NYT: An Epic Battle Is Shaping Up to Save Bolton, and Bush, Too

[Pirate Smile]

An Epic Battle Is Shaping Up to Save Bolton, and Bush, Too
By ELISABETH BUMILLER

Published: April 27, 2005


ASHINGTON, April 26 - The White House is intensifying its campaign to rescue the nomination of John R. Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations, administration officials said on Tuesday, as Republicans close to the West Wing acknowledged that a rejection of Mr. Bolton would be politically damaging for President Bush.

Administration officials said that Vice President Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff and the president's powerful political adviser, are playing a central and aggressive role in trying to salvage Mr. Bolton's prospects. Mr. Cheney met with some influential Republican senators and then called others on Tuesday afternoon to press them with the president's point of view, while Mr. Rove met on Capitol Hill with the Senate Republican whip, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, as well as other Republican allies of the White House.

-snip-
But Republicans close to the administration also said that a powerful motive for the White House was simply showing strength and an unwillingness to back down, particularly after Colin L. Powell, the former secretary of state who often warred with the hawks, expressed private doubts to Republican senators last week about Mr. Bolton.

"It would mean that Colin Powell had influence to block someone," said a Republican close to the White House. "It's a troubling sign if the president can't get him confirmed."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/27/politics/27strategy.html?pagewanted=all

[bluestateguy]

1. He'll get in on a tie-breaking Cheney vote

I said it here.

[aquart]

10. Another exhibition of raw power

Against the will of the people.

Go ahead, Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie, Effed the Americans and made them cry.

[me b zola]

61. Did you see last night's (Mon) Night Line?

It was over the top framing the debate. It was titled "The Boss". The entire segment was about allegations that Bolton was a "jerk" of a boss, and they discussed how everyone has had jerks for bosses before. At the end there was this sinister line about how that's how business works & if you don't like it you can get another job.

All I could think of is how badly the WH wants this nomination and is pulling out all the stops.

[Frances]

74. Bolton tries to get rid of honest intelligence agents

and that puts us all at risk of another 9/11

In other words, if Bolton gets more power, he will be in a better position to cause the U.S. intel community to take their eyes off the real terrorists.

[me b zola]

106. That is exactly the point

Bolton has demonstrated political manipulation & silencing of Intel similar to what occurred to the Intel that lead to 9/11 & Iraq. Nightline not only failed to mention that this is the reason why his nomination is in dispute, but Nightline seemed to be making light of those who oppose him. It was truly sickening to watch.

[olddad56]

114. He'll get in one way or another, this fascism at its most obvious

Get used to it, Democracy is dead and gone.

[Straight Shooter]

2. Those bozos can't seem to quit when they're ahead.

I just posted in another thread that this has become an issue of the White House trying to save face. If Bolton goes down, that means bush and cheney, et al., are losing their clout. One more chink in their armor. Even if Bolton is confirmed -- God forbid -- there's a lot of damage being done.

:popcorn:

[aquart]

5. You're saying this is a win-win for us.

[Straight Shooter]

72. I don't know if it's a win. We could call it a draw.

If bush and cheney, et al., aren't gaining ground, in their eyes they're losing.

[chomskysright]

9. FLATTEN FRIST TOO

[AlCzervik]

20. you nailed it, thats exactly it, bye bye "Political capital"

[MontageOfFreedom]

3. I'm pretty positive at this point that it would be a disaster.

If John Bolton actually even gets confirmed, given his track record and willingness to fly all the way from North Korea back to Florida in the year 2000 to do what again?

To block the recount from proceeding and flush the presidency of Al Gore apparently.

[aquart]

4. So they get him in. And then what?

He DOESN'T embarass the crap out of this nation??? Please, this is stuff for an office pool: What date will Bolton embarass the US? What nation will he most offend? People could earn good money.

[antonialee839]

8. The nomination is already an embarrassment

too late for the pool.

[aquart]

56. Nonsense. Bolton has years of catastrophe to visit upon us.

He's only just hitting his stride.

[femme.democratique]

66. They need to get him in there to set up the Iran war

Why do you think they're fighting this one so hard? He is the last piece of the puzzle in their plan.

[Lerkfish]

68. Same thing I was thinking.

They are on a tight schedule: invasion by June

[devinsgram]

82. Amen to that one.

[Pithy Cherub]

6. So...Bush's primary care physician (Frist) referred him

to his republican service provider(Lugar)and stated emphatically he must await a second opinion from Dr. Powell while the hospital adminstrator (Cheney) is jumping up and down saying DO NOT PULL THAT PLUG - WE CAN PAY....

That's what Bush gets for playing without the appropriate safety gear and getting teammates from the minor leagues (Bolton)!

[shadowknows69]

7. Why is this idiot so important to them?

The resistance, from both sides, is apparent, I'm a little suprised Rove is going to hatch an evil plan for Bolton. Maybe he's bored and just wants to show us he can still do it.

[renaissanceguy]

12. They just want everything to go their way

100%, no compromises.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21272015

[DearAbby]

17. Is Bolton PNAC?

[rockedthevoteinMA]

23. Yes.

This PNAC group was led by such heavy hitters as Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, James Woolsey, Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Bill Kristol, James Bolton, Zalmay M. Khalilzad, William Bennett, Dan Quayle, Jeb Bush, most of whom were movers-and-shakers in previous Administrations, then in power-exile, as it were, while Clinton was in the White House. But even given their reputations and clout, the views of this group were regarded as too extreme to be taken seriously by the mainstream conservatives that controlled the Republican Party.
http://www.crisispapers.org/Editorials/PNAC-Primer.htm

[chomskysright]

14. BECAUSE THEY ARE NARCISSICTS and...

cannot avoid to lose face.

look up NPD: Narcissitic Personality Disorder: you'll see it imprinted on all these jokers.

