So yesterday I headed into the Bolton hearing thinking I only had to write a sidebar to the lead coverage, which the paper would pick up off the wires.

In other words, that I would just have to focus on the Boxer/Bolton showdown - which did turn out to be a great story in itself.

See, yesterday was supposed to be my "easy" day. I honestly didn't even think the hearing was going down until Wednesday..and then I heard Morning Edition. Even then, I figured it was something "preliminary"...because, well, I'm an idiot. So I wound up sprinting up Capitol Hill from Union Station, which is always fun.

But the Bolton Circus rolled into town yesterday. No problem. I had fun covering a UN nominee who looks like walrus. I took my sweet time writing my fun little sidebar, then put it in queue for editing around 5pm. (After it's edited, we file it the article with our cient paper.)

Around 6 p.m., I get a call from the editor back in SB. He prefaces with "there's been some sort of 'mix up' on our end, between the editorial staff." I think he's telling me my sidebar won't wind up in today's paper. Oh well.

Apparently, the "mix up" was that some of them thought I was writing the lead story. "Would you like a crack at it?"

So as everyone's leaving the office, I wind up having to re-write, this time doing the lead coverage on the Bolton hearing. Fortunately, I took notes. Fortunately, Smashtar was doing the lead for her Wisconsin paper and had been reporting with me all day.

I churned this out in about 90 minutes - here's the result, from today's News-Press.

(FYI they added the "harsh" critic in that first part - I tried to be a little more even-handed, because I think the harshness speaks for itself. They also removed Bolton's distinction between Westermann's "firing" and "portfolio removal," which I thought was key. Oh well.)


Democrats skeptical of U.N. nominee

4/12/05
By DICKIE CRONKITE

John Bolton says he would press for reform in world body

NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT


WASHINGTON -- U.N. ambassador nominee John Bolton faced tough, even hostile, questions at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Monday, even as he pledged to "forge a stronger relationship between the United States and the United Nations."


Mr. Bolton, a State Department official and harsh critic of the United Nations, was grilled by Democratic committee members over an alleged attempt to fire a department intelligence officer, Christian Westermann. In 2002, Mr. Westermann clashed with Mr. Bolton over his assessment of Cuba's biological weapons capabilities.

"I never sought to have Mr. Westermann fired at all," Mr. Bolton testified Monday.

Mr. Bolton told the committee he did not take issue with Mr. Westermann's opinion on the Cuba intelligence, but rather with how Mr. Westermann acted in refusing to clear a speech Mr. Bolton planned to give containing strong language on Cuba's bioweapons ambitions.

"We believe Mr. Westermann had behaved in an underhanded fashion," Mr. Bolton explained.

At the hearing, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said Mr. Bolton's actions in the matter were especially important, given the intense scrutiny and criticism that the U.S. intelligence community currently faces.

"I think people who are correct should not be fired but rewarded," Mr. Kerry said about Mr. Westermann, who argued for a more restrained view of Cuba's bioweapons capability.

Senators questioned Mr. Bolton about North Korea's nuclear program as well as about his temperament, which they charged was confrontational rather than diplomatic.

Mr. Bolton has been an outspoken critic of the United Nations.

"Frankly, I'm surprised the nominee wants the job he's been nominated for, given the many negative things he's had to say about the U.N.," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.

At a 1994 address to the World Federalists, Mr. Bolton is on record saying, "There is no such thing as the United Nations."

He went on to say, "If the U.N. Secretariat Building lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference."


Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., presented a videotape of Mr. Bolton's address. "I'm sure (Mr. Bolton) could do other things for President Bush, but not this. It just doesn't make sense," she said.

She wasn't the most outspoken critic of Mr. Bolton in the room, however. Several members of the grass-roots organization "Code Pink: Women for Peace" abruptly stood in the audience and chanted "No on Bolton" just as Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., was about to begin his questioning.

In his opening statements, Mr. Bolton cited a 16-year friendship with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He promised to work for fundamental reform at the United Nations.

Mr. Bolton also pledged to focus on the global war on terror and humanitarian crises, such as HIV/AIDS in the Third World.

From Southern California, Catherine Dishion, president of the Santa Barbara County chapter of the United Nations Association and UNESCO, echoed the Washington protesters' disdain.

"We're very disappointed," Ms. Dishion said. "(Mr. Bolton) does not have a history of communicating well with the international community, nor does he promote the usefulness of the United Nations."


Howard Kaloogian, a former San Diego Republican assemblyman who now co-chairs Move America Forward, said his conservative organization stands firmly behind Mr. Bolton.

"John Bolton will represent America's view to the U.N.," Mr. Kaloogian said Monday. "If the people who oppose him don't like that, they should try winning an election. Here's the truth to power: The U.N. is a corrupt body that supports terrorism."


Mr. Kaloogian added, "It's not (Bolton's) policies, it's the president's policies. People forget that, when they think there's a 'Bolton' policy."


The committee reported that the hearing will continue today with testimony from Carl Ford, former assistant secretary of state.

Mr. Ford supported Mr. Westermann's account of the Cuban bioweapons intelligence.

The committee's 10 Republicans and eight Democrats are expected to vote on the nomination as early as Thursday. If approved, it would go to the full Senate for a vote.