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Bolton hearing in progress; after a total circus in which Frist took the whole Senate into recess to try to avoid Senate Democrats opting for a procedure to delay the vote, the SFRC went into a meeting on Bolton starting at 3:15pm. Biden requested that the SFRC go into closed session, Lugar overruled him. Now Dodd is speaking. Democrats say they have evidence of seven separate individuals who report being intimidated by Bolton. "It's a circus," says Dave Meyer who is covering the event for Tapped. Check it out on C-Span3. Stay tuned. Update: I do believe Biden's raised his voice, he's totally grandstanding, good for him. Norm Coleman: "This is not a criminal prosecution." Good point. Just debating Bolton's career, it sounds like one! Lugar: "Many people have testified about Bolton, his management style. This committee must vote and then the Senate must vote."
Update II: Lugar's calling for a vote. It's 4:35pm....Sarbannes is asking why they have to vote now if they have 'til 5pm....We could use the time for debate. The Chairman has moved to short circuit this entire process.
Lugar: The Chair gave a lot. The give is over.
Boxer: I pushed for the delay this morning.....It seemed extraordinary you wouldn't give us another week...We're trying to do our job because we feel so strongly about this.
Hagel: This is not over, regardless of the vote. If we take a vote today, it's not over, it goes to the Senate floor, where I expect they'll be very spirited exchanges and there should be. The charges that have been brought to this committee I think Sen. Dodd and Biden made are very important....
I am going to vote against the Dodd motion, I will vote for moving Bolton out (of the SFRC committee). That doesn't mean I will support his nomination on the floor. I think these charges are serious enought that they demand, they cry out for further examination. I think we should move this out today.
Update !!!: Surprise Republican voice against voting today. God bless Sen. Voinovich, (R-Oh) (4:35pm):
Voinovich: I heard enough today that I don't feel comfortable today voting for Mr. Bolton. ...I don't feel comfortable voting today on Mr. John Bolton. Maybe it would be in the best interest of this committee to take a little time. I can feel the passion (from the other side of the aisle).
(Wow, has it been delayed? Lugar sounds surprised.)
Biden: Let's just take the time to check out these accusations (of intimidation)...
Chafee: Mr. Chair, in view of Mr. Voinovich's comments, do you have any hesitation about going forward?
Lugar: No. (He's still surprised by Voinovich!). Trail of a similar pattern of delay, difficulty of scheduling meetings, stop the votes. At some point, members have to say aye or ney.
Barack Obama: I have to say that the allegatoins that have just come up are new to me. And have not been fully vetted. I don't even know if they are true or not. My sense is that they might make a difference in terms of how some people vote. I feel like Sen. Voinovich on this. Look, there are some of us who would ideologically support or oppose Mr. Bolton either way. But I think there are some people on the committee who are struggling with (issues about Mr. Bolton's temperament). We need to thoroughly vet these issues....
(IF you called Voinovich, give yourself a pat on the back. He may have just delayed the vote today!)
Biden: Biden is bringing up the NSA intercepts (!!) Bolton requested. On ten occasions Bolton sought the names of the American in NSA intercepts. Can anyone testify if that is an unusual practice? To seek the name of an American who is in on the intercept. Why? The detractors to try to identify American personnel who disagreed with his analysis. Supporters say, it's a standard practice. Does anyone here know if that's a standard practice. I tried to find out. I was on the phone last night til 1030pm.
Lugar, who was just handed a note: Apparently this hearing is being watched by a large number of people. The State Department sends along word that the NSA has received 400 requests coming from the State Department for NSA intercepts. Bolton's were 10 of those.
Biden: but did they ask for the identity of the US person?
Hagel: I suggest we might want to amend Sen. Dodd's amendment (to delay the vote)? The responsible thing is to put a time frame on the delay of the vote.
Allen: What happens if we get a tie vote? In the event of a tie vote would sink this nomination, strategically thinking, we need to plan....
Biden: Mr. Chair, can you ask State Department to be cooperative? It wasn't until your letter on Thursday that even got the State Department to even respond to requests we had in for two weeks.
Lugar: Let me ask the ranking member whether he would agree on good faith on dates certain for completion of various phases.
Biden: The answer is yes. There is one caveat. Let's assume there's some outrageous charge that appears credible....Yes, certainty of dates....I am prepared to agree on that right now. I am prepared to say that any day you suggest now in the open after we come back from that recess in two weeks-- whatever that day is, is fine with me, and I commit to it.
(Vote appears to have been delayed at least two weeks! Cheney will be irritated. ).
Biden: It's unreasonable we haven't seen those 10 intercepts.
Lugar: Chair set date after we return from April recess for a final business meeting that I will work with the ranking member to have examination of witnesses that might be material and offer additional information to this committee; we will encourage State and CIA to be cooperative. And then in that framework we will return at that date certain.
Bolton might be asked to come back for additional testimony.
VOTE DELAYED two weeks. GREAT.