What's your best guess about what will happen with Bolton?

[senseandsensibility]

Will he be confirmed, asked to withdraw, "held up" through senate rules by the Dems. voted down....WHAT???? I'd really like the benefit of some of the more informed DUers opinions.

Also, this thread might be fun to look back at later, depending on the final result.

[wtmusic]

1. Bolton will go down

like he should.

[pnorman]

6. either way, he's "damaged goods"

If the WH tries a recess appointment, that would make it even worse. They might "magnanimoisly" throw a bone to the Democrats, and pick a less "controversial" candidate. That might have been their game plan all along.

I don't have enough savvy to second-guess Reid and the others, and I'll refrain from shrill fingerpointing at this moment. But approving Priscilla Owens (and possibly the others) was a more serious hit to this Nation.

pnorman

[punpirate]

2. Bush will...

... appoint him as a recess appointment, when Congress next recesses. That's how the WH avoids providing any of the information Congress wants, and gets Bolton into the UN, and with Bolton, eighteen months or so might be enough for him to really monkeywrench the works.

[chomskysright]

4. what's a recess appointment?

thanks.

[punpirate]

5. Constitutionally...

... the President has the right to appoint people to the Executive branch when Congress is not in session (to, presumably, ensure the continuing operation of government when Congress is not available to approve the nomination). A recess nomination lasts only until the end of the current Congress (the 109th Congress lasts until the 110th is convened in January, 2006).

Bush, however, has increasingly used it to get people into government when Congress has stalled them, and especially when the candidates are right-wing thugs, like Bolton. He's already done it with William Pryor and did it also, I believe, with one of his appointments of Elliott Abrams.

Cheers.

[wicket]

8. Congress is in recess now for Memorial Day

Grrr...

[halobeam]

14. That was the recess I was thinking of...

he doesn't have to wait for the "big" one, does he?

[enid602]

3. Bolton

The longer his confirmation is delayed, the more chance that scandal will continue to surface. What happened with the Larry Flynt accusations? If Flynt's 'dependable source' turns out to be Bolton's ex-wife (and if she comes forward), Bolton could be derailed.

[Generator]

7. Bolton voted down but

Bush comes up with someone WORSE. Who? I don't know.

This horror show never fails to amaze me. I will never forget when it was first rumoured that Condi would be SOS and some very smart and sweet DU'ers thought it was a joke. It's that bad. Color me wrong, I hope.

[wicket]

9. Oliver North

j/k

[Todd B]

11. Bush coming up with someone worse is what worries me.

This is what worries me, IMO.

If Bolton is derailed and * appoints someone worse, will the Senate Democrats (and respectable Republicans) continue to stand up against the next thug?

[paineinthearse]

10. I feel there are skeletons in his closet that are being discovered

That is why * is not releasing the memos. Something ominous. If/when found out, his nomination will be withdrawn.

Far out prediction - Karen Huge will be the next nominee. Sound far-fetched? Remember Voinovich's Wednesday speech, where he floated the name.

[LuPeRcALiO]

12. I'm hoping for tears

as Bolton delivers his brave little decision to "spend more time with his family." Like a really big blowout, with major blubbering and sniffles.

Cruel? Yes. But he's a POS.

[siliconefreak]

13. Shields and Brooks

Both Mark Shields and David Brooks on The NewsHour said that he easily has the 50 votes needed for confirmation.

[snowbear]

15. so did every talking head on every network yesterday...

..and they all turned out to be WRONG.

But did you see the shot of Bush when he heard the news??:

[Gloria]

16. Jay Carney on McLaughlin Group tonight said that he thinks he will

be confirmed.

[yourout]

17. He will be confirmed and the USA will leave the UN in the next 4 years.

This whole ordeal is nothing more than creating so much friction with the UN that will allow the US to marginalize and ultimatly leave the UN and save the 2 Billion a year we give.

[nevergiveup]

18. My gut tells me he will be confirmed but

the longer this goes the easier it will be for Repubs to jump ship.

[OKthatsIT]

19. Bolton is TOAST

cya, cya, wouldnt want ta bya

[senseandsensibility]

29. cya cya wouldn't want ta bya

:rofl: Haven't heard that since middle school!

[alfredo]

20. He will get confirmed, but the UN will rebel against him.

This will hurt bush, but he will not ask him to leave. At this point, doing damage to America is more important to bush than poll numbers.

[Lexingtonian]

21. recess appointed or confirmed

because the Bush people need him in the UN by middle of the summer.

But the effect of the brouhaha and delays being generated in Washington and scads of information on his methods, behavioral tricks, and purposes is that everyone at the UN is more than prepared for him now, perhaps even allied against him.

Every delay and further exposure of Bolton is a small victory for the people who don't want to see the Iraq misadventure and continued Middle East destabilization via policy idiocy out of the White House continue.

[thebigidea]

22. he'll get confirmed, and dissappear for a year or so

making a few blustery appearances in the leadup to Iran, but otherwise invisible to the "liberal media."

some months after we hit Iran's nuke sites, he'll quietly leave to spend more time with his family and/or moustache.

[OneBlueSky]

23. um . . . when was the last time that Bush and the Republicans . . .

did NOT get what they want from the Congress? . . .

Bolton will be confirmed . . . and even if he isn't they'll find another way (recess appointment?) to get their way . . . they always do . . .

[ngGale]

24. Bush will use a recess appointment...

n/t

[LunaC]

25. If not Bolton, then someone else from PNAC

With the WH, Pentagon, and World Bank already in their pocket, someone from the PNAC ranks will ultimately sit at the U.N. for their Triangle of World Power to be complete.

[orleans]

26. i say the nays will have it

and the u.n. will be saved (for the moment)

randi rhodes said she thinks voinovich was crying because he knows if bolton gets in he'll end up starting a war with iran this summer.

maybe all the repukie senators will stand up and take notice at the emotion in voinovich's voice and instead of thinking: "hey! no crying in the senate" they might think "yeah, george, you're probably right. the guy is an a**hole."

[Disturbed]

27. Bolton will be confirmed.

Amerika's allies will be dismayed. How many allies does Amerika have these days?

[POAS]

28. Don't forget Poland!