To lost face is to lose oneself.

let them go down in flames.

signed,

your psychologist colleague.

[applegrove]

35. Right. They do not exist except for the superficial. They will focus on

winning at all cost.

That is why Bolton goes insane anytime somebody will not bend their reports to fit his will. Imagine going ballistic over African Mothers not paying for milk because they can give their children healthier stuff for free. Who would pay? Either the African families or the aid agencies. And children would die.

This alien has absolutely no moral compass and that is why Rove wants him at the UN.

[calimary]

80. ON. THE. NOSE. It's the PERCEPTION that is all-important here.

They absolutely CANNOT be perceived as losers. This is anathema. They have everything tied up in this invincibility machine, or at least a PERCEPTION of an invincibility machine. Half the battle is the perception. If their enemies think it's no use to oppose them, they don't have to fight as hard to win, because they've convinced their opponents to lie down and submit before the battle even begins.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING.

They may not be on the ropes, but they are already approaching the ropes - way too close for comfort, in their own minds. They've had it so good and lived so large for so long with submissive Democrats and silenced moderate Republicans and angry voters whose votes can be up-ended and who have no recourse because those same angry voters know their reps are too cowed to pay much attention to them.

THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT to keep attacking tom delay and to keep the hapless frist on the defensive. As long as frist remains ineffective (the bad guys merely assumed this would be another slam-dunk, and that they're so good at intimidating people that nobody would put up a fight about the nuclear option, either), they're going to have to break a sweat a little and earn this. It's "hard work," after all, as their lead jackass puts it.

THAT IS WHY IT IS CRITICAL TO KEEP FIGHTING THIS HARD!!! Match their aggression with our own!!! Have you called your senator today? Have you called anyone else's senator? Please see this thread from Sapphire Blue, which I've nicknamed "DO IT ANYWAY". Because we just should.

Contact your US Representative - IMPEACH BUSH
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1739608

Once the momentum shifts (and this would be HUGE toward that end), there will be Loser Stench oozing from every pore. Granted, there may be hell to pay, but the bad guys will have been irreparably tarnished. ALL their opponents need to see is one really good chink in the armor, and they can then zero in. THIS IS ALL THE MODERATES NEED TO SEE - to break free of the shackles that have been holding them in bondage to these horrible "people." That's all they need to see - that resistance is NOT futile. Once they're convinced of this, the momentum is OURS.

I can't express HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. And if bolton gets by - by the hair of his "cheney-chin-chin" - with dick breaking a tie in the Senate, we will still be able to call it a win, of sorts. Which we MUST. This was supposed to be a no-brainer. Just one more outrage they expected to be able to shove down our throats basically unchecked, without breaking a sweat. The fact that they have to haul kkkarl rove out onto center stage from the cover of the rocks and shadows and other dark crevasses he'd rather operate underneath should be a glaring signal to us all - how desperate they are to clinch this, AND HOW DESPERATE THEY THINK THEIR SITUATION IS.

WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING.

WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING.

WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING.

[pilgrimsoul]

108. Post of the damn day

thanks for putting it all in perspective.

[chomskysright]

110. Yes: keep fighting and FLATTEN FRIST:....

http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/2005/3/18/11719/9579

drop Veteran's health care
Republicans Allen, Burns, DeWine, Ensign, *******Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against $2.8 billion for veterans health care and $2.8 billion for deficit reduction. That’s a commercial.

voted against funding Medicaid
Republicans Allen, Burns, Ensign, ********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Talent and Thomas Voted against restoring $14 billion to Medicaid and establishing a bipartisan Medicaid commission. That’s a commercial.

voted against Homeland security
Republicans Ensign, ***********Frist, Hatch, Kyl, Lott, Santorum and Thomas voted against $855 million for Homeland Security grants for first responder programs, port security grants and border patrol agents. That’s a commercial.

voted against restoring Community Development Block Grant Programs
Republicans Allen, Burns, Ensign, *********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas (funny how the same names keep coming up) voted against restoring $1.9 billion in cuts to the Community Development Block Grant Program. That’s a commercial.

voted against Vocationa Education Act (which helps people get jobs who are disabled or have been unemployed)
Republicans Allen, Burns, DeWine, Ensign, **********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against $7.46 billion for the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act and deficit reduction. Commercial.

voted against education and deficit reduction
Republicans Allen, Burns, Ensign, **********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against $4.75 billion for education and $4.75 billion for deficit reduction. Commercial.

voted against increasing Pell Grant (allowing people to move through college)
Republicans Allen, Burns, Ensign, ***********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Talent and Thomas voted against restoring $5.4 billion to education program cuts and increasing the maximum Pell Grant award to $4,500. Commercial.

voted against agricultural programs
Republicans put the bricks to farmers: Allen, Burns, Chafee, DeWine, Ensign, **********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against restoring $2.8 billion to agriculture programs. Midwest commercial.

voted against family planning
Republicans Allen, Burns, DeWine, Ensign, **********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Talent and Thomas voted against a resolution supporting $1 billion for family planning programs, such as teen pregnancy prevention. Moral values hypocrisy commercial.

wants to allow prepackaged news to come your way
Republicans Allen, Burns, Chafee, DeWine, Ensign, ***********Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against refusing to establish any appropriations bill that allows funds to be provided for "prepackaged news stories" that do not have a disclaimer stating "Paid for by the United States Government" running throughout the presentation. Commercial.

voted against special education programs
Republicans Allen, Burns, DeWine, Ensign, ************Frist, Hatch, Hutchison, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, Santorum, Snowe, Talent and Thomas voted against a reserve fund that would provide $71.3 billion for special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Commercial.

