Biden Asks "The Big Question"

I asked last night in "Your Bolton Fix" which senator would be the first to demand more information on the question of whether John Bolton testified or provided information to the federal grand jury investigating the leak of Valerie Plame's identity as a CIA operative. We got our answer today, when the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden of Delaware, sent a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking for an answer to this important question.

The letter:

"Dear Madame Secretary,

I write in connection with the nomination of John R. Bolton to be Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

On July 21, 2005, MSNBC reported that Under Secretary Bolton testified before the federal grand jury in Washington that is investigating the leak of the identity of Valerie Plame as an agent of the Central Intelligence Agency.

I write to request that you or the nominee inform the Committee whether Mr. Bolton did, in fact, appear before the grand jury, or whether he has been interviewed or otherwise asked to provide information by the special prosecutor or his staff in connection with this matter, and if so, when that occurred. As you know, the Committee questionnaire, which the nominee completed in March, requires all nominees to inform the Committee whether they have been 'interviewed or asked to supply any information in connection with any administrative (including an inspector general), Congressional or grand jury investigation within the past 5 years, except routine Congressional testimony.'

Thank you for your assistance."

As I wrote in a guest-post at The Washington Note earlier this evening (I am honored to join a really bang-up crew of other posters there for the next week or so while Steve Clemons is away), this letter demands a serious and prompt response from the Administration. I really cannot understand why the White House would not want to shout from the rooftops if Bolton hadn't testified (if not for a good reason, then to make MSNBC look bad) - but they have not done so, and it still remains very unclear.

I hope that Senator Lugar and other Republicans in the Senate will join this request for an answer to this very serious question. Anyone interested in knowing the truth and having a complete and honest record of disclosure from this nominee should demand nothing less. It might all be nothing - it might not. But the country deserves to know the answer.