weird is right- at a time when they are trying to do a non confidence vote on Rumsfeld- why not simply make a broad indictment of Bush's brand of foreign policy in general?

Bolton is no diplomat.  In fact, he is certifiable.  At a time when our military is stretched to its limits, we need diplomatic options to deal with Iran's nuclear development and a host of other thorny issues. Bolton lacks the interpersonal skills required for the job. He burned his bridges long ago with the international community. This is the perfect time for the Dems to stand up for competence in government and foreign policy.

Dems that won't filibuster this guy don't deserve to be considered Democrats.

The vote on cloture on Bolton last go round was 54-38, with the Dems virtually solid (Landrieu and the Nelson boys being the exceptions - 5 Dems were non-voters, but a no vote counts against cloture, of course).

If Frist gets non-voters Burns, Coleman and Thune back, that leaves three extra Dems to turn (plus replacements for any of the renegade three that switch this time).

I can't see what would make even any of the Class I senators switch - except a really juicy and campaign-useful sweetener.

Trouble is, there are only so many sweeteners available, and so much junk the GOP want to pass before the pre-election recess!

Besides, if he goes down, how convincing a martyr will Bolton make for the GOP in their attack ads: not too many voters will have heard of him, I'm thinking, and those that have...

I get a sense that the Israel-right-or-wrong lobby is in love with Bolton because he's always picking juvenile fights with Muslim counties (not to mention N. Korea and just about everyone else at one time or another). And of course lot of campaign money and reliable votes for democratic candidates come from that same group, particularly in NY, CA and FL. Makes it kind of tough for dem's in those places to just dismiss the guy out of hand, however much they might like to. Or maybe they just like his moustache.

Golly gee, I can't imagine why Schumer won't do the right thing.

Bolton appears unimpressive when seen on C-Span. However, I am at best lukewarm about the UN. Too, I find Bush's foreign policy a shambles and frightening to say the least.

I find that the UN is sucking up the the US government. Recently, the New York Times reported:

"Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said, "A new high-security prison block would be inaugurated in a few weeks... "We have room for 100 people and I am asking the government to fill it within six months..."

My concern about the UN is that this is the same failed response of the US government to the drug trade. About 1.1 million people have been arrested for drug law offenses in the US this year. http://www.drugsense.org/wodclock.htm . The US government is waging a war on its own people.

The UN's Costa wants to wage war on the people of Afghanistan. Why does the executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime want to do the same failed thing?

Is the UN nothing more than an international society of copycats looking for a place to practice failed policies?

I don't see any Democrats much less the Republicans doing anything to end the funding the failed War on Drugs policy.

I've had enough; I'm voting for Tasini in the primary. Tomorrow, I'm calling Hillary's office to explain why I'm voting against her.

Schumer is another story; 2010 is a long way off.

There is an argument to be made that we are better off having Bolton at the UN, where the worst he can do is embarass us, than in a position where he can do real damage.

On Israel, the country itself is much better off having a US UN ambassador who is actually a good diplomat, and I suspect that is the Israeli government position.  I also suspect that the aim of the "Israeli lobby" in the US is not really to help out Israel.

There is an argument to be made that we are better off having Bolton at the UN

He sure doesn't do much to advance the NeoCon cause in that body.

Why are you surprised that Schumer, Feinstein and Hillary are leaning towards supporting Bolton? If you were to look at the campaign pockets where AIPAC money ends, you'll find Feinstein, Schumer and Hillary near the top.  It is that simple.  What's worse is that one would think that fillibustering a major league a-hole such as Bolton would be a no-brainer.  Children, Children...we still have a long way to go before we truly crash the gate.

I'm voting for Tasini too.  I voted against Schumer the last election. And if Hillary wins the primary, I'm voting for the Green Party candidate in November.  And if Hillary wins the party nomination I'll either vote for Nader (is he running?) or I'll move out of the country.

""My objection isn't that he's a bully," said Dodd, D-Conn., when Bolton appeared before the committee recently, "but that he's been an ineffective bully and can't win the day when it really counts."

How is this a valid criticism? We don't WANT a bully as UN ambassador! The point is to get along with other countries so they do what we want voluntarily, not to beat them into submission. If you actually have to threaten or bluster, that's already a defeat. The entire art of diplomacy is to win without conflict. It's a negotiation process.

The entire problem for the US these days is that while everybody is scared of us, nobody likes us. Thus, we get very little cooperation from anyone, even on issues where normally we could work together, like terrorism.

How much use were all the heavy-handed bullying tactics in lining up international support prior to the Iraq war? They couldn't even get such normal puppet-votes as Paraguay!

It's just self-defeating to try and use force and threats all the time. All the Bush administration understands is crude bribes and threats.

It undermines the TRUE source of American power, which was the identity other countries felt with the United States on issues. That emerged from WW II and for decades after during the cold-war it was unthinkable for large numbers of countries to go against the U.S. on issues of major importance. Not anymore.

Unfortunately the Bush regime doesn't understand the limited usefulness of military power.

They are like the Bourbon dynasty of France, they never learn and they never forget.

Ok, so let's make sure Bolton is STOPPED!

Today is National Stop Bolton Call-in Day.

Call your senators at 202-224-3121 and go to www.stopbolton.org for information on what to say.

We CAN STOP BOLTON!