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Republicans Tell White House Bolton Will Not be Confirmed Without Additional Documents
Senate Republicans are urging the White House to turn over documents requested by Democrats in connection with the nomination of John Bolton as U.N. ambassador, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today (see GSN, June 22). Republicans said Bolton would not be confirmed unless these documents are released. “I hope the president will take a very hard look at the documents,” said Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.). “Unless we resolve this dilemma quickly, Mr. Bolton is not going to be the U.N. ambassador.” The White House “should understand we’re at an impasse. It may be more important to preserve the doctrine of separation of powers than to have John Bolton in the U.N.,” Alexander said. White House spokesman Scott McClellan again the Bush administration would not give additional documents to Democrats. Administration officials have said that the information contained in the papers is irrelevant to Bolton’s nomination, the Inquirer reported. Senator Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said Bolton’s name should be withdrawn in the White House does not want to disclose the documents. “This is not about executive privilege; this is not about classified information that would endanger people's lives,” Lott said. “It may be about a thin reed of a principle about redacting names. I'm sort of blas‚ about it. If they don't want to give the information, if they're scared it might set a precedent, fine: Withdraw Bolton and come up with somebody else. That's the only option they now have” (James Kuhnhenn, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 23). Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) said a vote on Bolton could go forward following release of the documents, Reuters reported yesterday. “If the president turns over the information — not part of it or a summary of it — but turns over all the information requested, the White House will get their up or down vote on Mr. Bolton,,” Reid said. Reid added that he would prefer to see Bolton’s nomination withdrawn. Bolton “has shown outright disdain for the international system and the institution for which he was nominated to serve,” Reid said. Some Senate Republicans are growing increasingly frustrated with what they characterize as Democratic unwillingness to compromise on the nominee, Reuters reported. “The goal post is now outside the ball field,” said Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who said he attempted to be an “honest broker” between Democrats and the White House. The Bush administration has not ruled out a recess appointment for Bolton, which would allow him to serve as ambassador until 2007 (Reuters/New York Times, June 22).
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