Why is everyone blaming the Democrats for Bolton's appt?

[CatWoman]

They did what they could to hold this nomination up, and keep it from getting a full Senate vote.

How could they have kept Bush from making this recess appointment?

[merh]

1. There is no way they could keep the weed from making a recess

appointment. Look at Judge Pickering in 2004. I guess folks just have to blame somebody, they don't know what else to do. :freak:

[stray cat]

2. They deserve no blame whatsoever.

It is a republican president, a republican house and a republican senate. The American people have to give the democrats some more members if they want to blame them for anything.

[ChiciB1]

3. Very True, However....

They SHOULD be making some extremely LOUD noises long 'bout NOW!!!

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. Who is "everyone"?

Never mind.

No, it wasn't the Democrats. It was the WH. Now, if the WH had turned over the requested docs and THEN the Dems asked for more and more and more ad infinitum, one could "blame" them. But seeing as the ball was in the WH court, Bush (no doubt, on the advise of Rove) decided to quit and go with the recess appointment. Whimp!

[Pithy Cherub]

5. Saddam Bush, the despot, is completely resonsible for this!

His inability to be told No is evermore showing up to what's left of America's detriment...

[madrchsod]

6. just another day in the last days of the republic.

the rest of the world can see the rotting corpse of our democracy and they hold their noses and look away as they walk by.

[blm]

7. Some don't understand procedure and that Dems pulled out every tool

they had available to stop Bolton.

Bush being forced to appoint him in a recess appointment WAS as much of a win the Dems could get.

[carnie_sf]

8. This is on Bush

and Bush only.

[wiggs]

9. Why was it that a republican made the most noise about Bolton?

Seems to me that Voinovich was the only one who spoke honestly and powerfully about Bolton. Everyone else was tip-toeing.

Seems to me dems could have:

Pointed out that the authority to make recess appointments is for vacancies that happen DURING recesses

Gone to court to prohibit the president from this unconstitutional abuse of power. Bolton's appointment is unconstitutional and should be fought on that basis in courts

Offered resolutions in congress before now that such appointments are inappropriate and not acceptable

Screamed abuse of power at every opportunity in front of cameras. Bring up other abuses such as lying to congress about medicare, WMD, Iraqi troops trained, Sensenbrenners illegal stopping of hearings, illegal time extensions during votes, secret task forces, industry lobbyists in charge of regulatory agencies, changing scientific reports for corporate benefit There is pleny of ammunition out there folks, and our dem leaders aren't pulling it together and taking advantage of opportunities....

Replayed Voinovich's emotional statements about Bolton (they are incredibly damning and powerful...and dems are letting them disappear from public view)

Find moderate republicans who believe this is wrong and join forces to make statements

Show clips of Bolton raging during taped sessions.

Offer resolutions now, after the fact, that congress does not recognize Bolton as the ambassador

How many democrats took Voinovich up on his offer to meet privately to discuss what Voinovich knows about Bolton and why Bolton is being placed at the UN?

Repeat that Rice told State department not to offer honest, poor comments about Bolton


I'm sure there are many more...my point is that dems in congress may or may not have been able to prevent Bush from trying to appoint Bolton but they are certainly allowing him to get away with minimum political damage. And if more political damage was done prior to the appointment, maybe the appointment would not have been made.

Same old story: Dems half-heartedly pretend to take on administration....pugs get what they want...dems claim some sort of partial victory in principle (sick of those)....public gets hosed.

We are one step further from democracy and dems are still playing by the same crappy political rules that got lost them the presidency twice and congress twice. Think it will work this time?

[blondeatlast]

12. Voinovich was a hero all right... UNTIL IT MATTERED.

He needed that RNC approval too damn badly, didn't he?

[wiggs]

16. I agree he wimped out

He was scared and spoke his mind. Then, for whatever reason, he forgot about the welfare of his grandchildren and got back in line behind the GOP.

I don't hold him in high regard, but he did at one time speak powerfully against Bolton and got close to pulling back the curtain to expose the behind the scenes stuff. What democrat has spoken honestly about why the administration really wants Bolton at the UN? They've talked about his demeanor, his lack of diplomacy, his temper, etc, but not the big picture.

[safi0]

14. I disagree

Completely. I saw Dodd making some great remarks, same with Biden

[wiggs]

19. Half-hearted.

I'm not saying dems haven't said anything. I'm saying they could do a hell of a lot more.

[Mass]

22. What more could they have done.

They filibustered him twice, which is the reason why we have the recess appointment. Bush understood his guy would never be voted in the Senate.

I dont know where you have been these last months, but for once, nearly all dem senators did their jobs.

