What a difference a day makes! Or to be more accurate, three days.
The overwhelming victory on November 7 by the Democratic party in capturing majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate left media commentators pondering how soon the aftershocks would hit Washington. We may now have the answer, from a surprising source: A lame-duck Republican legislator.
Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), who lost his bid for re-election this past Tuesday, has announced that he will oppose the nomination of John Bolton as US Ambassador to the United Nations, according to a report by United Press International.
This report has sufficiently alarmed the Republican National Committee that they sent out an email with the subject line: "Senator Chaffee may sink Bolton nomination," using the exact title of the UPI report. This is obviously a bid by the Republicans to exert pressure on Chaffee.
Bolton secured the UN Ambassadorship courtesy of a recess appointment now subject to Senate confirmation.
The UPI report quotes from a statement released by Chafee on Thursday in which he stated, "On Tuesday, the American people sent a clear message of dissatisfaction with the foreign policy approach of the Bush administration," To confirm Mr. Bolton to the position of U.N. ambassador would fly in the face of the clear consensus of the country that a new direction is called for."
Chafee, who has consistently opposed US military involvement in Iraq and was the only Republican to vote against it, had very high approval ratings in his home state of Rhode Island. Despite his personal popularity, he lost his reelection bid in the face of a strong vote for Democrats.
Chafee may also be considering leaving the GOP entirely, according to a report by Michelle R. Smith of the Associated Press. Chafee told Smith that the main reason he had remained in the Republican party was to provide federal dollars for Rhode Island.
Bolton's nomination is regarded by most political observers as dead in the water. But Chafee's stand on it is interesting since many other lame-duck GOP lawmakers, who are said to be angry at President Bush for their losses, could follow Chafee's lead in breaking with the administration.
