Why haven't I read a word about the Bolton-related memos being

[paineinthearse]

withheld by State Depertment and CIA?

Dodd made a big deal on the floor, and held a press conference, but not a word here.

What I understand is that Senators on both sides, going back weeks/months have asked for several docuements. * administration has been stonewalling.

Today Dodd hinted that there were Senators would vote against cloture if the documents were not given to the 4 ranking members of the Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.

:shrug:

[librechik]

1. that's where it stands at the end of today

Biden & Rockefeller say they "may" block if we don't get the info from the State Department.

[paineinthearse]

2. If there are any DU posts of corporate media coverage

Please link me.

[housewolf]

6. The best source on Bolton

is Steve Clemons "The Washington Note"

thewashingtonnote.com

You'll find extensive coverage and analysis there, including links.

[paineinthearse]

3. The Hill: Dems balk on Bolton

Just found this by googling Dodd & Rockefeller:

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/052605/dems.html

Dems balk on Bolton
By Alexander Bolton

Senate Democrats are holding up John Bolton’s nomination as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to protest the Bush administration’s refusal to answer their demands for sensitive information, threatening to erode the spirit of bipartisanship that has suffused the upper chamber in the wake of an agreement on judicial nominees. Democrats said as recently as Tuesday that they would not object to an up-or-down vote on Bolton’s nomination. But the administration’s continuing refusal to provide information related to congressional testimony Bolton intended to deliver on Syria and to his handling of intelligence intercepts, Democrats say, is the reason for their current stance.

The administration has declined to share the information for six weeks, Democrats say. But Democrats have found an unlikely ally in their showdown with the White House. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has told Democrats that he will assist them by asking the administration for the contested information. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said that Frist told him and Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, that he would push the administration to answer the Democratic requests.

Frist’s assistance is all the more surprising because Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, which has handled Bolton’s nomination, said that he did not think the administration needed to provide any additional information. “That’s up to the leader if he wants to do that,” Lugar said of Frist’s efforts. “I think they’ve responded satisfactorily.” Frist declined to confirm that he agreed to help Biden and Dodd. Dodd told The Hill on Tuesday that he would not filibuster Bolton’s nomination if the White House refused to yield the requested documents by the time the matter came to the floor, adding that he would be surprised if any of his Democratic colleagues did so.

But yesterday Dodd objected to a motion for unanimous consent to proceed to an up-or-down vote on Bolton. As a concession, Dodd, with the approval of the Democratic leadership, has allowed Republicans to schedule a vote for today to end debate on Bolton’s nomination, speeding up the usual timetable for the cloture process. That vote is scheduled for 6 p.m., according to a Senate official. Biden said he was surprised that Frist called for a vote on Bolton this week. He said he had assumed it would take place after the recess because of the ongoing struggle between Senate Democrats and the administration over information.

more......

[lala_rawraw]

4. That is what Biden has had issue with all along and

Why Boxer put a hold on the vote. What happened is very odd and it was reported a little while back. Condi told State Dept. workers not to provide Congress with any documents and Cheney said none were coming. Very odd and even more odd, Condi-Cheney then sent the documents to a third party, not the Congressional committee who had requested them, and the third party (still confused on this one) provided some sort of support that Bolton was a gem.

The point is, the documents they want are those where he spies on American communications/intercepts. He requested 10 intercepts for his review. That is what they want to see. Who was he spying on. They are not using that word, "spying" but that is my best guess as to what he would be using intercepts for.

[Coexist]

10. the phrase "list of names" was bandied about a great deal yesterday

on the Senate floor. What names do you think are on the list?

[lala_rawraw]

14. Well, consider what his

Area of expertise is/was currently. That should paint a pretty ugly but important picture. I speculate on this by the way and may be entirely wrong. Perhaps one day the truth will come out, or not.

[paineinthearse]

13. Anyone up to speed on the domestic spying laws by the Dept of State

under the Patriot Act?

Shades of COINTELPRO.

Very scary, I am surprised this has not received more attention. Maybe people are just now starting to wake up to its significance.

[housewolf]

5. Here are a handful of posts

about Bolton and the NSA intercepts. Perhaps that specific info has been buried within other posts. There have been MANY posts here about Bolton and the factors of his case.

