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 Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 4:14 pm Post subject: White House denies senators papers on Bolton nomination |
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White House denies senators papers on Bolton nomination
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By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | May 28, 2005
WASHINGTON -- White House officials declined yesterday to give senators the extra documents they are seeking regarding John R. Bolton, President Bush's choice to become ambassador to the United Nations, setting up a major standoff with Senate Democrats over the long-troubled nomination.
Democratic senators sidetracked a final vote on Bolton's nomination late Thursday, saying they will keep it from the Senate floor until the Bush administration hands over the information they have been seeking for two months. But a White House spokeswoman said yesterday that senators have all the documents they need to make a decision on Bolton, and accused Democrats of playing politics with a key diplomatic post.
''John Bolton enjoys majority [Senate] support, and it's a shame that Democrats are stopping a vote," said Erin Healy, a White House spokeswoman. ''This is about partisan politics, not documents."
Beset by allegations he bullied subordinates and holds the UN in contempt, Bolton's nomination has been controversial since Bush selected him in early March, and the White House's decision to hold fast on the documents will probably keep it in limbo even longer. Forty-one senators voted against closing off debate on Bolton -- enough to kill his nomination through indefinite delay, although some Democrats may be uncomfortable about mounting a filibuster amid Republican charges of obstructionism.
Senate Democrats want to see documents relating to Bolton's involvement in a report alleging that Syria possesses weapons of mass destruction. But the administration has said that such internal communications must be kept private to ensure candor within the administration's policy discussions.
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