Tuesday, November 14, 2006
the U.N. and john bolton
Oh good. It isn't all sweetness and light today. The new Friends of George are asking him to show his willingness for compromise by not re-nominating Bolton for U.N. Ambassador despite his well-regarded performance. While feeling inadequate to the task of expressing my reaction to such ludicrousness, I chanced upon Ligneus' post. I just hope that straight-forward thievery isn't reprehensible or even in the same category as plagerism since it is, in this case anyway, a form of praise. I wanted to write something sharp and just "so" about GWB's usually clear-headed response to pressure (at least in my opinion and at least thus far), but clearly it is more reasonable simply to reprint his post. Beginning with his comment that the Wall Street Journal has "the grown ups' view" about the discussion of Bolton's job and quoting the WSJ as follows:
So let's see. Democrats retake the Senate, and their first act of "bipartisanship" is to declare that they'll deny a confirmation vote to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton. And now, say the arbiters of Washington manners, President Bush is supposed to show his willingness to compromise by withdrawing Mr. Bolton's nomination.Ligneus adds, "I hope GWB exercises his famed loyalty here and has the balls to say 'up yours' to the Dems, compromise be damned." There is no reason for me to elaborate.
If Mr. Bush obliges, he'll be taking a big step toward turning last week's GOP defeat into a rout. Mr. Bolton has performed in exemplary fashion as a recess appointee these last two years, winning plaudits from everyone except those who admire Kofi Annan and Hugo Chavez. He has followed State Department orders and argued forcefully for U.S. policy.
The opposition to Mr. Bolton is based on nothing save vindictiveness. Republican Lincoln Chafee, who would have lost his GOP primary without White House support and who finally did lose last week, now says he won't vote for Mr. Bolton though he had once supported him. Mr. Chafee is a mystery wrapped in a muddle even to himself. Democrats Chris Dodd and Joe Biden are trying to show that any political appointee who refuses to bend to their wishes can't be confirmed. They know other Democrats would vote to confirm Mr. Bolton if he made it to the Senate floor.
Having had one recess appointment, Mr. Bolton can't get another one and be paid. But he could retain his position and be paid if Mr. Bush names him to a non-confirmable post at State and then assigns him to the U.N. Ambassador's duties. Now, that's a compromise.
Labels: politics
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