[chomskysright]

111. DUH: Dems: these are EASY billboards

[Tyler Durden]

15. It isn't Bolton...

They could nominate a pound of chopped liver and they'd STILL fight for it.

It isn't the person, it's that THEY MUST OWN EVERYTHING AND WIN EVERY CONTEST OR THEIR FUCKING LIVES ARE MEANINGLESS.

[SlowDownFast]

78. that's exactly it.

"It isn't the person, it's that THEY MUST OWN EVERYTHING AND WIN EVERY CONTEST OR THEIR FUCKING LIVES ARE MEANINGLESS."

[tblue37]

84. Do you remember the villain in i_Superman III_ telling the Richard

Pryor character,who wondered why he wasn't satisfied with already being the richest man in the world, "It is not enough that I win. Everyone else must lose."

[Pithy Cherub]

21. Rove understands the ebbs and flows of power. Bush is waning not

waxing (only Laura would know for sure)...

But this early in a second term presidency to be in this position becomes part of the permanent historical record. Rove is in his skin tight absetos suit trying to make the flames go away so that the damage to bush, himself and the administration's dance trope remains unseen by General Audiences. But you and I know....:evilgrin:

[MADem]

25. Condi wants Bolton OUT OF STATE---NOW

If he doesn't get the nom, he's back at State to wreak havoc there, until they can find some other place for him to ruin. Why do you suppose Powell is weighing in? That guy really fucked up the game for Powell, ratting him out, intimidating his subordinates, talking behind his back...and he will pull the same shit with Toothy.

They don't call him a KISS UP, KICK DOWN guy for nothing!!!!!!!

[neverforget]

26. It's a show of strength, and if they lose, a sign of weakness. I think

that they've always been weak. It's their rhetoric that was strong and the Dems who chose not to fight that gave these assholes their power in the first place.

[Skwmom]

Maybe they want him in place at the UN

before the next march to war. Bolton could be used to bring other countries in line.

[shadowknows69]

36. bring them in line?

they all already know he's a joke and I'm sure no one at the UN is any hurry to play ball with him

[xxqqqzme]

54. bolton has 2 B in place in the

UN B4 asswipe invades Iran. bolton's part of the plan. They have no back-up.

[chomskysright]

112. Scary big big picture here: RICO lawsuit: Rodriguez

I can't point people to this enough. This is the BIG story. Everything fits once you have read this heavily referenced lawsuit (what's the word?---for a brief?):



http://www.911forthetruth.com/pdfs/Rodriguezvs.Bush%20.pdf


Phil Berg, attny: bloghttp://www.911forthetruth.com/pages/BergBlog.htm

[Horse with no Name]

44. Very possibly he is strongarming them

He more than likely knows where the skeletons are and would be quite willing to reveal them "under the right set of circumstances".

[ginnyinWI]

50. More than just a fun pastime for Cheney

Bolton is a neocon, in thick with the rest of them. This is a small, tightly-knit group where loyalty is desired above all else. Outsiders can't be fully trusted--they want one of their own in the U.N. to get it under their control. Bolton is Cheney's boy, so much so that he is now willing to step out from behind the curtain and work for it himself.

Cheney is the real president, don't forget. Remember on 9/11 and other times, he stepped forward and took over when things got tough for the chimp.

[Dulcinea]

62. That's what I'd like to know!

Why Bolton anyway? There are plenty of other stooges they can find.

[sendero]

79. Because...

... losing this and SS signals the end of the Bush**/Rep juggernaut.

They know there is nothing they can do about SS, but all they have to do to win this is twist a few arms.

And they will twist, and they'll win.

[calimary]

83. They've got their dicks out there on the table for everyone to measure.

And they are ADAMANT about making sure that everyone obediently "measures" at least 15 or 16 inches.

Unfortunately, NOW, they're being shown to have about a tenth of that and they do NOT like being exposed or being made to look bad, or like losers. REMEMBER: These are CEOs and other high rollers who are used to dealing with a universe that has only two types of people in it: others like them - more CEOs and high rollers and folks at the top of the country-club pyramid, AND "the help." There's no middle ground (probably why they can't understand or get behind anything that helps or enables the middle class. It's very rich and very poor and that's that. Very white and very black, and that's that. No middle ground. No shades of gray. No nuances. It's yer with us or agin' us. NO middle ground. All or nothing. They're either calling ALL the shots, or they're completely dipped in shit and having to take their lumps like all the rest of us in the real world. And they can't have that. They recognize no other reality, and certainly no reality that EVER allows for them to be anywhere BUT in the winnner's circle. Winning is EVERYTHING-EVERYTHING-EVERYTHING. There is nothing else.

