TomDispatch

In its June 9 issue (on sale this week), the New York Review of Books will be the first American print publication to publish the full British "smoking gun" document, the secret memorandum of the minutes of a meeting of Tony Blair's top advisors in July 2002, eight months before the Iraq War commenced. Leaked to the London Sunday Times, which first published it on May 1, the memo offers irrefutable proof of the way in which the Bush administration made its decision to invade Iraq -- without significant consultation, reasonable intelligence on Iraq, or any desire to explore ways to avoid war -- and well before seeking a Congressional or United Nations mandate of any sort....read on

Voinovich continues campaign against Bolton nomination

The Republican senator who snubbed the White House by opposing John Bolton's nomination for US ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday took the unusual move of asking his colleagues to vote against Mr Bolton. George Voinovich, an Ohio Republican, wrote a letter to his fellow senators, arguing that the appointment of Mr Bolton, the outgoing undersecretary of state for arms control, would hurt US efforts to improve relations with its allies.

"John Bolton's nomination sends a negative message to the world community," Mr Voinovich wrote

In a major setback for President Bush, the Senate voted Thursday to delay a confirmation vote on John Bolton, Bush’s choice to be U.S. envoy to the United Nations. Bolton opponents won on a vote to end debate on his nomination. Under Senate rules, at least 60 votes were needed to close debate, but the final tally was 56 to 42. Bolton’s confirmation vote will now be delayed for at least a week, until the Senate returns from its Memorial Day recess....read on

The administration stonewalls on supplying documents. I heard Joe Lieberman say on Ed Schultz that he stood with the members until they received the proper information.

I just got back from the doctor so I'll post more soon on this...

THE RAF and US aircraft doubled the rate at which they were dropping bombs on Iraq in 2002 in an attempt to provoke Saddam Hussein into giving the allies an excuse for war, new evidence has shown.

The attacks were intensified from May, six months before the United Nations resolution that Tony Blair and Lord Goldsmith, the attorney-general, argued gave the coalition the legal basis for war. By the end of August the raids had become a full air offensive.

The details follow the leak to The Sunday Times of minutes of a key meeting in July 2002 at which Blair and his war cabinet discussed how to make “regime change” in Iraq legal......read on

Will the media cover this? Don't hold your breath.

John Conyers has a wonderful dairy over at Daily Kos on this issue!

Bolton's best: " There is no such thing as the United Nations ... There is an international community that occasionally can be led by the only real power left in the world and that is the United States when it suits our interests and we can get others to go along. And I think it would be a real mistake to count on the U.N. as if it is some disembodied entity out there that can function on its own." _Global Structures Convocation, Feb. 3 1994.

The (United Nations) secretariat building in New York has 38 stories. If you lost ten stories today it wouldn't make a bit of difference." _Global Structures Convocation, 1994....

Care to add any?

via WaPo: John R. Bolton, a blunt diplomat whose nomination as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is opposed by most Democrats and a chunk of the foreign policy establishment, pledged Monday to help strengthen a world body that has occasionally "gone off track."

Via BlondeSense: Among those accusing Mr Bolton is Carl Ford, a former chief at the department's bureau of intelligence. He is expected to tell the committee that Mr Bolton distorted intelligence gathered on Iraq's weapons programmes and other matters to make it fit the administration's goals.

I'll wager that this guy gets the gig anyway.

Watching Talk Show Sunday, it's quite clear that most democrats were not going to vote for Bolton. I'll try to have some video highlights later in the day if I can. Biden is up now.

Texas Businessman Indicted in Iraq Oil-for-Food Program

NY Times: Dramatically broadening the scandal surrounding the United Nations Oil-for-Food program, federal authorities in New York today charged , a Houston oil trader, and his company, Bayoil, with making millions of dollars in illegal kickback payments to Iraq while trading oil under the program....

(Hat tip) An emailer says: I can find my name on the internet 8 times though I am just an ordinary person, but Houston oilman David B. Chalmers doesn't seem to exist.... why would that be? Is he connected to the Bushies??? Is he big time GOP?

He appears on this article by Friends of Saddam on 4/8/2004 ...the Chalmers people apparently forgot to purge....

Buzzflash 2002 : Saddam's Best Customers

Online Journal 2002: Trading With (And Stealing From) "the Enemy"

ABC News : Trading with the Enemy, July 2001

See a pattern here?

Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska was asked whether he would endorse Bolton. "At this point, I will ... but I have been troubled with more and more allegations, revelations, coming about his style, his method of operation," said Hagel, the committee's No. 2 Republican.

Download | play -WMP

Download | play -QT

"We need a uniter," he told CNN's "Late Edition." "We need a builder. We need someone who will reach out to our friends and our allies at the United Nations."

Move Forward America: In response to Senator Voinovich's actions in obstructing the nomination of John Bolton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Move America Forward will be broadcasting radio ads throughout Ohio criticizing Senator Voinovich's conduct.

Ankle Bitting pundits: Sometimes you wonder if the GOP deserves to have a majority in the Senate. After today, the answer may be "No".

Power Lie: This is bad news: Senator George Voinovich broke ranks today, along with Chuck Hagel, and forced his Republican colleagues to agree to an indefinite postponement in the vote on John Bolton's nomination as U.N. Ambassador.

Astute Blogger: BOLTON IS PERFECT; VOINOVICH IS A COWARD

Beltway Buzz:: In addition, Voinovich did not attend the committee hearings last week - but he didn't let that stand in his way.

I guess it doesn't matter to them if a candidate in a very important position is seriously vetted. I suppose tomorrow Poweline will have done no research and proved that the new allegations came from Harry Reid's office.

Wilkerson on Bolton: GreatScat!

October 2nd, 1968 Johnson withdraws Fortas nomination, the day after Senate refused to end
it's Fillibuster.

Download | play -WMP

I'll have more tomorrow. This proves that the filibuster has been around a long time and used by the GOP.
Update- From wikipedia: "In 1965, Lyndon Johnson persuaded Supreme Court Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg to resign his seat to become Ambassador to the United Nations. He then appointed his long time friend, Abe Fortas, to the court. Fortas was initially reluctant to give up his substantial salary, but he eventually accepted.

When Chief Justice Earl Warren announced his retirement in June 1968, Johnson nominated Fortas to replace Warren as Chief Justice."