From the Department of Thank God

A nice bit of good news, for a change of pace. (And not that Paris Hilton was arrested for DUI, although that's pretty nice too. Oh, ok, while we're on the subject, have you seen the pictures of her getting arrested? Check them out. There's something so sleazy about it. The 80s belt, her crack whore skinniness, the brick wall. When I'm sad I look at these pictures and then I am happy.) And I mean seriously good news.

Mr. Moustache, Mr. Least-Diplomatic-Person-Ever John Bolton, may not become our permanent representative to the UN after all. Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, a sane republican, has made it clear that he is not ready to vote to confirm Bolton, and this throws it all off. In addition, Chris Dodd has threatened filibuster. Yay, filibuster! The immediate effect of this is sort of intangible - the asshole will still be stalking the halls of the UN yelling and making the world hate us (even more). But the lack of, you know, any kind of official support for him should undermine his authority a nice amount. There are also rumors that he will be totally ousted, which would be a-freaking-mazing. TPM Cafe does a regular "Bolton Watch" here, in case you want to read more about the man with the 'stache.

So a big shoutout to Chafee. I have a soft spot for these old time moderate New England republicans. Chafee, Shays, Jeffords (yeah I know, but he was). It's one of the big shames of the current political environment that people like them are the big losers. The Northeast is going blue and they are getting shut out from both sides. I don't necessarily agree with them, and I am very aware that even the most yankee patrician independent GOPer will still vote with the republican caucus most of the time and therefore must be voted out, and that this is a battle for the future of the country and all, but it does make me sad that it is the moderates who seem like they have a little bit of soul that will lose out amid all the yelling.