BOLTON to the U.N. Shrub's Insufferable Arrogance

[UTUSN]

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http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2005/03/10/john_bolton/index.html

By Sidney Blumenthal


March 10, 2005 | In the heat of battle over the 2000 Florida vote, which would decide who would be president, a burly, mustachioed man burst into the room where the ballots for Miami-Dade County were being tabulated like John Wayne barging into a saloon for a shootout. "I'm with the Bush-Cheney team, and I'm here to stop the count," drawled John Bolton. And those ballots from Miami-Dade were not counted. Dick Cheney beamed that Bolton's job should be "anything he wants."

Now Bolton, who as undersecretary of state for arms control has wrecked all the nonproliferation diplomacy within his reach and alienated every nation he has dealt with, who openly disdains multilateral efforts and international organizations, and who has been the single most dedicated person over two decades of attempts to discredit the United Nations, has been named by President Bush as the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. "If I were redoing the Security Council today, I'd have one permanent member because that's the real reflection of the distribution of power in the world," Bolton has said. And: "There is no such thing as the United Nations." Orwell's clock of "1984" is striking 13. ....

Bolton made a play to become deputy secretary of state after the 2004 election, but was blocked by Condoleezza Rice, who understood that his prowess at bureaucratic infighting would have constantly undermined her authority. For four years, Bolton had waged a war against Colin Powell. Rice had participated enough in those underhanded campaigns to know she didn't want Bolton plotting against her from within. Cheney privately promised Bolton that if all else failed he would give him a job on his vice presidential staff, but that proved unnecessary when Bush nominated him to the U.N. post. Rice announced his appointment, symbolically demonstrating that he reports to her. But Bolton has deep support in the White House and a long history of uncontrollability, and Rice is very much a work in progress. With Bolton's appointment, the empire strikes back. ....

Bolton is often called one of the neoconservatives, but he is more their ally, implementer and agent. His roots are in the soil of Helms' Dixiecrat Republicanism, not the neocons' airy Trotskyism or Straussianism. Bolton is a specimen of the "primitives," as Harry Truman's secretary of state, Dean Acheson, called the unilateralists and McCarthyites of the early Cold War. Through his political integration into the neocon apparatus, Bolton might be properly classified a neoprimitive. ....

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[G_j]

1. amazing

what more can one say? :shrug:

[UTUSN]

2. IVINS Had a Few Choice Words

Just when we thought there were no battles to fight over Shrub's appointees. Forget his entire cabinets, ESTRADA, GONZALES, NEGROPONTE.

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http://www.creators.com/opinion_show.cfm?columnsName=miv

.... Conservative economist Jude Wanniski writes, "Does President Bush realize he is practically spitting in the faces of the global diplomatic community with his Bolton pick?" Poor Wanniski, just another guy who doesn't get the Bush sense of humor. When W's inner frat boy comes out, we get nothing but yuks. Why do you think Bolton was named under secretary of state for arms control in the first place? Because he supports arms control? Don't be silly. He opposed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and his version of trying to stop nuclear proliferation is truly arresting. ....

Bolton's former employer, Jesse Helms of North Carolina, said he is "the kind of man I would want to stand with me at Armageddon." With Bolton's version of "diplomacy," we can move up the date for Armageddon. Bush sure can pick 'em.

On this record, Bush is the kind of guy who would put a bunch of lobbyists for coal and timber companies in charge of the Department of the Interior. Oh, he's already done that. Then, he would put people at the Department of Labor who are toadies for big business. Oh, well. That Bush, what a card. ....

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[Straight Shooter]

3. Bolton is a FREAK. He is a MUTANT.

He is an aberration of the natural progression of human development.

bush chooses surrogates to spit in the world's face, as he sits back and plays "Mr. I'm-So-Charming."

But you know what? This kind of arrogant attitude, which always ultimately leads to defeat, is just hunky-dory fine with bush's supporters. They really believe that bombs and bluster can accomplish more than diplomacy and intelligence.

Oh, how the mighty will fall.

[Stephanie]

4. Does anyone else think that Bush himself is making some of these picks?

I think his head has swollen and he's decided he can actually do some presidenting on his own. That would explain the hubris and the FU attitude of these picks, not to mention the utter idiocy of these people who've been chosen. Karen Hughes at State? WTF???

[UTUSN]

6. CHEENEE Said BOLTON Could Have "Anything he wants" in 2000

and when Condo was blocking him at State, told him he would put him on his staff if nothing else worked out.

That said, agreed (Shrub presidenting). But really Shrub's core is CHEERLEADING. After the election, ho-hum, nothing to do, might as well get back on the campaign trail while the string-pullers work-away. So long as he gets these little "decisions".

P-ed me off that STEPANOPOULIS didn't ask Condo ANYTHING about BOLTON this morning. He DID run the Jon STEWERT clip about him in the "Sunday Funnies" segment. Thank Zeus there is SOME place where issues can be aired (the "funnies").

[Rann]

5. Okay Flame away but

The saying keep your friends close but enemies closer.


Better than the wolf in sheep's clothing.

Just thinking he is the hunter in the bright orange hunter suit.

[UTUSN]

8. 2 Scenarios

1) Just reading his own quotes at him during the hearings might blow the lid off.

2) He can be so OUTLANDISH speechifying at the U.N. that he will implode or the international diplomatic corps could totally mutiny.


He sticks out totally. What a target.

[nostamj]

7. "The Age of Diplomacy"