Democrats are catching a little wind....

[whistle]

<snip>
The New York Times
May 27, 2005
Democrats Force Senate to delay a Vote on Bolton
By DOUGLAS JEHL

WASHINGTON, May 26 - Democrats forced the Senate on Thursday evening to postpone a vote on John R. Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations, demanding that the White House first hand over classified information about Mr. Bolton's conduct that it has refused for weeks to provide.

The move put off until at least June 7, when the Senate returns from its Memorial Day break, any decision on Mr. Bolton's nomination, and it set Democrats and Republicans in the Senate at odds once again just three days after they reached a compromise intended to avert filibusters on judicial nominations. Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, described himself as "very, very disappointed" by what Senator Harry Reid, the top Democrat, conceded was the "first filibuster of the year."

With Republicans holding a solid majority in the Senate, Mr. Bolton still appeared poised to win confirmation if his nomination is put to an up or down vote. But a Republican-led effort to end debate on Mr. Bolton tallied only a 56-to-42 majority, leaving Republicans 4 votes short of the 60 necessary to bring Mr. Bolton's nomination to a final roll call.

Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Delaware Democrat who has led the fight against Mr. Bolton, said Democrats would agree to a floor vote on Mr. Bolton when the Senate returned from its recess. But Mr. Biden said Democrats would insist that the Bush administration first provide information the Senate has sought concerning a battle Mr. Bolton waged in the summer of 2003 over intelligence assessments on Syria, and the names of Americans given to Mr. Bolton by the National Security Agency as having been mentioned in intercepted communications.

<snip>
Mr. Biden and Mr. Dodd had insisted that their effort to prevent a final vote on Mr. Bolton on Thursday would not amount to a filibuster, on the ground that they would be willing to back down from their position if the administration provided the documents. But after the vote, Mr. Frist mocked that position, suggesting that the success of 42 senators in preventing a confirmation vote on Mr. Bolton "looks like a filibuster, sounds like a filibuster" and even "quacks like a filibuster."

Mr. Reid did not quarrel with that assessment, but added, "How can we work together when information is not supplied?"


<more>
<link> http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/27/politics/27bolton.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print

[Dr Fate]

1. "Dr." Frist does know a thing or two about "quacks" after all.

Dr. "I saw the tapes" Frist at it again.

[Norquist Nemesis]

2. Question: Is it really the Democrats that "forced" a delay?

NOT!!!

Documents were requested and have not been delivered by the Bush Administration. It was Republicans and a Republican led majority that forced this "delay".

[whistle]

3. Bush administration was asked at the time of Bolton's nomination

...committee hearings last month by democrats on that committee to produce the documents in question. The White House has refused and continued to refuse. A delegation of two, maybe three republicans senators were then assembled to review the documents IN SECRET closed doors and no democrats were allowed to attend that review. The documents were not shown to the delegation, but the delegation came out of that session saying nothing was out of the ordinary.

So this week the democratic and other republican senators who are still skeptical of the WH claims and these few selected republicans want the documents released. That was the delay, democrats do not trust the WH and do not trust the hand picked republicans. Neither should the public.

[Norquist Nemesis]

5. Yes, they were Republican Senators from another committee

From what Biden said on the floor yesterday, even Frist couldn't get the documents. So, as I said...it's not the Democrats that are causing the delay. Now, if the Administration turned the requested documents over and THEN things were held up, I'd say that Dems were delaying (and rightly so if warranted). But Biden made it pretty darned clear: give us the documents and we'll vote.

It makes me wonder. One of two things is going on. 1) For some reason, they don't want the Dems to see the docs. Making a ruling that the docs have nothing to do with the committees work just doesn't hold water, IMO. or 2) Power play by Bush. "This is who I want, what I want, and when I want it"...or else.

[whistle]

6. Bush is holding up the vote, 55 repukes and 1 democrat voted....

...yea for the vote to proceed, while 42 dems, 1 repuke (Frist) and 1 Ind voted nay. So the vote to stop the debate and move to nomination vote was stopped by dems. Why Frist threw his vote under the nays is baffling!

No vote should be allowed without the release of those documents, un-doctored, complete and verifiable, no copies, no black lines, no missing pages.

[LittleClarkie]

4. So let me get this straight

You don't have to filibuster when you filibuster any more? Is this the "filibuster button" a conservative friend tried to tell me about? Only he tried to describe it as if the Senator could just call out "filibuster" as if pushing a button without doing anything else. We both agreed that we want to see a real one where you have to stand and talk, but he made it sound like a cheat, as if you could say it but not do it. He was talking about judicial nominees, and he was talking to a very ignorant me.

So is this what he's talking about? Not voting for cloture of debate? How is that a damn filibuster? Where's Mr. Smith? Where's the phone book?

So confused.

[Blue Belle]

7. You're confused...

I'm still trying to figure out why Frist was the only Republican to vote nay, and then turned around and criticized the Democrats for filibustering the vote. I'm perplexed on that one...

:wtf:

[LittleClarkie]

8. Oh, I got that one okay. Ya see...

he can't recall Bolton for a vote on cloture unless he was one of the nay votes. So, he became a nay vote so we could go through this all over again after alittle while.

You know, that's just the sort of thing a Senator has trouble explaining on campaign trail. "Well, you see, I voted against cloture even though I really wanted cloture...what's cloture? Well, you see, it's when you vote to stop... No, I didn't flip flop my vote. Let me explain..."

[Blue Belle]

9. Well, I'll look forward to that argument when he runs in '08...

But Fox News will paint it as decisive and strategic rather than of flip-flopping...

[LittleClarkie]

11. We need to get some of those nifty Flipper outfits

and start playing the Flipper theme outside Frist's office.

[Blue Belle]

12. That would be great....

:-)

[Al-CIAda]

10. "Democrats are catching a little wind..."

I recommend Beno for the issuer -or Glade for the recipient.

There only be but ill wind in this party.

[DearAbby]

13. WHAT IS THE WHITE HOUSE HIDING about Bolton?

After 6 weeks waiting for the requested documents, the vote was delayed, because the Senate is still waiting for them....WHAT IS THE WHITE HOUSE HIDING about Bolton?

[sendero]

14. Don't forget...

... the "historical" compromise made earlier this week pertained to judicial appointments only, Frist is merely trying to muddy the waters with his usual bullshit.

There is no agreement that prevents us from filibustering other activities of the senate.