Democrats Force Delay of Bolton Final Vote - Yahoo! News
Joe Biden must be reading my blog.

WASHINGTON - Democrats said they hoped the Senate's vote to delay confirmation of John R. Bolton as U.N. ambassador would force the White House to release long-sought classified information about the embattled nominee, or perhaps to pick someone else for the job.

In a renewal of intense partisanship, the Senate put off a final vote on Bolton on Thursday, the latest setback for the tough-talking conservative whom President Bush has called strong medicine for corruption and inefficiency at the United Nations.

Democrats forced the delay in part because they claim that the White House has stonewalled on information that might prove damaging to Bolton, whose brusque style Democrats said would be ill-suited to U.N. diplomacy.

"I would hope the president will think about what happened here," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif. "I hope cooler heads will prevail and we see a new nominee."

The procedural vote to advance Bolton's nomination to a confirmation vote was 56-42, four short of the 60 votes that Bolton's Republican backers needed.

Republicans hold a 55-44 majority in the Senate, with one independent, and the White House has predicted repeatedly that Bolton would eventually win confirmation.

A final vote on Bolton will not take place until at least June, after the Senate returns from a Memorial Day recess.

The outcome raised questions about Bush's ability to win speedy confirmation of some of his more ideologically conservative appointees as he begins his second term in the White House. And it was a setback for Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who was hoping to end nearly three months of delays and investigation and finally deliver Bolton's nomination for the president.

Frist said the Bolton matter soured the air of cooperation the two parties' centrists forged just days ago after months of wrangling over Bush's judicial nominees.

"John Bolton, the very first issue we turned to, we got what looks to me like a filibuster," Frist said. "It certainly sounds like a filibuster ... it quacks like a filibuster."

Uh, Bill? A filibuster is used to delay a vote indefinitely. This was a vote to extend debate, and you know it. But feel free to be a sensationalist, lying little prick. Let's not mention the fact that a vote will be held as soon as your masters release information that was asked for a few months ago.

"We're not here to filibuster Mr. Bolton," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, referring to the procedural step that can be used to block nominations and legislation. "We're here to get information on Mr. Bolton."

Joseph Biden of Delaware, top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the vote on Bolton could be held immediately after the recess if the White House provides the desired information.

Way to go guys and gals. Keep up the good work.