Republicans prodding Bush to yield documents on Bolton

Republicans prodding Bush to yield documents on Bolton: "Thursday, June 23, 2005 | BY JAMES KUHNHENN | KRT NEWS SERVICE

WASHINGTON -- A growing number of Senate Republicans say John Bolton won't be confirmed as United Nations ambassador unless the White House turns over documents that Democrats say they need to assess his fitness for the post.

Though the White House continued yesterday to demand an up- or-down vote on Bolton, these Republican senators say the Senate is in a standoff that only President Bush can resolve.

'I hope the president will take a very hard look at the documents,' Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in an interview with Knight Ridder.

"Unless we resolve this dilemma quickly, Mr. Bolton is not going to be the U.N. ambassador. ... The president should understand that we're at an impasse. It may be more important to preserve the doctrine of separation of powers than to have John Bolton in the U.N."

Alexander's comments came after Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), the former Senate majority leader, urged the White House to turn over documents to Bolton's two leading Democratic foes, Sens. Joseph Biden of Delaware and Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. Another Republican, Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, also called for the White House to relent.

Bush says Democrats stalling on Bolton; Yale classmates call U.N. ambassador nominee unfit

Bush says Democrats stalling on Bolton; Yale classmates call U.N. ambassador nominee unfit: "'I view that as just another stall tactic, another way to delay, another way to not allow Bolton to get an up-or-down vote,' Bush said.

'I would hope that when they get back that they stop stalling and give the man a vote. Just give him a simple up-or-down vote.'

Meanwhile, Yale classmates of Bolton's wrote to senators to oppose the nomination.

The 76 signers include cartoonist Garry Trudeau, who lampooned Bolton in his 'Doonesbury' strip in May. Others were fellow members of the Class of 1970 who participated in a 35th reunion over the Memorial Day weekend.

'We are embarrassed and ashamed that the Bush administration has nominated someone so manifestly unsuited to represent our country at the United Nations,' the Yale classmates wrote.

'As his classmates, we do not believe that Mr. Bolton has exhibited the values of civility, light and truth which our shared institution represents.'

Bush also attended Yale and graduated in 1968."