Bolton nomination going to the Senate

[annabanana]

Without Recommendation...

Next step.. Get moderate Republicans to commit to vote NO
(and follow what Voinovich has made clear)

[BR_Parkway]

1. Without Recommendation? Means what exactly? There's so many

stories to focus on, I can't keep up.

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. It means they don't have a backbone you..................

couldn't pass your hand through.

[Jo March]

2. So, was the vote a tie, then? nt

[annabanana]

4. As it stands right now...they haven't voted yet.

Biden is pointing out that the committee hasn't searched out any witnesses... That all their witnesses CAME FORWARD of their own volition.

and.. "If you're not going to vote against him now.. why would you vote against him in the Senate?"

[PKG]

5. Nope.

[American in Asia]

6. No - a tie vote would have killed it in committee

Voinovich will vote YES to let him come out of committee, just with no recommendation to approve. His argument seems to be that he shouldn't impose his views on his colleagues. Sigh.

[Alizaryn]

7. I THOUGHT that a tie vote

(even a no vote) COULD still allow the nomination to go to the whole Senate BUT as one UNRECOMMENDED by the committee. I may be wrong, but it was my understanding.

[kainah]

19. basically right

a motion to send the nomination to the floor with a do pass recommendation (or any other motion) would die on a tie vote. Presumably, with Voinovich's intentions clear, Hagel will make a motion to send to the floor WITHOUT recommendation and Voinovich will vote yes on that -- as will Hagel, Chafee, and any other fence sitters. This would also allow the other 'moderates' not to tip their hand in committee. Voinovich has saved them from that.

[trof]

13. Voinovich sounded like a "no" until his last sentence:

"But I will not impose my feelings/opinion on my senate colleagues."
paraphrasing

[KharmaTrain]

8. Without Recommendation Means Yes, But...

Voinovich is joining Hagel and moving this to the Senate floor...thus moving the nomination ahead, but with reservations. Hagel already has stated he will vote no on the floor and I suspect Voinovich and Chaffee will do the same.

What will be interesting is the timetable here. Without recommendation, there will be a floor debate on the nomination; rather than just running the vote through. I suspect there'll be a large floor debate on this nomination that could slow it down for yet another couple weeks.

That is if the Senate were operating under sane administration. With the showdown with the Fristians that could shut the entire Senate down for weeks and push their "work" way behind, Bolton's confirmation could still be quite a ways off.

Voinovich punted, but at least he's a Repugnican who didn't go along with the rubber stamping.

[rodeodance]

9. Fox is reporting that they will have enough votes in the Senate for Bolton

[Edgewater_Joe]

11. ... but how bloody is Bolton going to be?

Pretty damn bloody, I'd say.

[rodeodance]

12. Fox let Biden talk some, but then cut him off now to chit chat (msnbc doin

g the same). both have double screens of Biden still speaking but no sound.

[annabanana]

14. CSpan 3 is showing it

Biden is lambasting the administration for "deciding for themselves what the Senate should and should not get"

No administration has the right to tell this or any other committee what is right"

Don't tell the Senate "we the administration do not think it is relevant"

[KharmaTrain]

15. True, But Timing Changes

I'm not saying Bolton's toast. With 55 votes they could nominate a can of cheese whiz (who'd probably do a better job) to the post, but this will slow this thing down.

Right now I would say Voinovich, Hagel and Chaffee will vote down the nomination on the floor...and we haven't heard from Collins, Snowe, Specter (though I think he'd suck up to the party line on this one) and maybe one or two others who may come out of the shadows now that the nomination's really in their hands. This is what Frist wants, doesn't he?

Again, it all depends on when this moves to the floor. Reid can now delay it as well and if Frist shuts things down, we're talking at least a couple weeks where more stuff about Bolton can come out.

[kainah]

18. and of course

there's always the possibility of a Dem filibuster -- and, remember, even the nuclear option is (supposedly) only going to affect judicial nominees.

[KharmaTrain]

20. The Senate's Role...To Cool The Tempest

I forgot which founding father wrote that line, but the role of the Senate prior to Frist has been to be the body that deliberates...that's why its given the most important judicial, military and foreign affairs oversight.

The Clinton Inquisition was a great example as even though there was a Repugnican majority, the way the Senate worked was in stark contrast to the House (those "managers" looked like beaten puppies) and there's not a rush.

Hopefully Reid can find a way to keep this vote from getting rammed through...especially since he'll have a couple friends across the aisle to stick in Frist's smug mug.

Cheers

[FinallyStartingToWin]

10. I thought you said we already had enough threads on this? LOL

:hi:

[annabanana]

16. Biden is pissed...

about the undermining of the Senate's authority.

And is now back on the palpable unsuitability of Bolton for this appointment.

[kainah]

17. this is not absolutely the case yet

Voinovich's statement has clearly made this the best outcome that they can get now. However, there is still the possibility that Voinovich's 'defection' could pave the way for others and make even that referral unlikely.

I agree that, most likely, it will go to the floor without recommendation. But, for those who might not be watiching, I want to make it clear that there hasn't yet been a vote or anything. Voinovich spoke second -- unusual maneuver -- and so the Dems are only now having their say,

BTW, for the moment MSNBC is broadcasting the hearing.

[annabanana]

21. Whenever there's a "tight" shot..

You can see people scurrying around in the background..
When they go to a "wide" shot.. all background motion stops..

It looks like a big game of "Red Light, Green Light"
(anyone here old enough to remember this?)