Is this for real? Boxer has placed a "hold" on Bolton?

[yellowcanine]

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/

Later Thursday, however, Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, placed a hold on the nomination, according to her spokesman, David Sandretti. He said she wanted to get State Department documents that Democrats have been seeking involving Mr. Bolton's dealings with American intelligence agencies over Syria. In rejecting the request several days ago, Ms. Rice said disclosure of the documents could have a chilling effect on debates within the administration.

By placing the hold on the nomination, which is a privilege that any senator can invoke, Ms. Boxer can prevent it from going to the Senate floor for a vote. Under Senate rules, it takes 60 votes to overturn a "hold."

[LSparkle]

1. Tis true

Barbara "Cojones" Boxer triumphs again!

[comsymp]

13. Yup, was part of an NPR Bolton story this morning, too

Boxer is tough. I greatly admire her.

[Paul Dlugokencky]

24. Barbara Boxer for President?

Battling Barbara Boxer from Brooklyn!



http://www.cafepress.com/kickindemocrats

[calimary]

26. I'd have no problem voting for that...

Barbara "Backbone" Boxer! Now, what we need to do is figure out how to clone her!

Gotta send some more roses...

[jfw9999]

33. hard not to agree with this

I have seen inklings of Boxer playing the fence for possible further ambitions. She seems to (at the moment) haven given this up and gone for the juggler on this f**ks. We do need more of her... we need more of the like of Wellstone and Waxman (if he can get his head straight on Israel.

We are in for a long haul..... and in the meantime; as we shurn away. the greater world is making plans to marginalize the United States Economically and Politically - as it has become clear that WE are the great agressor in the world today - closely followed by Israel.

[comsymp]

40. Yeah, I've noticed it too

Both the possible positioning for future ambitions and her more recent resumption (lotta 'literation here) of the "true" Boxer style.

Gotta say, of presidential possibilities (damn, did it again) from the Senate, she's *by far* my favorite choice.

Your other point is, sadly, right on target as well. If we can manage to hang on til '08, maybe we can get an Administration in place which will reverse this one's trend toward self-imposed marginalization.

And welcome to DU!

[Kikosexy2]

2. Truly ...

a champion Boxer and no pun intended.

[blondeatlast]

34. But a good pun, nonetheless! nt

[Career Prole]

3. Thanks, Senator Boxer!

This is for you...

[ailsagirl]

15. That's a helluva gorgeous rose!!!! We may need to send her

more, eh??

We couldn't ASK for a politician to do any more than that diminuitive woman does... bless her heart

[Atman]

4. That is what Russert has reported. Likely to be put on hold now

until they see what Frist does with the Nukular option. If he pushes the button, Reid is prepared to counterstrike. MAD-ness. And like the real thing, we'll all wind up the losers.

[ohtransplant]

5. Gooooooo BB! n/t

[fred unger sufalls]

6. A Senatorial "Hold" is a Filibuster by another name. It is a Senate

rule that a single Senator can put a hold on any nominee for any reason for an indefinite period of time.

Now the Republicans will be saying not only will the Democrats not allow an up or down vote on Judicial appointments, they will not allow up or down votes on nominees for any position.

I think this just ended any talk of negotiation about ending or limiting filibusters, which now WILL include ending Senatorial holds by a single Senator as obstructionism gone amuck.

Boxer just forced the Nuclear option to happen for sure. Oh well, it probably was bound to happen anyway.

[RedstDem]

7. You Wrote

"I think this just ended any talk of negotiation about ending or limiting filibusters"
I Think Frist Already Said No To Any Negotiated Settlement Already

[cestpaspossible]

8. Let's make Bolton the poster boy for the Republicans

win or lose this confirmation battle, the longer it is drawn out, the better for us.

[yellowcanine]

9. This may have been what Fristy wanted. I don't think he wanted to

vote on Bolton just yet anyway. For all of their brave talk, I don't think it is clear they have the votes to confirm Bolton. Hmmm???

