BREAKING: Biden Questions Whether Bolton Testimony Was “True and Accurate”
BREAKING: Biden Questions Whether Bolton Testimony Was “True and Accurate”
The following letter was sent today from Sen. Biden to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
July 28, 2005
The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Washington, DC 20520Dear Madam Secretary:
It has just come to my attention that then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton was interviewed on July 18, 2003 by the State Department Office of the Inspector General in connection with a joint State Department/CIA IG investigation related to the alleged Iraqi attempts to procure uranium from Niger. This information would appear to be inconsistent with information that Mr. Bolton provided to the Committee on Foreign Relations during the Committee’s consideration of his pending nomination to be Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
The Committee on Foreign Relations expects all nominees to provide to it accurate and timely information. Indeed, in submitting the Committee’s questionnaire, all nominees are required to swear out an affidavit stating that the information provided is “true and accurate.” It now appears that Mr. Bolton’s answers may not meet that standard. I write, therefore, to request that you review this matter to determine whether incomplete or inaccurate information was provided by Mr. Bolton.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Ranking Minority Member
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Good for MBNA Biden.
But word inside the Beltway is Bush will make a recess of Bolton to be UN Ambassador, so it’s a mute point.
I hope someone comes out of the woodwork to file a harrassment lawsuit against Bolton. Thisought to discredit him.
. . .
July 28th, 2005 at 5:59 pmmoot, not mute.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:05 pmOoooh! Hit him with 18 U.S.C. § 1001! (Making false statements). If guilty, he could be fined, imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both!
July 28th, 2005 at 6:07 pmIn a normal world, the Secretary of State would actually investigate this and, if true, Bolton would be considered by one and all to be ineligible for the UN ambassadorship.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:07 pmOf course, we’ve been living in Bizarro world since 911, when everything changed, I guess. . .
False statments under oath, commonly called ‘purjury’ are never moot. There was a time in recent memory when the GOP thought that was a big deal.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:13 pmGood luck. When has Rice EVER done her job?
July 28th, 2005 at 6:14 pm-
Perjury, not purjury.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:15 pmMany of the righty sites are saying the recess appt is going to happen this next recess. Frankly, I don’t doubt that that would happen.
I mean, here we do a good job showing the american people what an asshole the guy is and tone deaf bush appoints him anyhow. He doesn’t care, it’s not like he’s going to run for election again.
But then again, things could always be worse w/ dumbya at the helm….just imagine, Chief Justice Rove.
Awwww, yuck! lost my lunch on that one.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:16 pmHi all. The State Department sez Bolton didn’t testify before the Grand Jury in TreasonGate.
http://today.reuters.com/PrinterFriendlyPopup.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=uri:2005-07-28T202454Z_01_N28698711_RTRIDST_0_USREPORT-BUSH-BOLTON-DC.XML
Apologies if this has already been frontpaged. Visited from Eschaton.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:16 pmPerhaps it depends on the meaning of “testified.” Like, perhaps they think if he only “answered questions” that doesn’t equal “testified.”
Who knows?
July 28th, 2005 at 6:20 pmMy understanding is that Bolton was required to inform the committee about legal proceedings — eg, testimony before the Fitzpatrick grand jury — he was involved in. But an interview with an IG doesn’t quite rise to that level, to my untrained ear.
When we know more about the precise falsehood Biden is alleging, we’ll be better positioned to judge whether this is the smoking moustache.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:26 pmPerjury is not simply a “false statement under oath”. It also requires that the liar know its a lie when its said, and, it must be material to the proceedings in which the testimony is given. While the additional requirements may not apply in this instance, the certainly did with Clinton. Clinton’s “lie” was ruled immaterial, as a matter of law, in the case where he gave the false testimony. Yet the right wing spinners and MSM consistently talked about it as perjury. Lets not throw around legal terms that have a very specific meaning, when a simpler word would work. Bolton. Liar. There ya go.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:36 pmAccording to http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/, the Foeign Affairs committee questionaire asks about:
Interviews — Have you been interviewed or asked to supply any information in connection with any administrative (including an inspector general), Congressional or grand jury investigation within the past 5 years, except routine Congressional testimony? If so, provide details.
