Boxer finds Rice's directive unconstitutional

[housewolf]

From madhaus's diary at DailyKos:

<snip>

Rice has directed State Department staff to not cooperate with Senate requests for further information on John Bolton's actions. Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to defer a vote on Bolton's confirmation until charges against him were further looked into. That means Senate staff making further inquiries, and evidently Rice means to find that these inquiries are unsuccessful.

Boxer helpfully shows where Rice runs aground the Constitution she (Rice) swore to uphold.

Quote from Boxer's letter to Rice:
I am sure you are aware that Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution states that the President is to appoint Ambassadors "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate."
As such, the Senate is fully vested with the authority to investigate executive nominations to ensure that they are qualified in tenns of experience, temperament, and conduct. In addition, paragraph 1 of Rule XXVI of the Standing Rules of the Senate authorizes Committees "to require by subpoena or otherwise the attendance of such witnesses and
the production of such correspondence, books, papers, and documents." The Supreme Court has upheld this authority, calling it, "an essential and appropriate auxiliary to the legislative function."



Here's the WaPo's take on Rice's directive:
On Monday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told her senior staff she was disappointed about the stream of allegations and said she did not want any information coming out of the department that could adversely affect the nomination, said officials speaking on the condition of anonymity.

<snip>

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/20/174624/595

[atommom]

1. I'm so sick of the bullying and the stonewalling in this administration.

It would be really nice to see more coverage of this in the MSM.

[lavenderdiva]

2. Go Barbara!

I just love her! Whoo Hoo! :bounce:

[PartyPooper]

3. Barbara, way to slap that *****!

:D

:hi:

[DulceDecorum]

4. If anyone here wishes to cast ANY TYPE of aspersions

upon Condi Rice,
let me assure you, that I will vigorously defend your actions.
Let the games begin.

A toast for Barbara Boxer.
:toast:

[heidler1]

7. On TV it was reported that Condi criticized Putin for being to powerful.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Then she had her meeting with Putin. How to make enemies without really trying. She also thought it was a good thing for areas of Russia to revolt. I wonder if she felt that way about states?

[DulceDecorum]

9. Pravda slaps Condi silly

Whether of not President Vladimir Putin changes the constitution of his country, using the legal norms available to him, is his business, the business of the Russian organs of state, the Russian people and nobody else, certainly it is nothing to do with Condoleezza Rice, who might anyway wish to remember that it was her country which lied about the threat posed by Iraq and launched a shocking act of butchery in which tens of thousands of innocent people were slaughtered. This is "very worrying", yes? Or is it no, no, no, no, no, no, no?

While Condoleezza Rice stated that her comments were made in friendship, it is easy to say that after having been insulting and an extremely rude guest. It is like being invited to someone's dinner party, insulting the chef, spitting on the floor, breaking wind loudly and then apologising.

Hardly the behaviour required of a lady.
http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/15326_condy.html

And today,
on this one issue, I will defend Pravda.
(The things I do f- BECAUSE of Condi...)

[Dave Sund]

12. Pot calling the kettle BLACK?

You're just opposing Condi because you're a racist!

:sarcasm:

[Nothing Without Hope]

5. Full text of the Boxer-to-Condi letter PLUS the Boxer-to-Bush letter

written on the same day (April 20) are in this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=1735671#1735694

The one to Bush is asking him to nominate a different candidate for UN ambassador. The one to Condi is given in a reply to the OP in this thread.

[Zenlitened]

6. Every time I hear Boxer's name mentioned...

... I'm a little more inclined to support her for prez in 2008. That woman is a fighter, in the finest tradition of the word!

:yourock:

[feelthebreeze]

8. She defends this country more than any other Senator out there.

Amazing how much strength and sureness she exhibits in the face of such overreaching power. She would make a fine President and could lead this country to a new era.

[angee_is_mad]

10. Country before ambition

that's what gives her strength. She would never be President and I have feeling she wouldn't want to, but she can give them Hell on the senate floor.

She could be the female counterpart to Delay, never president, but more powerful than the President.

It most be liberating to be a politician today with nothing to lose and can afford to do the right thing.

[Zenlitened]

13. "never be president" twice in a three-line post.

What's that about?

On second thought, don't bother. I'm sure it's not worth listening to, anyway.

:crazy:

[angee_is_mad]

39. That's your Prerogative

but my reason for that statement is that in order to run nationally you have to compromise. Boxer will call a spade a spade in a New York minute and to hell with what anyone else thinks, particularly those damn swing voters the dems are always reaching for.

Todays political climate is not about what is right or best for the country but getting as many swing voters as possible.

Hell look at Hilary! She is trying to be as repub-like as possible w/o having to switch parties to help her run in 2008. I can't imagine Boxer ever stooping down that low to be President and God bless her for it.

Now THERe!!!!!

[chomskysright]

17. EXCUSE ME?: she's a fucking bullying hypocrite....

She's not half the woman that Boxer is.

[flordehinojos]

11. the spanish word for CONDOLIAR LICE IS "descarada"

translation: barefaced. impudent.

[Disturbed]

14. Damnit!!!!

I wish that some brave person would levy the charge unto Ms. Rice.

[Selteri]

15. At some point and some time in the future I can

very easily see that there will be trials like Neurenburg for this administration. I somehow suspect that in this care that the President will be disallowed from pardoning himself and his staff before thy are shipped off to Europe for War and Crimes against humanity.

