We ladies are supposed to sit back under our umbrellas, sipping the iced tea so kindly provided, to enjoy a duel of refined politeness. The Democrats are going on warpath!
Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut on Sunday promised a bruising fight in the U.S. Senate against confirming John Bolton to be the country's ambassador to the United Nations.
President George W. Bush bypassed the Senate and installed Bolton into the position last year when lawmakers were on recess.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing on Bolton for Thursday after Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich, who previously opposed the nomination, expressed support for Bolton.
``This is going to be a bruising fight,'' Dodd said on CNN's ''Late Edition'' program. ``I'm sorry the administration wants to go forward with this.''
He argued that problems Democrats had raised last year were not resolved. They blocked the nomination amid accusations Bolton in his previous job as the top U.S. diplomat for arms control had bullied intelligence analysts.
``The problems still persist. Many ambassadors at the U.N. feel he hasn't done a good job there,'' said Dodd, who serves on the Foreign Relations Committee. ``It's polarized the situation.''
Bolton's appointment expires in January when the current congressional session formally ends. While Bush could reappoint him, he would not be paid.
I wouldn't be shocked if Bolton decided to go on brawling at the U.N. even if he didn't get paid. He's going to go down in the history books as the Moustache of Male Aggression (not intended as sexist but moustaches go with males and there is no m-word for aggression). And the Democrats are going to offer a duel with rules over this nomination!
The time for such courtesy has long since passed. Bolton would just poke out the opponent's eyes while he's still turned to count to ten before shooting. Then Bolton would use the openings to dig out any brains still remaining in the Democrat's skull, and he would eat them, uncooked. Then there would be a press announcement about the perfidy of the liberals and how the United Nation stinks to high heavens.