Heads, you get your way. Tails, your opponents look like garbage.
Doesn't get much more win/win than that. After a bitter, protracted battle, who could look a proposition like that in the eye, and say, "You know what, forget that?"
Three guesses.
Against seemingly impossible odds, George Bush has managed to turn the John Bolton nomination into even more of a debacle than it already was. From the AP:
President Bush faces a politically thorny situation — and stark choices — now that Senate Democrats twice have blocked John Bolton's confirmation as U.N. ambassador.
The president could withdraw the nomination, authorize further concessions to Democrats over access to information they seek or bypass lawmakers altogether by appointing the former State Department official to the job temporarily without the Senate's OK.
But any of those options could leave the president appearing weak as he confronts sagging poll numbers and fights to stave off a lame-duck label just six months into his final term.
At a White House news conference Monday, the president left open the possibility of circumventing the Senate when he sidestepped a question on whether he would appoint Bolton to the ambassador's post when Congress leaves Washington for a July 4 recess.
"It's time for the Senate to give him an up-or-down vote. Now," the president said.
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Now let's keep in mind a couple things: 1.) If there's a vote, there are enough Republicans to rubber stamp the choice and pass the nomination. 2.) The Democrats are on record as saying the intelligence intercepts and Syria information are what they need to move forward. If they renege at this stage, they leave themselves open to absolute crucifixion running up to the '06 off-year elections. The Repubs rallying cry is already "obstruction;" this would be an unrebuttable case in point. The far-right couldn't hope for anything more in their wheelhouse.
Heads, we win. Tails, you lose. Simple as that.
Easy choice? Apparently not. Instead, Bush and Condi float the spectre of installing a deeply divisive nominee with a recess appointment. Not only would it be an imperious end-run around the Senate, dissolving all pretense of bipartisanship, but it would leave the White House open to the "what are they hiding" question. And for what? Little more that the opportunity to flex and pose, smirking, and say, "When ah say 'no,' ah mean 'no,' heh-heh."
As if that weren't enough, after
Reversing field after a meeting with President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he will continue pushing for a floor vote on John R. Bolton for U.N. ambassador.
Frist switched his position after initially saying Tuesday that negotiations with Democrats to get a vote on Bolton had been exhausted.
Talking to reporters in the White House driveway after he joined other GOP lawmakers for a luncheon with Bush, Frist said: "The president made it very clear that he expects an up-or-down vote."
Just over an hour earlier, Frist said he wouldn't schedule another vote on Bolton's nomination and said that Bush must decide the next move.
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Holy. Shit.
Rather than move forward, he just sawed his Majority leader off at the knees. In public. Not a hothead freshman Senator, nor an outspoken young turk trying to make a name in the House. The number...one...guy, with his own White House ambitions. Forced to fall on his sword and look like a complete jackass who was utterly out of the loop.
Disaster to unmitigated disaster.
The only way Bolton loses is if something in the requested information drives more Republicans from the fold. That, and unchecked Executive ego are the only things that can explain Bush's course of action, so far. There's simply no other way it makes sense. Hope it's worth it to him.
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