Tuned in to the Bolton nomination hearings in committee this afternoon... Wasn't expecting much to be happening, but I wanted to see what the Dems on the committe had to say about this unrealistically awful appointment. John Kerry did a nice job listing the numerous things Bolton has baldly lied about, which was pretty cool, and then suddenly a Republican named Voinovich from Ohio said he wouldn't vote to send the nomination to the full Senate.
Lugar, the committee chair, got all flustered and lost control of the meeting; it was a weird and slovenly performance by old Dicky Loo. At one point he actually had a brain lock and said "Well, a tie vote doesn't matter," which caused some puzzlement around the table and Biden had to correct him, since in fact a tie vote is the same as a win for the "nay" side. This was met with some muffled chuckles among the committee members, especially (OK exclusively) the Democrats.
So then Lugar appeared to try to bring it to a vote anyway, to which one of the other Republican members replied "are you SURE you want to do this now" and then Lugar tabled the whole thing until tomorrow.
None of which probably seems like a big deal, but out in the full Senate it makes Bill Frist look pretty dumb because he had gone through a bunch of machinations to make sure no one could object to today's hearings on the Senate floor. Now he'll have to do the same thing tomorrow unless the FR committee decides to have Bolton come back to answer questions about the numerous allegations against him that are currently floating about.
All Inside Baseball stuff, to be sure, but as CSPAN internet feeds go it was pretty exciting. Score one for the good guys.
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3 comments:
As a complete politics junkie, more than once I have walked (or stumbled)home at two in the morning and been enthralled by a re-broadcast of some committee hearing, press conference, floor debate, or photo-op.
I just like knowing what the bastards are up to. Even the bastards I support....
Right on, RBP.
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I think Dicky Lugar is almost as crazy as that Rep from Southern California whose name escapes me but who was finally ousted a couple years ago at election time.
Good to hear that he lost control of the hearing, and that the idea of putting a bull in a china shop might not be the greatest idea in the world.
I guess the nomination of Bolton suggests that the Bush administration thinks if they don't like something like the U.N. they can simply send someone to try and run it for them, or maybe try to wreck it.
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