That's why they are pulling out all the stops to win this. Because they simply HAVE TO WIN. They have to KEEP winning. It's like a drug and they're severely addicted, and for this, there's no Betty Ford clinic. If they lose, they're DEAD. And they can't have that. Besides, at this point, there's too much at stake (when you're going for world conquest, after all).

They truly, literally, cannot afford to lose this.

Which is why it's ESSENTIAL that they do. If they do, it's the beginning of the end, because that whole invincible all-or-nothing, always-winning, always-on-top, all-powerful, damn-near-God-like juggernaut will fail, and will be unmasked as the bullshit manipulation illusion it really is.

[MontageOfFreedom]

11. Comments

"That's what Bush gets for playing without the appropriate safety gear and getting teammates from the minor leagues (Bolton)!"

:rofl: :rofl: :7

[lovuian]

13. Bolton is so obviously NOT a DIPLOMAT and has failed

over and over again!!! It truly shows Bush dictates and Republicans just shake their heads yes!!!

[aquart]

16. And if they kick Colin in the butt, is that also a win?

Because that whore so richly deserves any bad thing that happens to him, and his son.

[0007]

18. Save the whales

Save Tom DeLay, save John Bolton, save junior from big time embarrassment from the Social Security Program, save junior from low poll numbers, save junior from being sent to the Hague.

Let talk about saving lives in Iraq, 'eh?

[MontageOfFreedom]

22. Or the overall underlying theme.....

Save Bush from impeachment!!!! Oh no, the sky is falling.....Jack Abramoff is under criminal investigation.

:rofl:

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Bumiller still has a job?

Shocking.

[TahitiNut]

45. Yeah... I'm wondering why Bumiller (GOProstitute) is floating this one.

She toes the administration line ... part of their P/R machine with faxes directly from Rove. What's going on behind that curtain??

[nolabels]

58. I wonder how many times you can fall off the wagon before.........

they declare that you have contacted an incurable addictive disease.

Don't they have Google at NYT?
by Maccabee
Sun Mar 13th, 2005 at 12:50:10 PDT

First CBS falls prey to the obviously slanted reporting from a fake news organization, and then the NYT does the exact same thing.

Two years ago, CBS "60 Minutes" linked a chicken farm in Georgia to terrorists. Turns out the source of the organization: SITE or Search for International Terrorist Entities, is a bogus front funded by pro-Bush War on Terror backers.

But irony of irony, To-day, after a huge story on pre packaged fake news they did it again. in the same issue!!!

Diaries :: Maccabee's diary :: :: Trackback ::

In a discussion of this fake group's study of press releases from Al Quaeda, Rita Katz comments.

"I think they feel they are losing the battle," said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute, an American nonprofit group that monitors Islamist Web sites and news operations. "They realize there will be a new government soon, and they seem very nervous about the future."

A little Googling revealed that SITE, is an "news" organization with all the credibility of Talon News. SITE consists of Rita Katz and Josh Devon. They are only cited on NationalReview Online, or Fox News, and one of the partners has been hand picked by Bush to man lots of posts on Homeland Security and other Bush organizations. Look at the site and you'll see a PR job website that dresses as a real organization. All this scrollinbg news stories are progress in the WOT. There is no critical thinking or punditry. Just a big ra-ra site.
(snip)
http://dailykos.com/story/2005/3/13/155010/007

[CoffeeCat]

24. Sheesh, these nimrods are like little sniveling fraternity BOYS.

Boys...that's what this administration is comprised of. Snot-nosed, bratty little boys who would rather fight to make a point, than do the right thing.

Bolton is a freak. He's not just a "difficult person." He's a total maniac. Many are coming out of the woodwork, sharing Bolton's mania, lack of diplomacy, hot-headed tantrums and bizarre, off-the-charts freak outs. This man should NOT be the ambassador to anything. He's a nutcase! He's the wrong man for the position.

Rather than admit how absurd this nomination is, the administration now says, "It's would mean that Colin Powell had influence to block someone" and that the White House is showing "strength" and "an unwillingness to back down."

So--they're going ahead with their psychotic nominee--just so Colin Powell doesn't get his way? They want to show what big tough guys they are--so they'll continue propping up the poster child for anger management?

This isn't the White House anymore. It's a frat house. They boys of Alpha Sigma Sigma (ASS)--bringing you immature, nonsensical behavior at every turn!

[Nothing Without Hope]

53. Well said. I agree. I would only add my opinion that Bolton

is scripted for his own planned role in upcoming events in the Neocon world. War in Iran, anyone? I think Bolton is their man because he's in on these plans and they trust him to crush all logic and decency in carrying them out. They NEED an insane maniac, as long as he's THEIR insane maniac.

The rest of it, yes, the top neocons hate the idea of looking even slightly vulnerable, let alone giving the impression that Powell has the power to block them in any way. It wouldn't matter if Bolton was caught skinning his grandmother at high noon in Times Square - they'd find a way to bury it, smear the witnesses, and push forward with him being "a good man."

[w4rma]

27. The Republican Party is weak. Their "strength" is an illusion. (nt)

[Stand and Fight]

28. Man, oh man...

I really hope this is not a false alarm and things fall apart for Bush-boy and his psychotic nominee, Bolton.

[Gothmog]

29. The white house full court press on Social Security was so successful

The white house full court press on social security reform fell flat and hopefully the effort to save the Bolton nomination will also.

