I think we should all look at the recent historical context of the Bolton nomination: After Negroponte, Bush appointed John Danforth to the UN Ambassadorship. Bolton was nominated to replace Danforth. The men could NOT be more different in their styles.
WHY WOULD BUSH DO THIS? Here's what I surmise...
Danforth is an extremely TEMPORATE man with a lot of GRAVITAS. Danforth's first Ambassadorship was to the Sudan - as a Special Presidential Envoy to the Sudan, an appointment made BEFORE 9/11 and before the Sudan was on the radar-screen of the world.
Danforth didn't last long as UN Ambassador, and he left in large measure because he felt the body was hopelessly bogged down in corruption and bureaucratic BS and utterly failing to meet its own mission. He said so in a speech. Here's an excerpt -from PBS/NEWSHOUR:
According to The Washington Post, Danforth had recently expressed frustration over the effectiveness of the United Nations, particularly the U.N. Security Council, in dealing with world problems. "While the U.N. is an important part of multilateralism, which is essential to U.S. foreign policy, it's very difficult to get strong resolutions passed," Danforth told the Post in a recent interview. "It's built for compromise, and it's built for wordsmithing. It's difficult to create real policies because of the ornate structure of multilateralism, at least the U.N.'s version of it."
The New York Times reported that Danforth had publicly expressed impatience with the U.N. General Assembly in late November after a resolution to denounce human rights violations in Sudan was blocked.
"One wonders about the utility of the General Assembly on days like this," Danforth said. "One wonders if there can't be a clear and direct statement on matters of basic principle, why have this building? What is it all about?"
Danforth OBVIOUSLY did not have the stomach to lead the effort reform the UN; he resigned. So what did Bush do? He took his time - many months - and then nominated a person who WOULD HAVE THE STOMACH FOR THE JOB: JOHN BOLTON.
The Senate MUST confirm Bush's nominee and then Bush and Rice and Bolton must bear the onus - or fruits of their efforts. We'll all be watching.
UPDATE: Maybe I shoulda titled this post "BOLTON'S STOMACH"??? In lieu of the shabby treatment he's gotten at the hands of many disgruntled State bureaucrats and by the obstructionist Dems, and also because AFTER HE IS CONFIRMED, he'll need an iron-plated stomach to work at the UN!
UPDATE #2: Welcome BETSY'S PAGE readers! Please check out a few other posts while you're here --- THEY'RE STILL WARM!
2 comments:
Kyle, John Bolton interacted with hundreds if not thousands of people in a long and relatively distinguished career as a public servant, during which he has already been confirmed by the full Senate for important posts two or three times. There is absolutely no evidence that "he obviously hacked off a whole lot of people." That's just spin. The fact that the hard left can scrape up from the bottom of the barrel a few ideologically driven complainers should surprise no one taller than 3 feet. The opposition of appeaseniks like Colin Powell (who stole the so-called "Powell Doctrine" almost word-for-word from Cap Weinberger, and who streadfastly advised against and worked against the Gulf War that the press now credits him with winning) should serve as a further recommendation! John Bolton has been highly praised for his professionalism and courtesy by Baroness Thatcher. He has been highly priased by former UN Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick.
Let's face the facts, for once. The hard-left democrats want a world-wide foreign policy of appeasement and retreat. Many of them still believe in socialism. They are blind to the fact that the UN is the most corrupt quasi-governmental body ever created on this planet, and they also lack the courage to oppose President Bush's foreign policy on the merits. So they have resorted to a disgusting and despicable campaign of character assassination, slander, and innuendo. About the sort of peccadilloes of which I'd wager they are all guilty.
Anyone who has seen Joe Biden in action during some of the recent hearings will realize that he is in no position to judge anybody else's behavior or demeanor.
John Bolton is exactly the sort of principled, plain-spoken straight shooter that we need to represent the US in the UN.
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