Bolton Documents Blocked By Bush

As Senator John McCain again plays his new role of broker of compromises the White House is being obstructionist and refusing to accede to Senate requests. McCain is one of many Senators who have called for the release of important documents that could influence Senators in giving a straight up-or-down vote on John Bolton's nomination for UN ambassadorship.

According to the Boston Globe:

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.

Democrats also want 10 National Security Agency intelligence intercepts that Bolton requested, to determine whether Bolton, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, acted appropriately by asking for the names of Americans mentioned in the documents. The White House has allowed the chairman and the ranking Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to review the intercepts, but only with the names of the 19 Americans mentioned in them blacked out.

Although Republicans are confident of getting enough Democrat votes to confirm Bolton when a vote eventually comes, even though at least two Republicans oppose his nomination, the Democrats look likely to stand firm on their call for these documents. Forty-one senators voted against closing off debate on Bolton -- enough to kill his nomination through indefinite delay.

Democrats say that the vote was not about Mr. Bolton but about standing up for the Senate and its prerogatives against incursions by the executive branch, and the White House seems just as determined they shall not have them. Both the Boston Globe and the New York Times have different White House spokespeople reading from the same crib sheet:

NYT:This is about partisan politics, not documents. They have the information they need. Scott McClellan.

Globe: This is about partisan politics, not documents. Erin Healy.

When the talking points are that well organised, then I am going to guess that as usual, George W. Bush isn't going to change his mind and will continue to stonewall the Senate's request. He wishes the Senate to approve his nominee without proper information and without proper debate. Typical, but still not worthy of someone sitting in the Oval Office.

Given that calls for the documents are coming from Senators from both parties, it's pretty easy to see where the obstructionist partisan politics is coming from this time.