[wallwriter]

30. Let them sink under the weight of their own arrogance

[robertarctor]

31. Why don't Bumiller's hackjobs lead off with "White House Press Release"?

And to think that Monica Lewinsky got crucified for the same action that Bumiller does every time she puts her fingers to the keyboard ...

[lonestarnot]

32. Bolten is molten ...and not into a butterfly.. but a fried freak.

[roscoeroscoe]

33. over here in iraq, american soldiers are tiptoing around...

...trying not to make more trouble or violate rules of engagement. risking lives going out into the community to take school supplies to the kids, training the soldiers and policemen, working with the sheiks and leaders...trying to do their best.
meanwhile, pnac hotdogger john bolton is chasing women around, sreaming at fellow analysts, LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, etc. etc.
john bolton is a disgrace and is wasting the blood of american soldiers.

[Pirate Smile]

37. Thank you, roscoe. Stay safe and may you be lucky along with strong and

smart.:hi:

[janx]

38. Roscoe, is this information readily available over there?

Is it common knowledge?

[myrna minx]

67. Stay safe roscoeroscoe.

:hi: Thank you for all that you are doing.

[Carolab]

34. Bush owes Bolton for 2000 in Florida

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/04/19/1348223

<snip>
John Bolton on November 7, 2000, the day of the election, was in Korea, South Korea, which of course is a propos of the conversation we have been having prior to my coming on the show here. And Bolton flew immediately to Florida. He was put in charge of undermining the recount in Palm Beach County. And you’ll remember Palm Beach County was the place where you had so many of the chad problems, and there are pictures of Bolton, you know, just jumping into situations and forcing people to stop counts, and that stalling of the count in Palm Beach County was a critical part of the screwing up of the whole process. Then when the ballots were taken to Tallahassee, after the Florida State Supreme Court ordered a fuller recount, Bolton went to Tallahassee with them, and it was John Bolton who burst into the room on December 9, 2000, when they were recounting the ballots from Miami-Dade County, one of the most critical of the counties, and announced, “I'm with the Bush-Cheney team, and I'm here to stop the count.” Now, Bolton had no power to do that. I mean, he didn't have the authority to stop any count. But he did it repeatedly, and he did it with immense force.

And the thing to understand, and why this is significant for what we're talking about today is twofold. First off, during that Florida recount process, a number of people who have gone on to become very powerful players in U.S. foreign policy, were key members of the Bush team. It wasn't just Bolton, it was folks like Robert Zellic, who is now the Assistant Secretary of State, former U.S. Trade Representative. They were rewarded very quickly with roles in the Bush Administration. But generally those roles were lower level positions. Now, those folks are moving into top international posts, or attempting to be moved into these posts. The problem with that is people around the world are often much more aware of the role of folks like Bolton and Zellic in shutting down the democratic processes in the United States. They are going to be very dubious advocates for the spread of democracy around the world. And they will be countered, as they already have been, when they push for a democratic process by folks like the Zimbabwean leadership who when criticized for the recent election said, look, we're doing a better job than the people who are criticizing us. The people who are criticizing us actually stopped the counting of ballots in Florida.

AMY GOODMAN: We're talking with John Nichols, speaking to us from Madison, Wisconsin, who has been covering John Bolton in other ways. So, Steve Clemons, would you say Bush owes Bolton? He owes him?

STEVEN CLEMONS: Sure. I mean, I think this is a loyalty issue. And I think, as John laid out, these are very powerful people who I think are not the very best that the country can be sending to posts like the United Nations and others. We should be sending people with impeccable credentials who we can feel proud of, and it is being watched around the world. And we're sending very mixed signals with people like Bolton. But these are issues of loyalty. You know, Karl Rove last night spoke where I'm at right now in Chestertown, Maryland at Washington College, and Rove bemoaned how the press sort of created this reality, that the press had somehow beaten up on Bush much more than Clinton, and there are all sorts of other realities that Karl Rove spun last night. But one of the really fascinating ones is he bemoaned the fact that we no longer talked about issues and policy and the merits of agreement and that we would just agree to disagree. And a student asked a question about John Bolton, and Karl Rove interrupted him and then just began talking about all things Bolton. But essentially, you could see behind Rove's -- you know, the illusion that he had tried to create an obsession with winning. That this has nothing to do with good policy, good public policy, good politics. It has everything to do with winning and rewarding those people who helped the Bush administration to win. And I think that that's got to concern those people who care about the state of democracy in this country and abroad.

<snip>

[MontageOfFreedom]

42. Can't get more transparent than this. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

39. Epic battle is a simple a distraction created deliberately

to get attention away from Iraq, the economy, and the price of gas. chimp put this guy up knowing that all this hoopla would happen. The Social Security circus is the same.

[MontageOfFreedom]

43. Pretty obvious too. n/t

[Chomskyite]

40. Can we BE this lucky?

Is God (should he/she exist) finally making up to us for the 04 election?

[MontageOfFreedom]

48. Yes. The real god who isn't some partisan liar. n/t

[teryang]

41. Bolton defines "politically damaging" regardless of outcome

He personifies the regime. If his appointment succeeds there will be nothing but trouble and probably war.

But I take the contrarian view. Why should a militaristic fascist regime disguise itself? Their nomination of Bolton is about the stupidist thing they could do because it plainly says to the rest of the world, "FUCK YOU!" I hope it succeeds because it will begin the process which will undo this regime.

