IF You Thought You Disliked Voinovich, Just Wait

[Annie]

More on Bolton, from the Michigan senator. He's well within his rights to act in the following manner, but I would say that the GOP is well within its rights to find someone to sponsor in his next election:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/25/politics/25bolton.html?th&emc=th

G.O.P. Senator Issues Letter Urging Vote Against Bolton
By DOUGLAS JEHL
WASHINGTON, May 24 - The Ohio Republican whose opposition to John R. Bolton nearly stalled his nomination in committee circulated a letter on Tuesday urging colleagues to vote against Mr. Bolton when his name reaches the Senate floor, possibly this week.

The renewed opposition from the senator, George V. Voinovich, was addressed to all his colleagues, but it was aimed particularly at fellow Republicans in a chamber in which the party holds a 55-to-44 majority. At least five Republicans would have to join Mr. Voinovich in opposing Mr. Bolton's nomination as United Nations ambassador in order to defeat it.

In the letter, Mr. Voinovich said that while he had been "hesitant to push my views on my colleagues" during his six years in the Senate, he felt "compelled to share my deep concerns" about the nomination.

"In these dangerous times, we cannot afford to put at risk our nation's ability to successfully wage and win the war on terror with a controversial and ineffective ambassador to the United Nations," Mr. Voinovich wrote. He urged colleagues to "put aside our partisan agenda and let our consciences and our shared commitment to our nation's best interests guide us."

The White House remains strongly in favor of Mr. Bolton's nomination, and it is unusual for a Republican to break ranks so publicly with President Bush.

"We are confident John Bolton will be confirmed," Erin Healey, a spokeswoman for the White House, said Tuesday. "Many highly respected people who know him well support his nomination, and we urge the Senate to act quickly."

In addition to sending out his letter, Mr. Voinovich was also making telephone calls and meeting with other Republican senators to urge them to oppose Mr. Bolton's nomination, according to two Senate Republican officials. A copy of his letter, dated May 23 but not circulated until Tuesday, was provided by a Senate Democratic aide opposed to the nomination.

The Senate's Republican leaders on Tuesday were trying to win agreement from Democrats on a plan that could allow a vote on Mr. Bolton by the end of the week. Senate Democrats have strongly opposed the nomination, and the party's leaders in the Senate were weighing possible moves to defeat it or procedural moves to delay or prevent a vote.

It is not clear whether any Republicans might join Mr. Voinovich in breaking ranks with the White House...

 

[Nienna]

What is up in Ohio? My husband and I both voted for Voinovich and Dewine. Now Voinie is opposed to Bolton and Dewine is compromising the judges? Sheesh. I suppose they were better than having outright democrats in office.

 

[theim]

Snow and Collins will vote against Bolton, possibly Chafee as well. But I still think he'll get through.