The Real Reason the White House Is Stalling on Bolton

by Chris Bowers, Wed Jun 01, 2005 at 10:34:55 AM EDT

It is growing increasingly obvious that the White House is not releasing its information on Bolton for reasons that have nothing to do with Bolton himself. Instead, it would appear that many Bush campaign contributors have illegally dealt weapons to totalitarian regimes, including those in the "axis of evil." Before offering an extended quote on this story from the International Herald Tribune, the Left Coaster provides a summary: Perhaps we know now why the White House is fighting so furiously to prevent the Senate Intelligence Committee from getting all of the documents wanted by committee Democrats to evaluate the fitness of John Bolton to be our UN ambassador. According to Wednesday's New York Times previewed in the International Herald Tribune, it has been leaked by administration sources that what the White House is refusing to release to the committee are reports that Bolton obtained from the NSA by way of a special request. And what is in those reports?

The names of American individuals and companies that may have violated export restriction bans on the shipment of dangerous weapons material to China, Libya, and even Iran. And is it too big of a leap to assume that some or all of these firms may prove to be very damaging to the White House, as campaign contributors?

Holy crap. I remember, way back at the beginning of the Bolton fight, running into some people who didn't think Bolton was worth fighting because there was no chance of success and even if we did somehow succeed, it would not mean much in terms of political capital. Could those people have been more wrong? The Bolton fight could lead to a huge scandal, the sort of thing that could drop Bush and the Republicans to new lows in terms of approval and outlook for 2006.

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I have my doubts

The Bushies have thoroughly innoculated the public to an amazing array of bullshit.

I think Bush would have to rip a fetus out of a woman with his bare hands and beat it to fucking pieces with the claw end of a rusty hammer before anyone would notice.

Even then, unless there's a good visual (say, the claw end broke of in the head of the fetus and stayed there) it probably wouldn't play for more than 30 seconds on any news broadcast other than NewsHour.

Plus, the 700 Club would blame it on the Democrats, for allowing abortions to be legally performed by retards with claw hammers.

by jcjcjc 2005-06-01 10:40AM | 0 recs

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Re: I have my doubts

And the Democrats would decide not to contest the 700 Club's accusation. Mona Charen and/or Ann Coulter would ask why nobody took a hammer to Clinton's head when he was a fetus (or when he was in NYC the last time). Rush would howl that the woman was a LIBBURUL traitor and got what she deserved. And millions of good, decent people would let the whole story pass through their brains and into oblivion.

by GaryHobson 2005-06-01 10:52AM | 0 recs

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Re: I have my doubts

Sadly, that is true. Have another drink .

by CarrieCann 2005-06-01 10:45PM | 0 recs

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Re: I have my doubts

The Bushies have thoroughly innoculated the public to an amazing array of bullshit.
I think Bush would have to rip a fetus out of a woman with his bare hands and beat it to fucking pieces with the claw end of a rusty hammer before anyone would notice.

Yep, "Unless Junior is caught with a dead woman or live boy, nobody will care." Of course with all those "sleep overs" at the White House with Jeff Gannon maybe they don't even care about the "live boy" part either.

by William Domingo 2005-06-01 04:16PM | 0 recs

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You Mean, Iraq?

Remember George Galloway's admonishment to Norm Coleman that Rumsfeld met with Saddam Hussein to "sell him guns". Bush is trying to get rid of Bolton because the President knew he had to cover his tracks on his questionable strategy in the first term.

So while I have no idea just what names are on this list...my guess is that you are thinking too small, Chris. Not campaign contributors. Members of the Administration itself. Like say, Dick Cheney....

by risenmessiah 2005-06-01 11:48AM | 0 recs

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Good point

I think the Bushies would burn their campaign contributors in a heartbeat.

by jcjcjc 2005-06-01 12:14PM | 0 recs

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FINALLY, the light bulb has come on

By fighting these bastards on every single issue and every snigle nomination we uncover information and uncover their real motives to the media and to the public.

We get nothing by rolling over and enabling their agenda.

by leschwartz 2005-06-01 11:54AM | 0 recs

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Re: FINALLY, the light bulb has come on

Too bad the MSM and therefore the public doesn't give a shit about anything not involving michael jackson or some stupid ass "runaway bride".

by buckfush 2005-06-01 12:57PM | 0 recs

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Intel and ye olde MSM commercial advertising

" The information that the White House has refused to provide Congress for its review into the nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations includes the names of companies mentioned in intelligence reports on commerce with China and other countries covered by export restrictions, according to officials briefed on the matter."

I'd like to draw out how completely out of order
it is for an undersecretary to consume raw intel
like this. Its really way, way off the mark.
Undersecretaries simply don't do this.

What is absolutely key here is to understand
that the classified information represents
the names of corporations.

-=-

We pay 76% of the burden of taxation. They
pay 5.6% .

Do you think they need secrecy?

by turnerbroadcasting 2005-06-01 01:57PM | 0 recs

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I have to admit

that I was one of the "not worth fighting" crowd. Ambassadors don't make policy; they do what they're told.

I thought we should have just laid out our reasons why he'll make a terrible ambassador, lambasted him for his incompetence with non-proliferation, voted no, and moved on.

Oops.

On another note, if anyone is familiar with the Evil Overlord List:

The deformed mutants and odd-ball psychotics will have their place in my Legions of Terror. However before I send them out on important covert missions that require tact and subtlety, I will first see if there is anyone else equally qualified who would attract less attention.

by Ben in Madison 2005-06-01 02:19PM | 0 recs