I had posted the following as a comment in an earlier diary on Bolton and have received suggestions that it be posted as a diary on its own. My apologies if doing so violates any unspoken rules.
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I don't get C-Span, but finally got enough time and a high speed link today to look at part of the Bolton hearing earlier this week which culiminated in Voinovich's incredible announcement that he could not at that point support Bolton.
I concentrated primarily on the presentations by Biden, Dodd and then Kerry and I must say I was VERY impressed with the way in which they organized and presented their arguments (that there were still serious questions about Mr. Bolton which effectively "demanded" that the FAC allow sufficient time for them to be fleshed out and for Mr. Bolton to have a chance to return and clarify remarks (and in some cases lies) he had made to the committee.
If Bush wants to claim that this is all a matter of party politics, then let HIM come forth .... (more below the fold)
....and tell Joe Biden WHY he thinks a guy who lies to Senators, , goes WAY out of his way to try and destroy the careers of dedicated State Department staff members who refute his claims, and (we may soon know for sure) appears to have used intelligence intercepts to spy on other government officials both in the US and overseas) is the best man to serve as ambassador to the UN.
Let HIM tell Senator Dodd why there is nothing wrong in going back on multiple occasions over several months to try and get rid of one intelligence staffer (while telling the FAC that he had complained just once).....and created a climate of fear so palpable that the then Secretary of State, Colin Powell, felt it necessary to make a PERSONAL visit to the intelligence section of State and reassure staff that they should not bow to politics.
Let President Bush explain why Bolton is the right guy, when as Biden clearly noted, in EVERY case where he tried to get another staffer fired or transferred, that individual's supervisor refused to do so because there were no grounds for it.
And if Mr. Bush believes Mr. Bolton is the right guy to support HIS foreign policy with the UN, then let him explain why he saw no problem when Bolton forced his way, over in-country US diplomatic opposition, and delivered a speech which almost scuttled very sensitive efforts to engage North Korea in nuclear arms control talks at a time when we have VERY little leverage in that arena. As many have noted, we made WMD the keystone of our rationale for invading Iraq and found nothing. At the same time, Bush has been tremendously vulnerable to criticism on the North Korean front for allowing that country to move ahead with nuclear weapons development and could ill afford to have someone like Bolton making speechs which undercut his own Secretary of State and our Ambassador to Korea.
This isn't politics......these are serious accusations which need to be studied carefully because they cut to the heart of Mr. Bolton's ability to serve the country in this sensitive post.
More serious for Mr. Bush, however, is that they cut to the heart of his judgement in nominating a person so clearly UNqualified to serve here. And that questionable judgement is part of a clear and continuing pattern:
1- Giving Paul Bremer a Feedom Medal following his disastrous decision making in the administration of the Coalition Authority, Including such lax administration that the Pentagon managed to lose over 8 BILLION dollars.
2- The promotion of Condi Rice to Sec. of State after she clearly failed as Security Advisor to react to numerous warnings about Al Queda's terrorist intentions including use of airliners.
3- The awarding of a Freedom Medal to George "Slam Dunk" Tenant, despite h is agency's buckling to pressures to cook the intelligence the Bush Administration wanted to tout its claims of WMD in Iraq.
4- Bernard Kerik (need we say more))
As Biden noted repeatedly to other members of the FAC....these charges raised agaiinst Bolton are very serious and if true, then what message are we sending to dedicated staff members who have risked their careers to tell what they saw and experienced, if the committee then goes ahead and approves his nomination? His clear implication is that the message to diplomatic and intelligence agency staffers is....screw you...we got the power and we're gonna use it and if you try and get smart and oppose us, we will make your life a living hell.
And behind all of this....Dick Cheney....Bolton's strongest supporter. What does it say about HIS judgement. But we already know that.