[wisteria]

46. This seems to be all about Bush and not what is right for our

country. How can they claim to care about the US when they push this poor excuse for a man who demonstrates absolutely sick behavior and is entirely wrong in every way for this position. His appointment could possibly bring harm to the US. He is underhanded and not to be trusted. What a snake.

[bain_sidhe]

47. Iran?

I've seen a few articles that mentioned an attack on Iran "in June" - Can't say how many, but enough make me think the plans are already in place, and some people are already aware of them.

So, I'm wondering if having Bolton *specifically* in place by then is important for some reason we don't know, or at least don't see.

OTOH, North Korea is heating up, and he's apparently done some work there...

My point (and I do have one, as Ellen would say) is that the U.N. would likely be involved in either of those situations. What could our Ambassador to the U.N. do when those situations come up? I mean, we're only one vote, but we are a permanent member of the Security Council, and would have veto power over some options not favored by the PNAC.

This is not to say that their psychotic mania for winning every fight isn't part of what motivates it, but I have to wonder if there's a deeper game going on.

[lala_rawraw]

49. I don't buy this...

They are pushing him for some other reason yet to be seen.

[Helga Scow Stern]

57. I totally agree. There is a plan in motion.

They aren't just trying to get this idiot in there for some casual or accidental reason.

It has to do with having no opposition to their plans.

[salin]

63. Perhaps this is the ultimate power play message via Cheney

to the intelligence community: We will win. We will reward our guys who push our line. Even when it becomes semipublic* knowledge that we browbeat you and ignored warnings in order to get enough tidbits of raw intelligence to make a "case" to take to the public, we still prevail without impunity. So intelligence folks - play ball or get out.


*semipublic in the sense that while the information is out in the public domain - much of the public is not fully aware of it.

[starroute]

71. Their goal is to "reform" the UN

I've seen this said in a couple of places, though without defining exactly what is meant by "reform." But by analogy with tort reform, bankruptcy reform, Social Security reform, etc. it presumably means "turn into a compliant tool of US policy." They think Bolton, with his bullying manner, is just the person to do the job.

There are a lot of things going on under the radar when it comes to the right wing and foreign policy. The general picture is not yet clear to me, but I have the impression that the hard-nosed unilateralism of a couple of years ago has given way to a sort of astroturf multilateralism. In that context, their goal is either to reduce the UN to one more Republican front group (that would be Bolton's role) or to route around it using groups that they do control.

There's more at stake here than simply whether or not they get their next war on. The fate of the UN itself in a rapidly globalizing world is the real issue.

[meganmonkey]

77. I think (hope) resistance is increasing from the UN and other

countries in general. I think the US empire has reached its peak and is on the decline. The Iraq war and things like Condi as SoS and Bolton as UN Ambassador just make us look uglier and uglier. South America is starting to call us out and stand up. Europe has enough neo-con-ness to it in some political circles that I worry about it, but the people of Europe are sure as hell sick of us.

I have to believe we can't pull this shit off much longer. The world economy is not about the dollar any more, it certainly isn't about US manufacturing...We are getting weaker and weaker economically, and politically as well.

I really hope that the UN (in need of reform as it may be) doesn't let the US boss it around. Because we need the UN to call us out and bust us on some of the nasty shit bushco is pulling.

IMHHO (in my humble and HOPEFUL opinion ;) )

[ailsagirl]

51. I can only reply by referring you to a very recent thread...

DU thread from kos:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3543793&mesg_id=3543793

[NJCher]

52. The damage is already done

Too much has been published about Nutcase Bolton and his over-the-top, frothing at the mouth outbursts over issues that nearly anyone would term petty.

Know the old saying, "Pick your battles carefully?" Well Team Bush doesn't know that saying. They pick every battle.

So now even if they "win," they lose.

Onward, Christian soldiers!


Cher

[Alizaryn]

55. I can only imagine what hell the "undecided" Republicans

are being put through. If any of them make the hard choice of refusing to sell their soul, they'll earn my eternal respect.

[truthisfreedom]

59. everything about this stinks for bushco, but they plow ahead... just like

the social security debacle. no matter what bush does, his numbers drop...

let's just sit back and watch the show. no matter the outcome bushco will oppose the UN.

[roughandtumble]

60. It's called a "death rattle"

It's the last hurrah, the last binge drunk. That's what happens when REALITY intervenes into your psycho Neo Con fantasy world and thrusts its head up your ass like Jeff Gannon/Guggert on Scotty McClellan after a Heritage Foundation fund raiser/mixer.

The chumps are going down. Rove will be hounded and humiliated for all eternity. Chimpy will remain clueless until the end. The Neo Cons will burn and hopefully take a few Likudnics with them. The best part will be years from know when the night manager at Walmart who used to be at whoring at Haliburton chokes the shit out of Chimpy in an Meth fueled rage in New York City behind a rat filled dumpster. The Crawford Crackhead will have a moment of clarity before he descends into hell, all the while praying to God that if only Babs had swallowed that unholy load instead of stuffing it up her diseased cunt, he, Chimpy, could have avoided the abortion and the national disgrace that was the “W” presidency.