[sui generis]

19. well I am against the death penalty but we can leave it on the books

until after those trials end, no grandfathering.

[arikara]

25. We can always dream...

however they will have their accumulated karma to face and I wouldn't want to be them or even be around them when their time comes.

[chomskysright]

16. E mail the Secretary of State here:

:http://contact-us.state.gov/ask_form_cat/ask_

[Roland99]

22. Bad link

[Toots]

18. National Security....National Security....

We can no longer give any information due to National Security which takes priority over all things..So take that you pinko commie liberal obstructionists. Any bets on whether this will be their next harangue?

[Wizard777]

20. Business as usual for Rice.

"We didn't know" and we'll be damned if we'll let anyone find out.

[Roland99]

21. Could you imagine the OUTRAGE if Albright had done such a thing?

[In Truth We Trust]

23. Thanks Barbara- the girls got balls- and I mean that in the most

respectful way.

[Number_6]

24. "Disappointed"

Condi starts out sounding as if she is threatening those who might leak, but she is actually using her power as the Boss to also filter "information" in response to, dare I say, a Congressional inquiry as to the fitness of Bolton. Condi oughta be impeached (or whatever can be done with a Secretary of State) and Bolton oughta be incarcerated (for claiming during 2000 Florida recount, to the recounters, that he had the authority to stop them. And they did stop, reportedly, due to his claims).

[progressoid]

26. Damn, that Boxer is good!

[angryxyouth]

27. Why was it so easy

To impeach Clinton for lying about a blowjob? There were special prosecutors. 24/7 News Coverage. Yet for this entire lying, stealing, murdering administration who is systematically dismantling our democracy, a simple congressional investigation can't even get started.
Are our Democratic leaders not aware of the proper forms to fill out? Someone figure out how to make this entertaining for the masses, so the MSM will pick it up. Maybe our congressman and senators should protest by conducting business naked until the repubs start to cooperate. At least they will get air time to present the issues to the masses.

[angryxyouth]

28. Why was it so easy

To impeach Clinton for lying about a blowjob? There were special prosecutors. 24/7 News Coverage. Yet for this entire lying, stealing, murdering administration who is systematically dismantling our democracy, a simple congressional investigation can't even get started.
Are our Democratic leaders not aware of the proper forms to fill out? Someone figure out how to make this entertaining for the masses, so the MSM will pick it up. Maybe our congressman and senators should protest by conducting business naked until the repubs start to cooperate. At least they will get air time to present the issues to the masses.

[dxstone]

29. Your taunts have no effect... she just keeps smiling and sheperding on...

...and... hissing?...

[padruig]

30. Barbara Boxer's letter

you can see the full text as a PDF file over on Rand Rhodes website

www.therandirhodesshow.com

[dxstone]

31. Why is Barbara Boxer the ONLY one saying ANYTHING, EVER?

Well, John Conyers, too, and Harry Reid, I guess... though they seem so damn ineffectual at garnering ANY press, and so they might as well not be our elected representatives at all, but mere wisps of smoke and steam wafting about aimlessly in the corridors of power...

Boxer's almost always there, and always outspoken; I know there are a couple others of her gender equally so, such as Stephanie Tubbs Jones...

Are women the only liberals in Congress with ANY balls at all?

I ask this respectfully.

..............................................

Uh oh...
Condi's going into Seethe Mode...



BOY, IF LOOKS COULD KILL...

DXS
"I LOVE horror movies, man... I just don't want to LIVE in one."

[sandnsea]

32. Because you only click on links that say "Boxer"

Otherwise you'd know plenty of people are saying plenty of things.

[dxstone]

33. I only click on links that say Boxer?

Really? Do I do that?
Wow... I hadn't even noticed...
Thanx!... thank you for that supernatural insight.

[sandnsea]

34. Happy to oblige

First step is identifying the problem. YOU are the one who said Boxer is the ONLY one doing anything. Obviously a problem since it's not true. I just can't think of any other reason you'd think that except you don't pay attention to what anybody else says.

[dxstone]

35. Or perhaps you're simply being 'WAY too literal?...

And it's kinda weird, that you would focus so intensely on a strictly literal interpretation of my words, then follow with these strangely precise and categorical and thoroughly omniprescent pronouncements about someone you know NOTHING about...
Not that I actually give a shit...
D

[sandnsea]

36. Then why say it?

If it's not what you mean, why say Boxer is the ONLY one doing anything? Because you prefer to continue hating the Democratic Party?

[dxstone]

37. Who the hell do you think you are? Karnak the Great?

I don't hate the freakin' party! WHAT are you babbling about?
You sound like a Freeper! Don't you wanna throw America in with the list of things I hate? Damn, what a hater I am! I HATE HATERS, don't you? They are hateful.
Tell me, oh wise one... what do you know of my political affiliations or deep beliefs? What?
Listen, STOOP... I predict that you should really stop wearing that dumbass red turtleneck, the one you ALWAYS wear, the one you never take off night or day... you don't even launder it, do you?
Communist!
And stop doing that THING you're doing... you know the one I mean... STOP IT AT ONCE!...

Oh, and on the upside?... that gum you like is going to come back into style!

There. How close was I?

[sandnsea]

38. Easy to answer the question

And correct me. Why do you say stuff like that if you don't mean it? :shrug: