Thursday, May 12, 2005
The Littlest Senator
Fred Kaplan astutely describes today's proceedings in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Just a few weeks ago, that august body gave us cause to hope that sanity was prevailing in the Senate. Bolton's nomination - clearly the battiest of this inaugural year - seemed to be swirling around the bowl. Ohio's George Voinovich had uttered his now-famous words of doubt, tying the vote.
A lot has changed in a few weeks.
Voinovich deserves some credit. He clearly has no love for Bolton and held out for passing it to the floor without a recommendation. That, as the commentators say, will probably mean that Bolton will be approved, but it at least lets him stand his ground and vote against the nutcase on the Senate floor.
More pathetic is Lincoln Chafee. Kaplan rightly reams him for very clearly voting against his conscience. Weeks ago he was all set to swallow his principles and vote for Bolton until Voinovich bolted and gave him cover - he then expressed exhilaration at the newfound power of Senate moderates. Someone got to him in the meantime. Chafee's spine - never the most adamantine of backbones - was not apparent today. Rhode Island is assuredly taking notice. Chafee will assuredly have a tough race in 2006 and his visibly subdued support of Bolton makes him look less like an independent voice than a peon. RI is a likely pickup for the Dems.
To close, let's recall Senator Voinovich's response to Condi Rice's promise that, if confirmed, Bolton would be well-supervised: "Why in the world would you want to send somebody up to the U.N. that has to be supervised?"
To which the White House would probably say, "Why ask why?"
A lot has changed in a few weeks.
Voinovich deserves some credit. He clearly has no love for Bolton and held out for passing it to the floor without a recommendation. That, as the commentators say, will probably mean that Bolton will be approved, but it at least lets him stand his ground and vote against the nutcase on the Senate floor.
More pathetic is Lincoln Chafee. Kaplan rightly reams him for very clearly voting against his conscience. Weeks ago he was all set to swallow his principles and vote for Bolton until Voinovich bolted and gave him cover - he then expressed exhilaration at the newfound power of Senate moderates. Someone got to him in the meantime. Chafee's spine - never the most adamantine of backbones - was not apparent today. Rhode Island is assuredly taking notice. Chafee will assuredly have a tough race in 2006 and his visibly subdued support of Bolton makes him look less like an independent voice than a peon. RI is a likely pickup for the Dems.
To close, let's recall Senator Voinovich's response to Condi Rice's promise that, if confirmed, Bolton would be well-supervised: "Why in the world would you want to send somebody up to the U.N. that has to be supervised?"
To which the White House would probably say, "Why ask why?"
