Posted on 05/13/2005 12:20:40 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
President George W Bush is coming under increasing pressure to withdraw his nomination of outspoken conservative John Bolton for UN ambassador.
A leading Democrat senator, Joe Biden, told the BBC the time had come for Mr Bush to think again about his choice.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee declined on Thursday to back Mr Bolton, who has been plagued by charges of bullying and arrogance.
A key Republican senator said Mr Bolton was the wrong man for the job.
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says it is highly unusual for a committee where the president's party is in the majority to fail to support one of his nominations for office.
Vote or filibuster
If the White House does not withdraw his name, the Democrats have two options open to them.
They could try to persuade as many Republicans as possible to oppose Mr Bolton in the full Senate vote and thus embarrass the White House with the closeness of the result.
Or they could try to mount a filibuster, talking the nomination out and forcing the White House to back down.
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JOHN BOLTON
Yale Law School graduate
As assistant secretary of state under George Bush senior, helped organise anti-Saddam alliance
Made under-secretary of state for arms control and international security in May 2001
In July 2003, condemned North Korean leader Kim Jong-il for living like royalty while people lived in "hellish nightmare"
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Mr Bolton needed every Republican vote on the committee if his nomination was to be sent to the Senate with a recommendation, which would improve its chances of being passed by the upper house.
Republican senator George Voinovich said he would not endorse the choice.
The White House said it was confident Mr Bolton's nomination would be confirmed by the Senate.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated her belief that he "is the right man for this challenging assignment".
The committee's vote on John Bolton was suspended last month after allegations about his past conduct.
Mr Bolton - a well-known critic of the UN - was accused of bullying junior staff and trying to distort intelligence to fit his own views, but the White House said the charges were unfounded.
Mr Bush has called Mr Bolton "a blunt guy" who "can get the job done at the United Nations".
I just saw this too. Sometimes I wish that the BBC would concentrate on making Television programs instead (Something they do really well). Hopefully their recent house clearance may help things along.
Talk about spin!
BBC: Bolton fails to gain key backing ~~ nominee to the Senate ~~ but without key endorsement . ^
They then later had the same news up but under this headline:
Bush suffers blow on UN choice
Well this confirms it for me, BOLTON IS the RIGHT man for the job!! No doubt about it now!!!
Remember the Brits letters to the Ohioans during the election! Sticking their Yellow teeth and Red noses in our business -- when will they ever learn!!?
Some Jim Jeffords glory for Voinovich.
Like looking for light from a comet.
Where I work (midshift), they show BBC news most of the time (CNN International occasionally). BBC is relentlessly pushing the "President George W Bush is coming under increasing pressure to withdraw his nomination of outspoken conservative John Bolton for UN ambassador" line. Me thinks certain folks don't want this guy at the U.N.. Talk about an endorsment :-). It is emparative that Bolton gets nominated for this. All the right people are against it.
Wow, those are now capital offenses, I guess. Time to empty out Washington--not to mention the blowhards in Parliament.
Just another reason to put Bolton in that job.
It's amazing how many people are campaigning in favor of institutionalized rape and prostitution.
Not to mention that if the UN had done it's job in the first place there would have been no need for a second invasion of Iraq.
The same senators who wouldn't remove Clinton from office for the crimes he committed in office want to keep Bolton from office because he's blunt. Sigh.
The BBC (beebers) are a bunch of anti-Bush/anti-USA idealogues.
Inquiring minds want to know.
bbc, nbc, cbs, abc, cnn, msnbc ... the only difference is that the brits have greasy hair, yellow teeth, smelly wool suits and look down their long noses at anything in the USA... including nbc, cbs, abc, cnn, msnbc... and the beat goes on.
Well, considering who sits on the Beeb's Board of Directors, I'm just really, really curious about who knew what when :)
I think there could be a very big story about what the Beeb knew.
Thanks, I'll add it.
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