April 27, 2005

EVEN ATHEISTS DON'T HATE THEIR FATHERS THAT MUCH:

The Best Man for the U.N. (THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN , 4/27/05, NY Times)

My biggest problem with nominating John Bolton as U.N. ambassador boils down to one simple fact: he's not the best person for the job - not even close. If President George W. Bush wants a die-hard Republican at the U.N., one who has a conservative pedigree he can trust, who is close to the president, who can really build coalitions, who knows the U.N. building and bureaucracy inside out, who can work well with the State Department and who has the respect of America's friends and foes alike, the choice is obvious, and it's not John Bolton.

It's George H. W. Bush, a k a 41. No one would make a better U.N. ambassador for Bush 43 than Bush 41.


Wouldn't you rather have Oedipus for a son than one who'd ask you to take that godforsaken job?

Posted by Orrin Judd at April 27, 2005 7:03 AM
Comments

Perhaps Friedman is right, and treating the UN like an honorary society for old folks is more appropriate than giving them a hard-working, smart, savvy man like Bolton who might make something of the organization. I haven't read the rest of the piece, but I assume his goal is to put the UN to pasture, right? With games of bocci and bingo?

Posted by: pj at April 27, 2005 9:32 AM

Friedman's #1 choice would probably be Clinton but he needed to pick a Republican.

I like Bush 41 but his age and temperment would probably be more of the same at the UN (coalition building, nice diplomatic talk, etc). And Friedman probably thinks he is laying a trap for Bush 43 - if Bush really did name Bush 41 the screams of nepotism would be deafening.

Bolton is exactly what the UN needs - tough love. Friedman and his kind just can't accept that.

Posted by: AWW at April 27, 2005 9:41 AM

Friedman, for once, does have a point. Certainly, Saddam, Annan---and most of the UN for that matter---fervently wishes Bush 41 was still President.

Make that President for Life.

Posted by: Barry Meislin at April 27, 2005 9:42 AM

Bush 43 would have to be as dumb as his critics have always claimed to think Bish 41 "has a conservative pedigree he can trust."

Posted by: b at April 27, 2005 10:45 AM

Bolton Withdraws to Run for Voinovich Senate Seat
by Scott Ott

(2004-04-22) -- Embattled U.N. Ambassador nominee John Bolton stunned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today by withdrawing from consideration for the U.N. post in order to challenge Ohio Republican George Voinovich for his Senate seat in 2006.

"You must become the change you wish to see," said Mr. Bolton, quoting his 'tranquility mentor', Mahatma Gandhi. "And as I sat before that committee last week, I thought it would be nice to see a real Republican Senator sitting in Voinovich's empty chair."

Mr. Voinovich, who is a Republican, failed to attend last week's confirmation hearings and this week said he couldn't vote because his Democrat colleagues appeared agitated about unproven allegations against Mr. Bolton.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, "While President Bush regrets losing a qualified U.N. Ambassador, he looks forward to campaigning for Mr. Bolton for Senate, and only wishes he could run in Rhode Island as well."

http://www.ScrappleFace.com

Posted by: Genecis at April 27, 2005 11:19 AM
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