Bolton Nomination Foundering

The Washington Post and New York Times will both report in Thursday editions that new reservations from Republicans and Democrats over the John Bolton nomination now serve to make an eventful confirmation at least slightly less likely.

Charles Babington and Jim VandeHei in the Post report comments from Senator Chafee in which the Rhode Islander said he is "less likely right now" to vote positively on the Bolton nomination and "wants to get to the bottom of" allegations brought up since the hearings last week [my posts on those are here and here]. Asked by reporters if he thought Bush should withdraw Bolton's name, Chafee said "It's too early for that. We all need to talk." He clarified this statement later on CNN in an interview with Wolf Blitzer, saying "'We have to discuss that among ourselves, Republicans, I think,' and he named the committee's GOP members. Blitzer said, 'And you might pass a quiet message to the White House after a discussion like that?' Chafee replied: 'Yes, I think that would be advisable.'"

The Post also outlines the apparent hard-line strategy of the Bush adminstration. Spokesman Scott McClellan said the president intended to continue pushing the nomination, charging that Democrats were making stuff up about Bolton to "score political points." McClellan added "We're confident that he will be confirmed." Secretary of State Condi Rice, speaking from Lithuania, stated "We want a strong voice for a reformed UN and for American leadership in it, and the selection of John Bolton was to perform exactly that task." The State Department is denying a report in Wednesday's Post that Rice told her senior staff that didn't want any information leaking from State that could hurt Bolton's chances.

The Times story, "UN Nominee's Confirmation Is Seen in Growing Danger" by Douglas Jehl and Sheryl Gay Stolberg, features comments from Senator Dodd: "My hope would be that the administration, after yesterday, would say that he's damaged goods. You'd think at some point, they'd wait a few days or whatever and decide this nomination isn't worth it to have a one-vote victory."

"Mr. Dodd said there must be other 'highly qualified, conservative Republicans to get appointed to this position that don't bring the luggage that Mr. Bolton will to this job.'" Exactly right, and as I've been saying, moderates and Democrats will happily accept a reasonable nominee, even a conservative one, who doesn't have all these questionable parts in his or her record.

The Times article features further comments from Chafee in which he notes the nastiness that is now going to descend upon the moderates: "[T]he administration is really going to put some pressure on Senator Voinovich. Then it comes to the rest of us that have had some reservations," he said.

With any luck at all, the Republican members will meet, as per Chafee's suggestion, and will suggest to President Bush that he pull the Bolton nomination before this gets dragged out any further. Senator Lugar is clearly trying to be as reasonable as he possibly can in this situation; he's probably taking alot of flack from Bush & Co. today as well and deserves our respect for handling the hearing yesterday as fairly as he did.

The saga continues ... for now.