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Monday, May 30, 2005
United Nations: Divulge Bolton dossier
With the Senate in recess, there's time for a quick resolution of the roadblock to a final vote on United Nations ambassador nominee John Bolton.
The White House ought to share with the Senate relevant information on Bolton's record as a State Department official. That would clear the way for an up-or-down vote on his nomination after the Senate reconvenes June 7, following a Memorial Day recess.
The Bush administration has been excessively secretive with Congress and the public. Documents detailing Bolton's State Department advice on congressional testimony about Syria are germane to understanding how he might conduct himself at the United Nations. And it's disrespectful for the administration to withhold from senators intelligence information Bolton received as an undersecretary of state.
We believe that Bolton should be rejected as unqualified. As Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich has argued, the United States can do better, much better. But the U.N. ambassadorship is not important enough, in itself, to filibuster Bolton's nomination indefinitely.
Even without more information, Democrats should still consider allowing Bolton to receive a final vote. If Democrats want to filibuster the nomination after the recess, they will have a duty to explain clearly why the information is vital enough to refuse a vote.
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| Are nominations as U.N. ambassador important enough to merit a filibuster in the Senate? | |
 5.6%No, the ambassador represents the country but doesn't determine policy. |
23.0% No, not under normal circumstances. But the administration should give senators documents they want. |
| 71.0% Yes, if the nominee is unqualified. |
0.5% Not sure or don't care. |
| Total Votes: 644 | |
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