July 28th, 2005 at 6:38 pmWow. 2 letters in 2 days from Biden to Condi. Hopefully she’s got access to a fax machine or a Blackberry, because I know she wants to be as accessible and responsive as possible to the loyal opposition.
Note to Biden: While you’re at it, make sure you cc Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, James Baker, DeLay, Hastert, Frist, Pat Roberts, Brent Bozell, Mitch McConnell, John Thune, Norm Coleman. To paraphrase Bob Dole (cc him and his wife too): “They can’t all be stonewalling.”
July 28th, 2005 at 6:53 pmIf a diplomat is someone who goes abroad to lie for his country, certainly you’ve got to accumulate a little experience in the activity at home before you’re sent to a post….
July 28th, 2005 at 6:56 pmBolton Lied to Congress?
It’s possible
July 28th, 2005 at 6:57 pmYou know the video of bush flipping off “the media?” He wasn’t talking to the media, he was talking to the American people … you and me.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:02 pmPlace your bets on whether Bush makes a recess appointment.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:19 pmJohn Bolton. Yet another of all the President’s men – and women.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:30 pmWait – you mean Captain Kangaroo might have misled the Comittee on Foreign Relations? What would Mr. Greenjeans think…
July 28th, 2005 at 7:30 pmBolton looks like Ned Flanders.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:51 pmI’m under the impression that Plame investigation different than Niger investigation.
Tetify not testify.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:53 pmBiden is still a wierdo.
July 28th, 2005 at 7:55 pmI love Bolton’s name firmly linked with Plame, though.
Perjury is not simply a “false statement under oath�. It also requires that the liar know its a lie when its said, and, it must be material to the proceedings in which the testimony is given.
Actually, 10 U.S.C. 1621 (the “perjury” statute) doesn’t require the statement to be a lie. All it requires is that the person making the statrement believe it to be false.
TTBOMK, no one has been convicted of making a true statement under oath which they believed to be false (which would throw a hand-grenade into perjury law), but one case came close: While the answer to the question presented was literally true (and the defendant made this point on appeal), the court finessed the problem of a perfujy conviction for a factually true statement by inventing the fiction that the defendant had not answered the question literally asked, but instead answered a different question (which is supposedly what the questioner intended to ask, and is probably what the questioner should have asked). Given the SCOTUS Bronston decision on whose responsibility it is to get the question straight, I think the case wrongly decided, but there it is….
Strange but true.
Cheers,
July 28th, 2005 at 7:56 pmDavid M @6:38: Thanks for clarifying Bolton’s false declaration by omission.
July 28th, 2005 at 8:00 pmWhat we have heah….is an open and shut case of ‘mute purjury’.
July 28th, 2005 at 8:02 pmGood point, Kane. Excellent point. But as a person who is far more conversant in these matters than many of us, myself included, are there not different standards for perjury, depending on the proceeding? I am just curious if the false statement must always be material say, during a Congressional hearing as opposed to a deposition in a civil matter? Both are cases when the testimony is sworn.
July 28th, 2005 at 8:11 pmThat is strange but true, Arne. TY, but that goes to foreknowledge and intent, if I am not mistaken, correct me if I am wrong. Must the false statement always be material to meet the perjury requirement? If so, is there a lesser charge of lying to Congress, or the FBI, or a Grand Jury?
July 28th, 2005 at 8:16 pmApologies if this was already posted, but Foxnews’ website states uncategorically that Bolton did not testify. They challenge the veracity and as usual the patriotism and motives of those who said he did testify. Also, they pile everything on Biden, mentioning very obliquely and indirectly that there this information came from MSNBC (which wasn’t named as a source).
If any of you have been to the Fox website, you know that they evidently have no one who can write even a couple of sentences. Almost everything there comes directly from AP sources (note the difference in tone) even if they put one of their writers in the byline and acknowledge the AP at the bottom only as a “contributor.”
This story must have been ordered (but not written) by someone on high.
We should make a note of it and put in the “outrageous lies” file for future use.
July 28th, 2005 at 8:30 pm.
July 28th, 2005 at 8:56 pmThis is just a game of gotcha!
