1115.org

We haven’t been covering the John Bolton United Nations ambassador confirmation hearings because Steve Clemons at The Washington Note has been all over the story. When the Bolton nomination was announced, it seemed like business as usual: Bush chooses a unilateralist to represent the United States at the world’s primary multilateral institution. Despite questionable performance as undersecretary of state for arms control (where on his watch, Pakistan sold technology to Libya and others), and openly hostile quotes about the U.N. itself (“If [the UN Secretariat building] lost 10 stories, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference”), his confirmation seemed in little danger. To derail his bid, the eight Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would have to persuade one of the 10 committee Republicans to defy the President and his party to vote against Bolton.

Throughout the hearings, evidence was presented that Bolton used his position to settle scores, politicize intelligence, and even keep information from then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Richard Armitage. Even after these revelations, there was no movement within the Republican ranks, even from Lincoln Chaffee, the only real moderate on the committee. Chaffee even went on a fundraising trip with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, hardly something he would do if he planned to buck his party and block Bolton’s nomination.

Tuesday morning started with news reports of the expected 10-8 party-line vote sending Bolton to the full Senate for a full confirmation, but almost immediately reports began to surface about the Bush administration’s refusal to provide requested information regarding Bolton’s use of National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance against fellow State Department officials.

When it became clear that Democrats could use procedural means to delay the Foreign Relations Committee vote, Frist brought all Senate business to a halt until the meeting, preempting the Democrats’ ability to get the NSA information.

But a funny thing happened on the way to confirmation: Ohio Republican George Voinovich grew a pair:

“I’ve heard enough today that I don’t feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton.”

After Voinovich stopped the precess cold, Nebraska Republican Chuck Hagel echoed this sentiment, causing committee chair Richard Lugar to postpone any vote on Bolton for at least three weeks.

It’s not over, but it doesn’t look good for Bolton or the President so set on making statements via nominations. Voinovich deserves credit for standing up, as do the Democrats on the committee for uncovering more dirt on Bolton than any nominee should have. And once again, minority leader Harry Reid stood up to Frist and adds to his growing list of accomplishments in his short tenure in charge.

It is important to note the Democratic opposition on Bolton, coming on the heels of some fine work exposing the dangers of the President’s Social Security privatization scheme, has been quite effective even with five less seats than in the last Senate.

It’s also interesting that for someone so concerned about keeping the Senate moving, Frist shut it all down when it looked like there might be trouble. Not only was it incredibly cowardly, it gives political cover to Democrats in favor of protecting the filibuster. Or are only Republicans allowed to use procedural maneuvers?

The same day that all of this happened, Frist issued a statement designed to appeal to Republicans who don’t support killing the filibuster:

“If I must act to bring fairness back to the judicial nomination process, I will not act in any way to impact the rights of colleagues when it comes to legislation.”

Fairness? Rights? Frist is a few days late and a few million dollars short on those two counts. Anyone who actually thinks that this Republican party is going to tear apart a hallowed rule such as the filibuster and then not use the resulting void to do as they please, is kidding themselves. Luckily, Reid and the Democrats won’t bite.