Bolton-al Donka II

On the flip-flop of a RINO do careers and national destinies turn....

Gosh, that's a frightening thought. Let me start a different way.

Last week I saw a RINO's tears run up his cheeks and back into his eyes....

Okay, that's kind of silly. Though highly metaphorical. One more try.

For reasons known only to God and Senator George Voinovich (R-Allegedly), the Ohio lawmaker has decided to drop his opposition to the confirmation of John Bolton to the post he has held via recess appointment for the past year - America's representative on the United Earth Council.

Well, that's how the terapins at Turtle Bay think of themselves, anyway. This helps explain why some of them are lobbying the usual suspects on Capitol Hill (thus interfering in our internal affairs) to screw JB a second time:

[T]he outgoing Annan administration, led by Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown, has been pulling strings in Washington to organize opposition to Mr. Bolton's nomination, which he believes would weaken the United Nations' position in the world.

Awfully difficult, is it not, to weaken something that has never possessed strength. Brown (the gent who, you'll recall, brazenly insulted "red state" America not too long ago) might as well have said that Bolton's nomination would interfere with the Annan gravy train, Jew-hating, money-laundering, and string of African massage parlors. Kind of gives the phrase "blue helmets" a whole other meaning.

'Tis also synonymical to rephrase Bolton's role at Turtle Bay as being the only adult in a playpen full of whiny, sneaky, cowardly brats:

What’s especially impressive is that Bolton has carried out [multilateralist] instructions [Yes, the "loner" "bully" "kiss-up" actually followed the feckless directions he was given by his boss] while speaking in a principled, honest, and direct voice. A good example of this was his stand during the creation of the new U.N. Human Rights Council. That council is as bad as its predecessor, and fails to bar from membership even countries under U.N. sanctions for human-rights abuses. A different ambassador working for a different president might [would] have kept quiet; Bolton politely but firmly pointed out what was wrong with the new body as the U.S. voted against it. In the end, the U.N. went forward with the new council anyway, but Bolton had proved his ability to stand up for America’s principles. His performance won plaudits from no less a bastion of neoconservatism than the New York Times editorial page.

Ambassador Bolton, in other words, is U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, not United Nations Ambassador to the United States on the American taxpayers' nickel. He's actually proved himself worthy of the job. And he's not weird, or deviant, or dishonorable.

His Democrat enemies (which is to say his boss' Democrat enemies, for whom he is but the flaming effigy) cannot say the same (via CQ):

Senate Republicans on Friday set a date for a confirmation hearing on John R. Bolton, who is serving as United States ambassador to the United Nations on a presidential appointment, as the White House renewed its effort to secure Senate approval of Mr. Bolton’s appointment.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced that it would hold a hearing Thursday, and top Senate Republicans said they would move quickly to confirm Mr. Bolton. ...

A spokesman for Senator Richard G. Lugar, the Indiana Republican and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said the Senate would probably vote on Mr. Bolton in September, after its summer recess.

Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said Thursday that the Senate should not vote on Mr. Bolton unless the White House turns over documents that the Democrats sought last year.

Pavlov had his dogs; we have the Democrats. Chris Dodd of Connecticut echoed Senator Hairplugs' threats, promising a "bruising" fight against Bolton, which translates to "We're gonna filibuster his ass - again!" Chairman Lugar contributed to the rote minority yapping by caving to their demands to hold fresh confirmation hearings, even though nothing new could possibly come from them other than Foreign Relations Committee Republicans actually being awake this time around.

I tend to think that the war in Lebanon had more to do with the White House's timing on Bolton's renomination than Senator Voinovich's fickleness. As if to dare the Dems to filibuster him again after he's proven all their smears bogus, done the job above and beyond the call of duty, and oh by the way, right smack in the middle of multiple global crises.

Can the Donks sustain a filibuster? Reportedly all fifty-five GOPers are aboard for cloture. And Bolton got fifty-eight cloture votes last year, so with Voinovich's flip that would presumably make fifty-nine. Could one more Democrat be "persuaded" to see the error of his/her ways? Or will they all realize the folly of making themselves look even weaker on national security in the teeth of the 2006 midterm campaign than they do already?

Does this Harry Reid screed answer your question?

I have to also assume that the Bushies wouldn't have resubmitted Ambassador Bolton's nomination if the Republican leadership didn't have it on good assurance that a filibuster can be broken. Okay, I want to assume that. But either way the political losers will be al Donka.

And if the filibuster line still holds, the losers will be all Americans. Even those "in name only."

UPDATE: Could Chucky and Hillary provide the margin of cloture? Perhaps, but I doubt it. Mrs. Clinton isn't in any trouble for re-election, and Schumer isn't up again until 2010 and is as "bluely" entrenched as she is.

I'll believe their eschewing another filibuster of Ambassador Bolton when I see it - not before.