July 28th, 2005 at 9:05 pmAP is reporting that:
Bolton was interviewed by the State Department inspector general as part of a joint investigation with the Central Intelligence Agency related to Iraqi attempts to buy nuclear materials from Niger, State Department spokesman Noel Clay said.
July 28th, 2005 at 9:13 pmBiden is just stroking himself. Why write, and publicize same, to Condom (She is protected) Rice when it is well known that if she does answer it will be a lie. Just do the research, get the facts, hold a hearing, call Bolton and hang his ass. Biden isn’t going to be President until Bushco is gone. The sooner they are gone the better it will be. For Biden–Don’t stroke, don’t choke, just get the facts, and poke the bloke!
July 28th, 2005 at 9:31 pmSen. Biden he lied to you because he thought he could get away with it. You got Bolton with his hand in the cookie jar, now do something about it….take no prisoners.
July 28th, 2005 at 9:55 pm[...] Think Progress has the breaking details. Evidently, there was another investigation where Bolton testified but did not disclose it to the Sneate foreign relations committee. This guarantees that he won’t be approved by the Senate, if it ever comes to another vote. My guess is that a recess appointment is to be announced sometime this weekend. [...]
July 28th, 2005 at 10:38 pmIf DUHbya does a recess appointment it just proves that old adage “There is eqilibrium in Nature.” Actually I just made it up but it does point out that what he lacks in brains he makes up in balls. DUHbya is dead! Long Live Ignorance!
July 28th, 2005 at 11:07 pmI’ll save you the trouble. It is “equilibrium.” My kingdom for a Spell Checker.
July 28th, 2005 at 11:10 pmShow me a prosecutor who rolls over for “I simply forgot I was part of a criminal investigation” and I’ll show you the pocket he’s in.
You say that to an honest prosecutor and what he hears is, “I think you’re stupid so please give nail my ass to the wall and make me cry Mary.”
July 29th, 2005 at 12:36 amAlso, if Bolton goes to the UN, he’s going to sit alone in the cafeteria and all the other diplomats will laugh at him. Nobody is going to take that guy seriously. Right now, the GOP should be calculating the value of a recess appointment against going into 2006 after a year long diplomatic clusterf***. Remember how well his work with North Korea went?
If I had Karl Rove’s morals, I’d wish for the diplomatic disaster. However, to me political victory is not worth betraying my countrymen, so I hope Bush will surprise us all and do the right thing and finally listen to people he doesn’t like but have been proven right.
But what are the chances of that? I think it’s sad the lengths they go to hide the very real damage they’ve done to this country.
July 29th, 2005 at 12:48 amBiden should have demanded that the White House/State Department withdraw Bolton’s nomination.
July 29th, 2005 at 1:23 amIf Biden et. al. have any skilz, this should be it. Hell, the kid down the street gets popped at Mickey D’s if they turn up a fib on the ol’ app. Case closed! Kaptain Kangaroo, Ned Flanders, whatever the deedley-doo yer name is, Buddy, yer outta heah! C’mon, Joe, finish this loser off!!
July 29th, 2005 at 4:00 amThe State Department now admits that Bolton’s “…form as submitted was inaccurate in this regard…” and is in need of correction.
See:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/29/1759/56959
July 29th, 2005 at 8:28 am“a mute point” ? uh, no it’s not. it’s a MOOT POINT
July 29th, 2005 at 8:39 amrenato=spelling police? :-)
. . .
July 29th, 2005 at 8:57 amThis letter is a great example of the dems problem. It takes all of these words to say, “Yo Condi, your boy lied”, prove that he didn’t”. The reps are great at keeping things short and to the point. Johnny Cochran would be proud of their ability to do this, too bad the dems still don’t get it.
July 29th, 2005 at 9:49 amSo sorry for using too many high falutin words. For the reps, we should try to keep it simple.
July 29th, 2005 at 9:56 amWell, after the revalations from Phaux news website, I was about to tear up my Democrat Party voter registration form & switch parties. But now, with this coming out, gosh… I just don’t know what to believe anymore…..
I bet dumbya does name in in a recess appt. If we make a loud enough noise RIGHT NOW, maybe he’ll think twice. But I doubt it. He doesn’t care and the republican congress won’t lift a finger to cross him. Who’se taking bets?
