Bolton renomination dead in the water

The 'Note carries word that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has killed the last possible chance for John Bolton to be confirmed as full Ambassador to the United Nations. As some of you may be aware, Bolton was only able to get in to his current position through a temporary presidential mechanism called a recess appointment, because even the Republican dominated committee found his pugnacious approach to international issues, his failure to account for improper use of intelligence intercepts, and his general investment in failure at the UN, was inimical to representing US interests as a senior diplomat.

The recess appointment was to last until January 2007 when Congress resumes, and ever since then the Whitehouse has been stubbornly lobbying like mad to get the votes it needs to confirm him. In recent months Republican Senator Voinovich flipped, and it looked like there might be hope, yet thankfully most hadn't changed their mind on Bolton, and in particular, the pressure coming from the Whitehouse was not enough to sway Republican moderate Lincoln Chafee's opposition, which was the deciding vote. It probably didn't hurt that Chafee is facing a very tough re-election battle in a liberal state, but the beauty of Bush's current political weakness is that the Republican National Committee had to finance Chafee, over the more conservative Laffey, in the primary battle, because he was the only Republican with any chance whatsoever in Rhode Island.

BIG NEWS: John Bolton Confirmation Battle Really, Really Dead

The last pre-election loophole through which John Bolton's confirmation might have snuck through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was at 2:15 this afternoon at a previously called "business meeting" of the Committee.

That meeting has been cancelled -- and with it even the dimmest chance of John Bolton being confirmed as US Ambassador to the United Nations.

***

So, it's over. Wow.

John Bolton might agree to serve as the uncompensated Ambassador to the UN in a second recess appointment, or might agree to serve as a recess appointed political deputy at the UN and made "acting Ambassador and Chief of Mission" at a pay cut.

Either way, Ambassador Bolton will fill his term as the only unconfirmed Ambassador at the United Nations in American history.

This is terrific news for those who want to see an effective and reformed UN. Either Bolton has to work unpaid with an embarrassing second recess appointment, or he has to take a less senior position which does not require Senate approval, thus undermining his effectiveness.

For anyone wondering why Bolton evokes such strong opposition from both sides of politics, I've collected a lot of the material from Bolton Watch & Steve Clemons' site below:

http://www.stopbolton.org/video.html

Bolton's UN Report Card

Chronology Bolton's activities at the UN

White Paper on why Bolton is wrong for the job

Bolton undermining the proposed UN peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon before it's even begun

Chafee's reasons for not voting for Bolton:
Chafee's letter to Rice
Rhode Islanders oppose Bolton

Powell's Chief of Staff, Lawrence Wilkerson, on why Bolton is a bad candidate

Republican Senator Hagel Ambivilent about Bolton

Evidence of the little documented rift between Rice at the State Department, who Bolton is supposed to be serving, & Bolton's alignment with Cheney:
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001410.php
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001142.php
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000941.php
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000782.php
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000477.php

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Interviews - evidence against Bolton's personality and management style

Recent op-ed in the La Times against Bolton