John Bolton: Ugly Face on Ugly Policy
August 1, 2005
Bush has now gone and given John Bolton a recess appointment as US ambassador to the United Nations.
So be it.
At least now there’s an ugly face on an ugly policy.
Bolton represents, in his bullying personality, the bullying approach that so typifies Bush’s manner in the world.
Bolton represents, in his false testimony to the Senate, the deceitfulness that is the trademark of this crowd.
Bolton swore to provide “true and accurate” information to the Senate in response to their written questions. He failed to do so. He denied that he had ever testified to a grand jury or had been interviewed by federal investigators in the last five years.
But, as Senator Joe Biden found out, Bolton had, in fact been interviewed by federal investigators.
“It has just come to my attention that then-Undersecretary of State John Bolton was interviewed on July 18, 2003, by the State Department Office of the Inspector General in connection with a Joint State Department/CI IG investigation related to the alleged Iraqi attempts to procure uranium from Niger,” Biden wrote in a July 28 letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “It now appears that Mr. Bolton’s answers may not meet that standard” of true and accurate, his letter said.
But this didn’t deter Bush. State Department spokesman Noel Clay admitted that Bolton had testified incorrectly. “He didn’t recall being interviewed by the State Department’s inspector general,” Clay said, according to AP. “Therefore, his form, as submitted, was inaccurate. He will correct it.”
Actually, nothing deterred Bush.Not Bolton’s “kiss-up, kick-down” treatment of fellow employees.
Not his blunderbuss approach to North Korea, Syria, and Cuba.
Not his lobbying for the government of Taiwan, even though U.S. relations with China over Taiwan are bound to heat up.
Not his hostility to the United Nations itself, his comment that the United States should not pay its arrears, and that there should only be one permanent member of the United Nations—and that’s the United States.
Not even the courageous criticism made by Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich could budge Bush from his obstinate path.
The decision to go forward with the Bolton appointment, without Senate approval and despite his demonstrable, monumental lack of qualifications, is the Bush-Cheney way.
It’s macho, in your face, unilateral, we don’t give a damn, we’re doing it our way, and if you don’t like it, tough.
That’s the style that got the United States into Iraq and into the torture scandal.
And that same style will now be on display for 18 months in the detestable person of John Bolton.
This is the America of George Bush.
Let the world, and the citizens of this country, see it for what it is.