[hughee99]

30. If they didn't have the votes to confirm...

I suspect Boxer wouldn't have used the "hold". It would be better for Dems to have the repukes complain about the nomination not getting out of committee only to be voted down for all to see. That would be a great example of * pushing unqualified or unacceptable nominees and could be used as an example for the judicial nominees.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

10. The nuclear option is inevitable.

The Republicans don't really want to compromise on this issue. They're not even being honest with the facts. The Republicans have already made it their propaganda point that Dems are opposing all of Bush's nominees. Nothing the Dems do will avert that.

[LittleClarkie]

11. That must be what my friend called

"The Filibuster Button"

Is this the way the court nominees were filibustered as well?

[Shrek]

19. They won't be able to claim obstruction

It's a custom, not a rule, so Frist could go ahead and schedule the vote if he wanted. They can't get away with screaming "obstruction" on this one.

[blondeatlast]

36. Riiiiiiiiight. Welcome to DU.

Obstructionism? Nice choice of words.

:sarcasm:

[Bridget Burke]

41. The Democrats need to obstruct away....

Health care is one of the "causes" Frist mentioned before Byrd made him slink out of the Senate like a whipped dog. We really need the "leadership" of the son & brother of the founders of HCA (the country's largest for-profit hospital chain) focused on this issue.

[dhinojosa]

12. Is she some sort of super-genius?

Damn, that is awesome!

[ailsagirl]

14. RIGHT ON BARBARA!!! That woman is incredible!!!

And she's my Senator, to boot!! How I love her

:loveya:

[gratuitous]

16. Nice move

And sure to drive the wingnuts even nuttier!

Someone should do a quick bit of research on the extensive use of "holds" by the Republicans, particularly Jesse Helms. Because you know that this maneuver, perfectly legal and perfectly in the GOP obstructionist tradition, will be condemned and wailed about from all the GOP talking roosts, as if such a thing had never happened before and nobody had ever held up a floor vote on a perfectly qualified nominee.

James Hormel, nominee to be ambassador to Luxembourg, comes to mind. I seem to recall Helms and maybe one or two other Senators putting a "hold" on his nomination because Hormel was homosexual.

[Turn CO Blue]

17. It's on DKos too.

Boxer Places A HOLD On John Bolton
by Rimjob
Fri May 13th, 2005 at 08:10:41 PDT

<http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/13/111041/748>

[progressoid]

18. What is she, some kind of activist Senator?

Way to go Barbara!!

:woohoo:

[tex-wyo-dem]

20. Damn, I love this lady!

Go Sen. Boxer!!!

Boxer/Conyers '08!!

[Az_lefty]

21. Way to go Barbara !!!!

I didn't know they had a mini-filibuster option.
:woohoo:

[huskerlaw]

22. Bless her.

Seriously, I'm more and more impressed with her every day.

[StudentOfDarrow]

23. GO BARBARA!!

I wish she was my Senator. I'm stuck with Voinovich and DeWine. :cry:

[ailsagirl]

25. Here are Boxer's words about the hold she placed...

on Bolton's nomination.

From her latest email:

I have placed a "hold" on the John Bolton nomination, meaning that we won't proceed to debate his nomination by unanimous consent and must have a vote before we do so. I have placed this hold because there are several important documents requested by Committee Democrats which we still have not received. We don't know what these documents will reveal, but we do know that we deserve to have them. Until we do, my hold stands.

[RobbinsdaleDem]

27. Way to go!!!

[orleans]

28. wow! go barbara! you're brilliant!

a little flower basket for you dear.

[Boo Boo]

29. Love my Senator!

:7

OTOH, I'm startin' to think that Bush is just going to appoint this guy over the upcoming recess. He'll just tell us how disappointed he is that the Senate couldn't do the people's business or some crap like that. The Neocons want Bolton at the UN to make sure nothing happens that might prevent them from bombing Iran. His job will be to keep doing what he's been doing which is to wreck anything the Neocons don't like.

Prolly use Boxer's hold as an excuse.

[Beacho]

31. What guts

Can't Senators put holds on nominees anonymously?


She said to hell with that and will take the heat.

She needs more roses

[sarcasmo]

32. Boxer for President.

[obreaslan]

35. Why is it that the only Democrat in the Senate with any balls....

Is a woman! :D

Go Barbara! Our First Female President!

[EndElectoral]

37. This woman deserves kudos...Why couldn't she be Prez?

[Tippy]

38. Here is a copy of the e-mail I got

Dear Tippy,

A funny thing happened on the way to John Bolton's confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.


