The President's Man

[struggle4progress]

(The American Prospect)
This column was written by Terrence Samuel.

<snip> "I have to say that, after pouring over hundreds of pages of testimony and speaking with many individuals, I believe that John Bolton would have been fired, fired, if he worked for a major corporation," Voinovich said. <snip>

If you did not know that a deal had been struck, you would have been convinced that Voinovich was going to kill the nomination by voting with the eight committee Democrats against Bolton to create a 9-9 tie that would have doomed Bolton. But after 15 minutes of laying out a case of why and how the United States needs to improve its diplomacy in the world -- and why Bolton is not the man for the job -- Voinovich turned back and descended the stairs, voting instead send Bolton to the full Senate without the customary favorable recommendation: "I am not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment and perspective of the U.S. position in the world community on the rest of my colleagues," he said. "We owe it to the president to give Mr. Bolton an up or down vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate." <snip>

It is a nearly impossible task to rise above partisanship these days. But Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) thought he might try to dislodge some to the GOP support for White House. Biden reminded the Republicans that he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee in 1993, when President Bill Clinton's first two choices for attorney general died in committee, largely at the hands of Democratic senators. And he tried to appeal to the independence of each senator: "I do not work for the president of the United States. None of you work for the president of the United States," he said. Later he was forced to acknowledge what he was up against. "I have listened to the other side … and it comes down to one really compelling argument. The president is entitled to his man. I respect that. I disagree with it, but I respect that." <snip>

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/05/13/opinion/main695157.shtml

[Eloriel]

1. Pity it doesn't seem to apply to Democratic presidents, huh? n/t

[struggle4progress]

2. Wingnut "principles" do blow back and forth in the wind. eom