Bolton Twisting Slowly... Posted by Heather Hurlburt

You've gotta love Charles Babington's lede in today's Post update on Bolton:

The White House renewed its insistence yesterday that the Senate confirm John R. Bolton to be U.N. ambassador, but key senators said they see no evidence of a plan to make it happen.

Key senators seem surprisingly confident that they won't be getting visits from persuaders late next week...

Steve Clemons says Bolton will not accept a recess appointment.  I don't recall ever hearing that one before from any potential appointee.  Remember learning in high school English that Greek tragedy was the result of cosmic forces, while Roman tragedy flowed from the flaws of the individual?  (I know, I know, oversimplification.  My mother was an English major.)  Bolton has brought this upon himself.  Ask yourself how the Senate could vote to confirm a judge who thinks affirmative action is "a form of slavery" and not Bolton. 

Two things strike me.  First, is this evidence that Cheney's power is on the decline?  Whether the White House has decided to go for the recess appointment, or just concluded that it has no arms left to twist on this one, it looks like a loss for the VP -- and he doesn't take many of those.  What does he do next?

Second, bear with me while I wander beyond foreign affairs and note that you could remove "confirm John R. Bolton" from that Post quote and replace it with "reform Social Security," "cut spending," or any of several other hot topics.  The papers are full of speculation about whether Bush is or isn't a lame duck yet, is or isn't going into "Clinton mode."  Interesting that what was once the most focused of White Houses is having so much trouble figuring out how to focus in a second-term environment.

Comments

[doc]

...what's interesting about bush and co is the way they came charging out of the gate begining their second term...with absolutely no concrete plan for anything.

true, they had agendas. but that's not the same as plans for implementing those agendas. or the concerted will to make the plans for the agendas reality. the WH acted as if the country and congress would act simply because it came out of the president's mouth.

which is why the administration is floundering badly on almost all of its proposals. and why the republicans in congress are distancing themselves...

bolton has become a no-win/no-win for the WH from from this point on, regardless of how the issue is settled.

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