Bolton Nomination Forced Onto Slow-Track by Senator Boxer

This morning, Senator Barbara Boxer ( D-CA) placed a senatorial "hold" on the nomination of John Bolton to be US Ambassador to the UN. That hold will cause a delay in the full Senate consideration of Bolton, pending further negotiations, and could prevent it from reaching the Senate floor

The Bolton nomination is highly controversial due to his neo-conservative views and extraordinarily brash manner. He's been described as "a serial abuser." The President has staked much of his "political capital" on this nomination, mainly because they both hold negative, dismissive views of the UN, and frankly, the president likes Bolton's bullying style.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday passed the Bolton nomination by a party-line vote of 10-8, but without the usual positive recommendation for confirmation. Said Senator George Voinovich (R-OH), Bolton is "the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps shoud not be." Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) called him a "loose cannon."

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, told Today show host Matt Lauer this morning, "It does not appear that Mr. Bolton has the confidence of a majority of the members in the Senate."

One frustration about this nomination is that the State Department has thusfar refused to honor Democratic records requests to complete their investigation of Mr. Bolton. Another major concern is that former Secretary of State Colin Powell does not support Mr. Bolton to be UN Ambassador. General Powell is a well-regarded moderate on the political scene.

Despite the best efforts of President Bush and Secretary of State Rice, the Bolton nomination may be dead. The "no recommendation" vote yesterday by the Foreign Relations Committee has already embarrassed the Bush White House. So far, the president is still standing by his nominee.

Word in liberal circles is that Mr. Bolton will not again be considered until after Senate resolution of the much-vaunted Republican desire to permanently nuke the Senate's 224-year fiibuster tradition for radically unsuitable judicial nominees.

If and when the Bolton nomination reaches the Senate floor, Senator Boxer promises "..we're going to have a real fight."