Voinovitch spoke against Bolton, but was absent when it mattered.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

28. VIDEO ..........of Voinovich crying on the senate floor over bolton......

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/05/25.html#a3111

[seabeyond]

10. i say rah to dems, making bush have ot resort to this

people will be pissed. have talked to my first fundie on this. she couldnt defend. told her all repugs that allow this, shame on them

[emulatorloo]

11. Because for some blaming Dems is fun, cool, or maybe even a job

Frustrating isn't it?

[blondeatlast]

15. More like a possible job is how I figure it. There are plenty of

squeaky clean WASPS to go around at the Heritage Foundation, but precious few paying jobs, I suspect.

[Edgewater_Joe]

13. Who's Everyone? I Don't.

If there's one specific person you can blame for Bolton getting the job today, it should be George Voinovich. He didn't like Bolton, he had the power to kill the nomination, and he refused to pull the trigger. It's on him.

And it shows something I think we as Democrats need to start doing: we need to find a way to flip some Republicans. Guys like Voinovich and DeWine and Lincoln Chaffee, women like Collins and Snowe, and others I'm sure I'm not thinking of, need to break ranks and if need be walk across the aisle, in order to really break the Bush/Rove hold on that party. As long as they have that kind of discipline -- or that kind of Soprano-esque enforcement -- Bush and company will never feel like they have to even pay attention to the opposition, nor will the media feel the need to really see the dam breaking against Bush.

Don't tell me it can't be done. If Rove has a 'genius' for anything, it's going after the supposed untouchable strength of his opponent no matter what he has to say. I don't advocate the "do-anything, say-anything" ethos, but if Rove can make Kerry look like he didn't win his awards, then somewhere there's a Democrat (Dean? Reid? Obama?) who can give people like Voinovich enough stone and spine to say, have you at last no decency, Mr. Bush?

[CatWoman]

18. If you scan the threads and both this forum

and General Discussion, you will see what I mean.

[welshTerrier2]

17. why are you BLAMING anyone here ??

i don't recall seeing even a single post criticizing Democrats for not standing up and fighting against Bolton ... i certainly haven't seen any that suggested Democrats could have blocked this recess appointment ...

the Democratic Party has moved way too far to the right and they should be held accountable for many things, but most elected Democrats did a good job resisting the Bolton nomination ...

[CatWoman]

20. hey, look

1. you need to know what the fuck your'e talking about.

2. I don't see myself blaming ANYONE

3. A quick scan of GD threads will back up my statement.

[welshTerrier2]

21. no, you look !!

let's start with you #2 first ...

you said: "i don't see myself blaming ANYONE"

well i do ... you blamed "everyone" for "blaming the Democrats for Bolton's appt" ... i did quote your BP subject line correctly, didn't I ??

on your #1, you said "you need to know what the fuck your'e talking about." ... well, i agree with you there ... knowing what the fuck you're talking about is always important ...

#3 ... a quick scan of GD threads ... well, OK ... here ya go:

here are some comments:
1. I don't think that even the DLC'ers would have voted for him.
2. Voinovich is to blame...... If he had any balls, he would not have let him get out of Committee....
3. just for the record ... Democrats have been highly critical of Bolton ...
4. So, Shrub made a recess appointment... despite the fact that the Repubs hold the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court. He's got the majority and he still had to wait to "recess appoint" this thug?
5. Kennedy's point is great !! all the little republicans are running around saying we could not continue any further without an ambassador to the UN ... but the truth is, bush refused to provide the documents that the Senate asked for ... it was bush himself who delayed the process ...

before you go blaming everyone for "blaming the Democrats", maybe you should know what the fuck you're talking about ... i believe we've both agreed that's always good advice ...

[CatWoman]

23. at the time I started this thread

there were several threads condemming Democrats, calling them worthless, yada yada yada. Some even went to the next level, preemptively accusing them of lying down for Roberts.

Seemed like a pile on to me. Hence my "everyone" reference. Gradually, people started putting the blame where it truly belonged -- with Bush.


If you bother to look in the back pages, perhaps you will see what I mean. I'm not about to hunt them down for you.

Otherwise, get the fuck out of my face.

[welshTerrier2]

24. i provided specific comments from DU'ers

you've provided no evidence at all ...

when you continue to blame "everyone" for "blaming Democrats" even after i provided the proof you asked for that you were wrong, i have no intention of "getting the fuck out of your face" ...

[emulatorloo]

25. i'm not catwoman, but here's one. . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4235791

and there are others. . .I recall seeing 4 or 5 when I first logged in. . .

[emulatorloo]

26. and a fresh one. . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4237727

[ulysses]

27. ? guess I missed those...

For the record - this "1 percenter" (hi, wyldwolf) is happy with how the Senate Dems did on Bolton.