Bolton gets his gig

August 1, 2005

It’s official.

President Bush bypassed the Senate and appointed John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Monday over the protests of Senate Democrats who complained he was abusive and would hurt U.S. credibility.

“This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform. So today I’ve used my constitutional authority to appoint John Bolton as America’s ambassador to the United Nations,” Bush said during a White House Roosevelt Room ceremony.

It fits into the Bush pattern so well — the bigger the lie, the bigger the promotion.

It’s hard not to love the justification about this being “too important [a post] to leave vacant any longer.” Last week, when the Senate was in session, it was just kind-of important. But now that Congress is in recess, Bush can wait no more. What a remarkable coincidence.

Also keep in mind, this is not just an instance of the president sending a clearly unqualified nominee to the United Nations to represent all of us on the world stage, it’s also another example of the Bush White House circumventing Congress whenever he feels like it. As Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said recently, “I do think it’s a little bit of a thumbing of the nose at the Senate, which will cause you more problems down the road. We are a co-equal branch; he doesn’t get to make his choices in a vacuum.”

Bush apparently disagrees. He can do what he wants, when he wants. Congress isn’t a co-equal branch, it’s a nuisance.

And this morning might also be a good time to remind folks that Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) has said that that a Bolton recess appointment “would weaken not only Mr. Bolton but also the United States.”

Update: C&L reminds me, now that Bolton has been appointed, no one should forget his tirade against the institution in which he now serves.

Any one surprised? Rouge president!!!

  • So what’s the speculation at this point? Will Bolton be able to run roughshod over the UN or will he hobbled because he will be seen for what he is: ambassador of a cabal in the executive branch rather than ambassador of a nation?

  • Will Bolton be able to run roughshod over the UN or will he hobbled because he will be seen for what he is: ambassador of a cabal in the executive branch rather than ambassador of a nation?

    Probably a bit of both. Bolton’s there to fan the flames of war with Iran. Compromised and lacking credibility, the Europeans will thank him for his time and then tell him to get lost while they handle it.

  • So not surprised.

    When the hell is the Senate – especially the republican side – going to learn that this pResident doesn’t care about them and what they want. When will they start looking out for the interests of themselves and the Senate as a whole – not to mention the country. The administration killed of any sense of idealism that we left after living in the D.C. area since 1992 so I don’t say it with an iota of idealism. Pure, selfish, arrogant self-interest was good enough in the administrations of past presidents Democratic and Republican – what has happend now? I guess the GOP of today cares more about the money train even to the exclusion of rank self interest.

    Frankly, I don’t know if this administration could surprise me anymore no matter how low they go. I knew I wasn’t going to like most of what it has done but at this point I can point to less I agree with than I originally thought I would. What baffles me more than surprise me, is that more people aren’t outraged, annoyed, angry, etc. I knew much of America was asleep at the wheel, but what has been going on lately makes me realize how much more of it than I thought there was. I don’t know if it was always this way or has the administration done this to ordinary Americans. If it is the latter, than this is the absolute worse thing a government can do to it’s people – kill their spirit. Don’t even get me started on the head-cases that actually agree with this administration – they are in a class/reality all their own.

  • “This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform,” Bush said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House.

    The president then got on a plane and flew to Texas for a monthlong vacation.

  • We all knew it would happen. Bush is an arrogant s.o.b.
    Can you imagine working for him on the ranch? I bet he whip’s those slaves every night.

  • And who said Roverboy is infallible, not only does Bush flip off the Senate but he puts Bolton in a high-profile position just when it looks like he’s being drawn further into the Plame investigation. The sensible thing to do would be to give him a letter of recommendation to the right-wing think tank of his choice and a gold watch.

  • With every diplomat in the UN aware of Bolton’s political positions and equally aware of how he’s been backdoored into his job, will any of them give him the time of day? Americans can dislike him for the peckerhead he is, but it’s the fellow UN diplomats that are now his peers. Bolton’s power and influence will come from the perceptions that UN diplomats have of him. Has Bush essentially nominated a eunuch? Will the press pick up on the fact that he will not be a reformer if the rest of the UN knows he lacks credibility?

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