Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said Thursday that he would vote against the nomination of John Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations, hinting his vote is a protest against the Pentagon's recommendation to close Ellsworth Air Force Base.
But he did support his party on the vote that mattered most Thursday.
Republicans needed 60 votes to end the Democratic procedural delays and move to an immediate final vote on Bolton's confirmation. Fifty-six senators - including Thune - voted to end the stalling, four shy of that threshold. Now the final Bolton vote will probably not take place until June.
Thune said Thursday that saving Ellsworth is "inseparable from my work" in the Senate.
"It is part of the fabric of every day of our agenda and the things we are trying to accomplish here," Thune said
Yet here is what the ungrateful Thune said April 19 on Softball with Chris Matthews:
THUNE: I think you have to look at issues of conduct as they relate to the level of professionalism that a person brings to the job. If it‘s because that person is demanding and they are making people work hard and that‘s—that‘s probably OK.
(CROSSTALK)
MATTHEWS: That is not the charge here. The charge here is, he is forcing people to do things they don‘t want to do.
THUNE: And those are issues that are being reviewed and looked at.
But I think, again, if you look at his record, he has been confirmed previously. And he is a guy who shakes things up. And I think the U.N. needs that.
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/002581.htm
With senators abandoning the national agenda for God knows what, I think it is safe right now to postulate a Democrat victory in 06, and if the NRO Corner folks are reporting correctly, A HillRod victory in 08.
Thanks so much to the 7 Traitors and George and John Thune.
