiving lots of calls from “out-of-staters” protesting his comments during today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearings. Most of these calls have been orchestrated by the “Evict the U.N. from U.S. Soil/Pro-John Bolton” campaigners at Move America Forward.

Reuters reports on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s delay in voting on John Bolton’s nomination. George Voinovich gets the “Conscience of a Conservative Award” as far as TWN is concerned. Reuters reports: The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee delayed a vote on the nomination of John Bolton as U.N.