Bolton gives up his grammy!

Bolton gives up his grammy!

Politics over sanity… again.

I have no ties or affinity for John Bolton personally, but I have followed the job he’s actually done. Facts are facts. Many vilified him as being undiplomatic, incompetent, and many worse things. Many were basically using any and every excuse to block or delay each and every appointment by Bush as a way to put politics above national interests and governing. Despite those ignorant and exaggerated political claims, and huge effort to delay and block him (for many months) for strictly political reasons, President Bush appointed him in a recess interim U.S. Representative to the United Nations on August 1, 2005.

It has been over a year in which Bolton not only proved his detractors wrong, but did exactly what he is supposed to do, help clean up the U.N., communicate and fight for our national interests, and represent us professionally. You may not agree with everything he has done or said, but the facts are the guy did his job. His reward? He must resign so someone more digestible to the Democrats can be put in, in the name of “bipartisanism”. A term that only seems to cut one-way in Democratic leadership-speak. After losing seats in the election to Democrats, Bush gave the Democrats Rumsfeld head, has made nice in many ways, and tried to come most of the way to the Democrats. He also asked that the Democrats show good faith by considering the facts of Bolton’s performance and demonstrate fairness over politics and allow him to be appointed. The Democrats response, “no way!”.

Don’t get me wrong, there are Republicans against Bolton too. I’m sure a few on both sides are even sincere. But the gross majority of opposition comes from the Democrats, and the gross majority that oppose Bolton do so for political reasons or historical/egotistical reasons (they opposed him initially so don’t want to be weak by admitting they may have been wrong in their initial opposition). Since Bolton could not be appointed, he resigned; again demonstrating his personal integrity (putting the nations interests above his own)… if only the Democrats holding up the committee or opposing Bolton had acted as responsibly. Thus more politics and another case where what is good and right was directly opposed by politics (and in this case, especially the Democrats).

We’ll have to wait and see what happens. But I suspect instead of having a strong representation in the U.N., someone who got the U.N. Resolution against North Korea passed (a monumental task), will be replaced by some watered down, wishy-washy person that will be more digestible to milk-toast lovers, and far less effective at looking out for our interests. Woo hoo. Victory. Just another case where the President has proven more flexible and compromising than his detractors. And the Democrats missed yet another case where they could prove they stand behind the words/ideas that they claim to. That they so often act hypocritically (as this exemplifies) is what turns me against that party leadership.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/InternationalOrganizations/wm1269.cfm