I myself have posted a number of times on Bolton and the intercepts - generally the posts fall rapidly to the bottom. It seems folks here have had other things on their minds over the past couple few weeks... the new pope, Andy, judicial nominees, the nuclear option, the ever-contentious abortion issue - just to name a few. Bolton has not gotten much attention here since the hearing 3 weeks ago or so.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=124573
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1499799
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1500082
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3729303
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3727820

[paineinthearse]

7. Thank you very much

I was going to bed, now...........

[Rainscents]

8. I am very curious... Bolton, this man is very scary and if he gets in,

we're all fucked... Not just the US, whole world included.

Thanks for bring this issue up! Great job!!! :thumbsup: :hi:

[paineinthearse]

9. DU is on it, but the corporate media is not - SURPRISE!

What is disturbing is yet another case of abuse of power by the executive over its co-equal. Keep an eye on Frist, he is a key player. Let's all watch for breaks and developments and keep this post as our lightening rod.

[paineinthearse]

11. Watch the home town newspapers of the Senators involved

Dodd - CT
Lugar - R-IN - Chairman, Foreign Relations (Lugar is basically worthless, having said that his committee will not push for the documents).
Biden - D-MD - Vice Chair, Foreign Relations
Rockefelller - D-WVa - Vice Chair, Intelligence
Roberts - R-Kansas - Chairman, Intelligence

http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_2761539

Article Last Updated: 5/26/2005 04:22 AM

Senate inches closer to Bolton nomination showdown

PETER URBAN [e-mail]
Connecticut Post

WASHINGTON — After dodging a filibuster showdown on judicial nominees, the Senate Thursday careened closer to another parliamentary crisis over President Bush's nominee for ambassador of the United Nations. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., reluctantly threatened to filibuster the confirmation vote on John R. Bolton unless the Bush administration turns over further documents senators have requested about the nominee. Dodd and other Senate Democrats have raised concerns that Bolton, while serving as undersecretary of state, mistreated co-workers or took liberties with intelligence in order to bolster his point of view.

Part of the disputed information involves Bolton's requests for the names of government officials whose communications were secretly recorded. Democrats want more information about why Bolton sought the information and whose communications he reviewed. They also want documents pertaining to testimony that Bolton prepared for a House committee looking at whether Syria had weapons of mass destruction.
"I've said to the majority leader and minority leader that it is not my intention, at all, to filibuster. I ask the administration once again: Would they be forthcoming?" Dodd said.

Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., who is ranking member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said the administration has stonewalled the committee for no cause other than a belief that the documents are not relevant to Bolton's confirmation. Dodd, who opposes Bolton's nomination, urged colleagues to vote against closing debate on the nominee until the administration turns over the requested information. "The question is, does the U.S. Senate, as a body, when there is a nomination before it, have the right to obtain critical information? I believe it ought to have that right as a matter of principle," Dodd said.

The Senate opened debate on Bolton's nomination immediately after confirming one of Bush's most controversial nominees for a federal judgeship. Republicans said they were confident they would prevail in a chamber they control 55-44, with a Democratic-leaning independent. Bush has praised Bolton as a tough-talking advocate for change who can help shake up a hidebound United Nations bureaucracy. Republicans want to vote on Bolton today, before the Senate leaves for a Memorial Day recess. But Sen. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, asked colleagues to vote against a "controversial and ineffective ambassador." The maverick Republican senator had forced a Foreign Relations Committee delay on Bolton's nomination last month. He then brokered an unusual compromise that sent the nomination to the full Senate without the customary committee recommendation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[paineinthearse]

12. My letter to Peter Urban

An adjunct to the "nuclear option", another * administration abuse of power, is the withholding of executive branch documents requested months ago by members of the Senate Intelligence & Foreign Relations committees. Senator Dodd is the point man in this issue. Thank you for your recent piece.

I request in your future writings you emphesize the point that the Executive and the Legislative are co-equals. The withholding of documents could be an impeachable offense (obstriction of justice).

If for nothing else, I want you to be aware of the and monitor the disscussion at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1810307

We are the people who did much of the digging on the Guckert and election fraud scandals.

Keep up the good work and keep the issue alive in the eyes of the general public.

Regards,

(me)