[Hotler]

64. Well said! I like your attitude. n/t

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

65. You write a blog, don't you?

A rather "rude" one, I believe. I would know that style anywhere. :D

[kentuck]

69. The RudePundit is posting on DU ??

:)

[Massachusetts]

70. The view is great from here..The RETHUGS will pay dearly!

[Lugnut]

75. Yow!

:toast:

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Beetwasher]

73. "...to press them with the president's point of view..."

"Mr. Cheney met with some influential Republican senators and then called others on Tuesday afternoon to press them with the president's point of view, while Mr. Rove met on Capitol Hill with the Senate Republican whip, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, as well as other Republican allies of the White House."

You know what this means? Rove and Cheney had conversations w/ Senators that went something like this (I'm not joking either):

"So, Senator, how's the family? You know, it'd be damn shame if something happened to them."

[Placebo]

76. If our democracy works at all...

he will not be confirmed.

If he is, well, it just proves what this White House has continually shown the nation: that bull tactics and uncompromising arrogance can get you whatever you want in Washington.

[devinsgram]

81. The sign of a truly great leader

is being able to admit mistakes.

[Moderator]

85. kick to combine

[redacted]

86. Battle on Bolton Nomination Could Wound the President, Too (NYT)

By ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: April 27, 2005

WASHINGTON, April 26 - The White House is intensifying its campaign to rescue the nomination of John R. Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations, administration officials said on Tuesday, as Republicans close to the West Wing acknowledged that a rejection of Mr. Bolton would be politically damaging for President Bush.

Administration officials said that Vice President Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, the White House deputy chief of staff and the president's powerful political adviser, are playing a central and aggressive role in trying to salvage Mr. Bolton's prospects. Mr. Cheney met with some influential Republican senators and then called others on Tuesday afternoon to press them with the president's point of view, while Mr. Rove met on Capitol Hill with the Senate Republican whip, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, as well as other Republican allies of the White House.

Mr. Bolton, the under secretary of state for arms control and a protégé of Mr. Cheney, was himself spotted on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon. His office would not say with whom he was meeting, and a spokeswoman for Senator George V. Voinovich, the Ohio Republican whose wavering on Mr. Bolton last week threw the nomination into doubt, would neither confirm nor deny that Mr. Bolton had paid a call on her boss.

"He's really reviewing the entirety of the Bolton record," said Marcie Ridgway, Mr. Voinovich's communications director.

MORE
http://nytimes.com/2005/04/27/politics/27strategy.html?pagewanted=print&position=

[ananda]

87. You know, I can't understand why..

.. Bolton is so important to them?

What's the big deal? Why not junk him and nominate someone else?

Sue

[UCLA Dem]

89. Because they can't stand to loose. They can never be wrong period.

[Straight Shooter]

91. That's it in a nutshell. Plus, Bolton is PNAC.

He's another bulldog waiting for his meaty bone. Remember that he was instrumental in stopping the vote count in Miami-Dade.

It has nothing to do with qualifications. It's just loyalty. Blind, steenkin' loyalty, and the world be damned.

[Larkspur]

94. Yep, losing the Bolton nomination would make Bush look weak

and showing weakness is the Achilles heel of the Repukes.

[AndyTiedye]

90. He Is One of the Key PNAC People

PNAC needs a veto on the Security Council.

[BigBearJohn]

96. Pls excuse my ignorance, but what is PNAC?

[UpInArms]

97. here's more than you ever wanted to know

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm

January 26, 1998

The Honorable William J. Clinton
President of the United States
Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing you because we are convinced that current American policy toward Iraq is not succeeding, and that we may soon face a threat in the Middle East more serious than any we have known since the end of the Cold War. In your upcoming State of the Union Address, you have an opportunity to chart a clear and determined course for meeting this threat. We urge you to seize that opportunity, and to enunciate a new strategy that would secure the interests of the U.S. and our friends and allies around the world. That strategy should aim, above all, at the removal of Saddam Hussein’s regime from power. We stand ready to offer our full support in this difficult but necessary endeavor.

<snip>

Elliott Abrams    Richard L. Armitage    William J. Bennett

Jeffrey Bergner    John Bolton    Paula Dobriansky

Francis Fukuyama    Robert Kagan    Zalmay Khalilzad

William Kristol    Richard Perle    Peter W. Rodman

Donald Rumsfeld    William Schneider, Jr.    Vin Weber

Paul Wolfowitz    R. James Woolsey    Robert B. Zoellick

http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf

Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century
A Report of the Project for the New American Century
September 2000

excerpt from page 51:

Further, the process of transformation,
even if it brings revolutionary change, is
likely to be a long one, absent some
catastrophic and catalyzing event – like a
new Pearl Harbor. Domestic politics and
industrial policy will shape the pace and
content of transformation as much as the
requirements of current missions. A
decision to suspend or terminate aircraft
carrier production, as recommended by this
report and as justified by the clear direction
of military technology, will cause great
upheaval. Likewise, systems entering
production today – the F-22 fighter, for
example – will be in service inventories for
decades to come. Wise management of this
process will consist in large measure of
figuring out the right moments to halt
production of current-paradigm weapons
and shift to radically new designs. The
expense associated with some programs can
make them roadblocks to the larger process
of transformation – the Joint Strike Fighter
program, at a total of approximately $200
billion, seems an unwise investment. Thus,
this report advocates a two-stage process of
change – transition and transformation –
over the coming decades.
interests or that of its allies in space
or the “infosphere” will find it
difficult to exert global political
leadership.
• Pursuing a two-stage strategy for of
transforming conventional forces. In
exploiting the “revolution in military
affairs,” the Pentagon must be driven
by the enduring missions for U.S.
forces. This process will have two
stages: transition, featuring a mix of
current and new systems; and true
transformation, featuring new
systems, organizations and
operational concepts. This process
must take a competitive approach,
with services and joint-service
operations competing for new roles
and missions. Any successful process
of transformation must be linked to
the services, which are the institutions
within the Defense Department with
the ability and the responsibility for
linking budgets and resources to
specific missions.

