I have been offline much of the day as I’m working to see what Karl Rove’s machine is planning to do on John Bolton.
The White House does not want to lose this battle over Bolton and is increasingly turning towards a recess appointment. But that deal is not done. However, Senator Pat Roberts and others have basically conceded that the battle for confirmation is over for now — and that a recess appointment or withdrawal are the only options left.
There’s no time for a deal on the documents this week — so the only option if Bolton is to make it to the U.N. is either to appoint him during next week’s recess — or to continue the battle for confirmation after recess.
Most give that a very unlikely chance of happening — but it’s in the realm of possibilities.
On the two other fronts I am working, I need more time. Let me just say that many of those who lump John Negroponte and John Bolton into the same camp seem to be mistaken. Negroponte was Colin Powell’s deputy on Reagan’s NSC staff — and is very close to Powell, which I simply did not know.
There are some who speculate that besides names like Armitage, John Wolf, William Burns and others in the NSA intercepts — John Negroponte’s name is one of those on the list. I must repeat that this is speculation, and I will have a longer comment on this tomorrow.
But this will do for now.
More soon.
— Steve Clemons
