The Senate had to resort to a cloture vote in order to end debate on the Bolton nomination, and it failed by a vote of 54-38.  It wasn't surprising, since Sen. Barbara Boxer had announced she was going to block his nomination late last month, so there shouldn't have been a doubt in anyone's mind that the Democrats were going to anything they could to keep Bolton from getting confirmed.

Once again, the obstructionists continue to hold up progress on anything the Republicans, and thus most Americans, support.  The documents they've demanded is a weak excuse for filibustering the nomination.  The truth is, the Democrats still can't believe the voters have not only voted to give the Republicans majority support in the Senate but in the House as well.  You would have thought they would have learned a lesson after the whippings they receieved in 2000, 2002, and 2004, but they seem content in their contrarian methods anyway. 

It also exposes the internationalist principles rooted within the Democratic Party.  Just as they were willing to oppose the War in Iraq for the fact that the snoots at the U.N. Headquarters opposed it, they know John Bolton represents a dire threat against the eurocentric status quo inside of the U.N. and thus they must oppose him.  After the Oil For Food and Congo sex scandals, the Democrats are still not willing to stand up, hold the United Nations accountable, and admit there is systematic problems inside the international body.  They are more than willing to allow the articles to be buried inside of newspapers and make hollow promises to call for change.  Bush nor Bolton are willing to do that, and thus in the eyes of the internationalists, Bolton must be stopped.

Some have wondered why President Bush and the Republicans are making all of this fuss over John Bolton, as it's relatively easy for Bush to nominate someone else.  My question is why shouldn't Bolton receive an up or down vote?  The Democrats have no standing to dictate who Bush nominates and who he doesn't.  Every senator has one vote, but the Democrats want to make their minority votes count more than the majority.  If the Democrats insist on acting like spoiled children who are mad that they can't get their way, then Bush should give Bolton a recess appointment, and continue to do so until the Democrats decide they're ready to act like adults again.