...more...

[librechik]

98. they are the NeoCon Think tank who made Bush invade Iraq

Here's who these bastards are

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

Here is why they need "a New Pearl Harbor" to accomplish their plan to rule the world (and 9/11 supplied it)
http://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf

[UpInArms]

101. don't you find it interesting that

Zalmay Khalilzad signed that letter to Clinton and is now the ambassador to Iraq?

http://rwor.org/a/1273/iraq-khalilzad-empire-builder.htm

Zalmay Khalilzad: Empire Builder Moves to Iraq

Who is Zalmay Khalilzad? And what does George W. Bush's nomination of Khalilzad as the U.S. ambassador to Iraq (to replace John Negroponte, who Bush nominated as Director of National Intelligence) tell us about the direction of the Bush global agenda?

Khalilzad's story—from aide to Paul Wolfowitz in the 1980s, to neocon theorist in the 1990s, to top official under George W. Bush—is the story of the rise of a group of imperialist strategists with a sordid history drenched in blood, determined to solidify, deepen and extend U.S. global dominance by any means necessary. Theirs is a coherent strategy that is now driving the global actions of the Bush II regime. Understanding this agenda is key to understanding the real reasons behind the 2003 invasion of Iraq (hint—it wasn't Sept. 11 or "terrorism") and the rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East, including U.S. threats against Iran and Syria and demands for "reform" in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as U.S. actions across the globe.

Khalilzad's nomination (he must now be confirmed by the Senate) highlights both the centrality of Iraq to that agenda and the U.S. imperialists' determination to press forward with their global plans, despite enormous difficulties in Iraq and the potential for even greater upheaval in the future. For them, their system's place in the world and its long-term survival are at stake.

Khalilzad is considered a protégé of Wolfowitz and Vice President Dick Cheney. Born in Afghanistan, he emigrated to the U.S. and was educated at the University of Chicago (a hotbed of Straussian theory). In 1984 he began working in the State Department during the Reagan administration under the notorious war hawk Wolfowitz. During this period, Khalilzad helped organize the arming of Afghan mujahedeen forces—including Osama bin Laden—who were waging war against the Soviet Union, then the U.S.'s main imperialist rival, which had invaded Afghanistan in 1979. As a result of the Soviet invasion and subsequent U.S.- fueled war, more than a million Afghans were killed, a third of the Afghan population was driven into refugee camps, and Afghanistan was left in ruins.

...more...

[librechik]

105. yeah, interesting like the relentless spread of fire ants northward

vermin do tend to nest with their own kind

[central scrutinizer]

92. they want proven loyalists to form a seamless

fabric of liars when they lay out the case for attacking Iran, Syria, etc. With Negroponte as intelligence czar, they can count on totally cherrypicked, out of context, "intelligence" then Condi and Bolton can present it at the UN.

[librechik]

99. agree--Bolton is a "made man"

they can count on him to do WHATEVER assasination they request. Anyone who won't will be useless to them. That's why they keep saying "we need a reformer!" in the UN. Knees must be broken--er, uh, "re-formed"

[Ex_Catholic]

95. I agree. They can find another Turd elsewhere.

Maybe now it has become an issue of pride over good sense.

[ewagner]

88. Arms twisted

kneecaps broken, deals made, threats made, campaign money passed out/ withheld....

Dirty Dick and Rotten Rove pull out all the stops.....

[Judi Lynn]

93. They havr gibbered, in tv interviews, including Condoleeza Rice:

"b-b-b-b-ut we NEED someone tough to reeefoooooorrrrrmmmm the Eeeuuuu-Innnnnnnnn."

It seems to be their view that the U.N. is composed of sneaky diplomats who will do their best to keep us from dominating them, and that's why we need Bolton, the BIG HAMMER. :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[louis-t]

103. Does he really think the white stash and rug

make him look good, or is it that he thinks his odd looks intimidate people?

[Ian David]

100. I still wonder if they should confirm Bolton so we can see him fail

Probably a stupid idea, but there would be a certain degree of satisfaction when the United Nations passes a resolution refusing to allow Bolton to enter the building.

[Justitia]

102. Prediction: They pull back Bolton to save face, nominate someone worse

Kissinger perhaps???? :nuke:

[confludemocrat]

104. Their political "Stalingrad"

can be made to happen here if it's done right and the Dem leadership and others have balls for it!

[struggle4progress]

107. " ... The runaway train went over the hill, and the last we heard ...

she was going still, and she blew, blew, blew, blew, blew ..."

[Disturbed]

109. I used to think that Cheney..

was the Pres. Now I feel that it is K. Rove.

The Bush Junta see any loss as a personal defeat. They will do anything to push Bolton through.

I suspect that they will do so but will be pleased if they cannot succeed and next loss to them will T. Delay.

[hector459]

113. Well, since the UN is "irrelevant" it's the right place for Bolton?

I hope nobody speaks to him at the UN.