AM Feed - July 28: Bolton Back Before the Senate
Hot Topics
- President Bush has had a history of pushing controversial nominees into various job openings, and John Bolton, his choice as U.S. ambassador to the U.N., is no different. Bush tapped Bolton last year, and installed him as a recess appointment after Congress did not confirm him to the post. Now, once again, the administration is pushing for Bolton’s approval by the Senate. Bolton had previously been described by former colleagues as an intimidating bully with a low tolerance for opposing views. “At the moment of the greatest need for diplomacy in recent history, we are not particularly effective at it,” said Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE). [link]
- What in the name of congressional corruption is going on in Virginia? Rep. Thomas Davis’s (R-VA) friendship with Donald Upson, consultant who helps firms win government contracts, has come under a microscope. The two men have long been friends, and Upson’s clients have enjoyed close access to the congressman, including meetings on Capitol Hill and dinners. Davis is chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, and many of the contracts related to Upson’s clients fall under his oversight. And that’s not all: Davis’ wife, who was hired before they were married, works for Upson’s company, and earned $78,000 last year by working “10 to 20 hours a week.” [link]
- A new bipartisan report from the House Intelligence Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight is sharply critical of reform efforts in the intelligence community. The report found a “lack of urgency” in the pace of change, and specifically called out National Intelligence Director John Negroponte for the failure to enact meaningful change. Included in the criticism is the now-familiar charge that spy agencies still are not communicating effectively with one another. [link]
Morning Snark
- The Senate hearings for John Bolton’s confirmation have been testy so far – let’s just hope he doesn’t try to shake down any of the senators for their lunch money.
Comment
- The neocons that run the Bush Administration basically hate the UN as well as any other international organization. They will only tolerate our particapation in the UN if we can make it function as an adjunct of our State Department. So, it really doesn’t matter who is our ambassador to the UN now, because Bush will only nominate candidates who will attempt to dominate the UN, rendering it useless as an international body to promote peace and the welfare of the world community. Bolton is really bad, but we will get no better until we have a new administration.
— Neil Sl Hutchens Jul 28, 14:33 # - Yup, Bolton is a perfect UN representative for the Bush administration policies. That’s his job. It doesn’t matter one bit that Bush doesn’t represent the American people or their best interests. And it doesn’t matter to them if the rest of the world suffers as a consequence.
— MO Jul 28, 14:57 # - MO, I think it is part of the long range plan of the NeoCons to keeep things unstable and then say we can’t change leadership in War Tiime If that sounds cynical, It is meant to.
— Rosalie Stern Jul 28, 18:57 # - Not cynical at all, Rosalie. Remember the old saying in politics, “When in trouble, make some rubble.”
— Neil Sl Hutchens Jul 29, 15:14 #
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