First, 55,986 of you sent Senator Lincoln Chafee a strong message in a petition we delivered to his office Thursday morning, urging him to live up to his reputation of having an independent streak and vote against John Bolton.


Senator Chafee didn't take a stand during Thursday's Foreign Relations Commitee hearing -- but believe it or not, after see-sawing back and forth, he is still holding open the option of voting against Bolton on the floor of the Senate. The Senator could have been a real hero to reasonable people everywhere by killing the nomination in committee, but that wasn't to be.


However, I know that the overwhelming lobbying effort you made -- including thousands of phone calls and petition signatures -- has kept hope alive as to Senator Chafee's final vote on the matter.


Second, Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio gave an incredibly masterful speech against Bolton in the Committee. Voinovich called Bolton "the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be" and went on to say: "We have sought to appoint an Ambassador to the United Nations who himself has been accused of being arrogant, of not listening to his friends, of acting unilaterally, and of bullying those who do not have ability to properly defend themselves."


Because of Voinovich, the Foreign Relations Committee on which I serve was unable to vote out Bolton with a positive recommendation. Committee Republicans were only able to muster enough support to vote him out without recommendation, a highly unusual thing -- only the sixth time this has happened since 1988.


Of course the Bush Administration, including Secretary of State Rice, is trying to put the best face on it, and it is true that the fight goes on. But that's the point: Despite Republican control of the Senate, we're still in this fight, and we will not shrink from it!


John Bolton is a man who has nothing but disdain for the United Nations, someone who would politicize intelligence and stretch intelligence to create phantom "imminent threats" -- a very dangerous man indeed. Further, Bolton has been called a "serial abuser" in terms of his relationships with those over whom he held power, and he tried to fire hard-working, independent intelligence analysts who didn't and wouldn't agree to give him the false information he was requesting.


Earth to George Bush: Can't you please find someone who deserves this job to represent us at the United Nations?


Well, the answer to that question is clearly no, and so we continue the fight. I have placed a "hold" on the John Bolton nomination, meaning that we won't proceed to debate his nomination by unanimous consent and must have a vote before we do so. I have placed this hold because there are several important documents requested by Committee Democrats which we still have not received. We don't know what these documents will reveal, but we do know that we deserve to have them. Until we do, my hold stands.


So hope springs eternal, mostly because you give me the strength to step out and do what my job requires on behalf of the people I represent -- to ask the tough questions, get the answers, and cast the hard votes.


While I continue to do everything I can to stop Bolton in the Senate, there's much more that you can do as well:


If you haven't already, please email your Senators, urging them to oppose John Bolton.


Then send an email to the White House, urging President Bush to send us a new common-sense UN nominee who can receive bi-partisan support in the Senate -- and across America.


Plus, don't forget to invite your friends and family to email their Senators, and tell them to email President Bush as well.
Stay in close touch with me on this. I will be back to you as issues unfold

In Friendship,

Barbara Boxer


Email your Senators | Email the White House

Contribute to PAC for a Change Today!

[jbnow]

39. I actually wrote to Dobbs tonight

he was the third one I heard complain about her contradicting a statement from 97 when she said "According to the U.S. Constitution, the President nominates, and the Senate shall provide advice and consent. It is not the role of the Senate to obstruct the process and prevent numbers of highly qualified nominees from even being given the opportunity for a vote on the Senate floor"

I suggested it was no contradiction...that "highly qualified" part is the key. Naming several repeated complaints against Bolton I pointed out he is not qualified for the position he is nominated to. So where is the contradiction.

If they want to read that quote and complain...doesn't it even occur to them she might think he isn't qualified?

Every recent nomination has been a poor choice, I wonder why this didn't come up before. Is this one too many? Is it the documents they won't release?
Positions that end with a new president aren't usually fought so hard, this year we have seen a lot more fight and no votes. With reason! bush's choices are almost like a sick joke.

But I thought they were saving the big fight for the lifetime judges. This is called a hold, how is that different then a filibuster? Can they just put a hold on the bad judges?

[OnionPatch]

42. I'm so proud of our senator!!

Boxer for President!! :bounce:

She's the best!! She makes it almost bearable to have a Republican congressman.