Bush urged to release documents on Bolton

http://www.bergen.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2MDcmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTY3MTE2OTcmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky

Thursday, June 23, 2005

By JAMES KUHNHENN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON - A growing number of Senate Republicans say John Bolton won't be confirmed as United Nations ambassador unless the White House turns over documents that Democrats say they need to assess Bolton's fitness for the post.

Though the White House continued Wednesday to demand an up-or-down vote on Bolton, these Republican senators say the Senate is in a standoff that only President Bush can resolve.

"I hope the president will take a very hard look at the documents," Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. "Unless we resolve this dilemma quickly, Mr. Bolton is not going to be the U.N. ambassador."

Alexander's comments came after Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., the former Senate majority leader, urged the White House to turn over documents to Bolton's two leading Democratic foes, Sens. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. Another Republican, Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, also called for the White House to relent.

. . . more

will not clarify Bush's extremists position with CLEAR headlines.

can Bush still appoint him during recess? Any one Know.

But not everybody thinks that would be a win for Bush.

Fred Kaplan, for example:

http://slate.com/id/2121207/

. . .

Bush may push Bolton in anyway, through a procedure known as "recess appointment." He'll wait until the Senate leaves town on its July 4 vacation break and simply declare Bolton to be the new ambassador, congressional confirmation be damned.

This would be legal. Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution provides: "The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."

The idea was to ensure that vital posts of government aren't left vacant just because Congress happens to be out of session at the time. Over the years, the clause has been stretched to a stratagem. Bush's father made, on average, 20 recess appointments per year when he was president. Ronald Reagan made 30. Bill Clinton, faced with a more hostile Congress, issued nine per year. Dwight Eisenhower used the clause to appoint three Supreme Court justices—Earl Warren, William Brennan, and Potter Stewart—all before elections. John F. Kennedy ushered Thurgood Marshall into a circuit court bench to evade racist resistance from Southern senators.

The clause explicitly lets the Senate resume its powers of advice and consent "at the end of their next session." In most cases, any controversy surrounding the nominees has fizzled by that time. In Bolton's case, the Senate's next session ends in January 2007. If he has been U.N. ambassador for a year and a half by that time, he will have either redeemed or shamed himself and the Senate might vote accordingly.

Still, there is something extremely peculiar—beyond precedent, in fact—about the idea of Bush invoking his constitutional privilege on Bolton's behalf. In all other cases, presidents evaded Senate scrutiny from the outset. Bolton, on the other hand, has been through confirmation hearings at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which passed the nomination to the floor without endorsement; and he has twice failed to gain the three-fifths majority of a cloture vote. In other words, other stealth appointees have dodged anticipated bullets. If Bolton slips through, he will have been strafed, hit, and mortally wounded—then resurrected by a magic wand waving on the president's outstretched middle finger.

. . .

Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution provides: "The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."


Do the vacancies need to 'happen during recess of the senate'????

Maybe a constitutional attorney can help us out.

Q: What power shall the President have?

A: The power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate.

Q: How shall this be accomplished?

A: By granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.


It seems clear as day to me that the President, in this particular case, would be violating the constitution if he were to make a recess appointment for John Bolton - because the vacancy did not occur during the recess.

Any Constitutional scholars or lawyers here?

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000755.html

. . .

Now, Republicans have joined Dems in the document requests.

The White House -- particularly Karl Rove -- is digging in and arguing that Dems keep moving the "goal posts." Well the Republican Senators who have spoken know where the goal posts are. They are clear.

Give up the documents. Look at the materials. Connect the dots.

My bet right now is that what we learn will end this matter. Bolton will be voted down, and the White House will quickly try and distract the nation with other news.

. . .

Sorry bushco, looks like you really aren't gonna get this one

:nopity:

He's not going to be confirmed, if this comes out. Bush is an idiot for continuing to press for it - but, that's hardly news.:patriot: :dunce: :freak: :patriot:
"He deserves an up-or-down vote"

:eyes: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :eyes:

that no one wants to talk about.

Who is he trying to please at all costs? AIPAC? Sharon? Cheney?

His own self-image?:bounce:

But Reid's strategy had worked!

if W releases the documents the information will most
likely assure Bolton's defeat. However, on the other
hand failure to release the information will also assure
defeat. Somewhat like the deep sea diver at the bottom
of the ocean receiving a message to return to surface,
quickly, the ship is sinking. Somewhere along the line
W surely has been advised that God does answer all prayers
and sometime the answer is NO.

but it seems that White House intransigence is one Rovian strategy that is losing its zip, particularly within the president's own party.

shitty shitty nomination, and just smile.

Okay, I'm done.

You guys should adopt Kim Jong Il's tactics: If you are tough and call his bluff, Bush backs down. If you are soft and try to please him (like Saddam did), you got invaded.

Howard Dean, Speak up!

and when he does we've got to remind everyone as often as we can that even though this slime was denied he came in the backdoor. I just can't see this working, they no doubt intend to use the same strategy at the U.N. as before.
The world, however, is not as dumbed down as americans are, there must be some roadblocks they can throw out, if nothing else to give us time to take back the goverment.