July 29th, 2005 at 10:06 amWhat revelations on the Faux News website? You mean Paula Abdul’s secret affair? Yeah, that broke my heart too.
July 29th, 2005 at 10:48 amI was referring to post #29.
I don’t watch American Idol, so I don’t care about Paula. Everyone I work with eats it up though, so I’m the fuddy duddy here.
I do watch junk on TV, just not that junk.
July 29th, 2005 at 11:25 amI haven’t read a foxnews.com article yet that isn’t rife with grammatical and factual errors. Check out the tree ring article by their “science” editor.
July 29th, 2005 at 12:21 pmI don’t know what the fuss is about, a diplomat is someone who goes out and lies to his country.
Oh, sorry that’s an “honest genetleman sent abroad to tell lies for his country’s good”. Misquoted there, can someone tell Brownshirt Bolton?
July 29th, 2005 at 12:52 pm[...] Actually, that’s completely wrong. It was Sen. Joe Biden who pointed out that Bolton provided inaccurate information to the Senate in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t until several hours later that John Bolton fessed up through a State Department spokesperson. [...]
July 29th, 2005 at 1:22 pmJoe Biden’s letter … I wonder who he plagiarized this time.
July 29th, 2005 at 5:06 pmOh, and Clinton was disbarred for perjury. Whiney losers!
Oh, there it is! Bolton merely “forgot” he was called in for an interview. After all, those pesky interviews concerning treason are such a frequent occurrence, that who can blame him for forgetting? Funny he can remember the mose minute details of whose ass he reamed out at State, why and how it happened – or didn’t happen if we are to believe him — but called in for an inquiry concernig possible treason in the White House — who can blame him for his absentmindedness?
July 29th, 2005 at 7:18 pmRathaven
July 29th, 2005 at 7:29 pmSilly me — it’s ALWAYS Clinton’s fault!
Just ask any knee-jerk — or just plain jerk – Republican.
Plagiarism while in college is never forgotten. BUT — AWOL in the military never happened. Family favors allowing a quick getaway from an SEC investigation never happened. Ripping off Texas taxpayers to finance his baseball stadium never happened. Snorting in college never happened. Drunk driving after he was supposedly “sobered up” never happened. Oh yes, WMD in IRaq never happened. There is NOTHING in this lowlife’s history that is honest. He is a walking lie. Scum.
July 29th, 2005 at 7:33 pmIf Bushie decides to appoint Bolton during recess we can only hope that one of the “terrorists” get to him like right away.
July 30th, 2005 at 2:43 pmThe “tolerance and open minded” left never fails to amaze and confuse!! The rape allegations about some UN peacekeepers is what? an example of “loving thy neighbor? The UN failure in Rwanda and Darfur is what? an over-sight – a stab at population control?? And the pilfering of the UN “Oil for food” progrtam before the pig Saddam and his evil henchmen got THEIR wallets around it was what? a little grease for the wheels? One-worlders of the world unite – around the UN!
August 1st, 2005 at 4:44 pmThe rape, not allegations, on videotape, of little boys, by U.S. Soldiers at Abu Ghraib is what? It’s interrogation and foreign policy. The U.S. failure in Iraq and Afghanistan is what? Poor planning, or a stab at increasing terrorism. Compare Clinton in Kosovo. Number of U.S. combat deaths – zero. U.N. food for oil scandal? 3 of Bush’s Texas oil buddies implicated and being investigated. And don’t call us tolerant, or open minded. We don’t tolerate bullshit from people like you, whose minds were so open their brains fell out before they closed shut.
August 2nd, 2005 at 4:33 amAmen, The Janitors–and bad as Oil for Food (supported by us, by the way, just like Saddam’s weapons buys in the 80’s), it pales before the $9 billion “lost” in Iraq and additional billions lost through Halliburton, “independent contractors”, etc. If we sent Paul Volcker to Baghdad to take a peek at the books, he’d think he was looking at Arthur Anderson’s books from Enron! Matter of fact, maybe Halliburton borrowed some tricks from their ol’ buddies at Enron…hmmm….
A true audit of what we’ve done in Iraq would likely be a shocker, and totally eclipse the UN stuff, bad as that might be.
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