Come On. Bolton Can't be the Best Man for the Job.

It looks like John Bolton will be confirmed as ambassador to the United Nations. Nevertheless, it appears he will just barely get enough votes.

That’s no surprise. This guy is a walking indiscretion. If he were just abrasive, that’d be one thing. But Bolton has made a career of walking the line between proper execution of his job and abuse of power.

Now, those who support Bolton say that the UN is such a mess that we need to send in a real tough-talking, hardnosed ambassador to knock some sense back into the organization. A Daniel Patrick Moynihan for the modern era. That’s fine. With the oil for food scandal and the UN’s continuing failure to stop the genocide in Darfur, this is not an organization that’s running smoothly. A more confrontational style may be what’s in order.

But is John Bolton the man to handle that task? When Moynihan was UN ambassador he was tough but was still well respected at home and throughout the international community. Moynihan was never accused of abusing power or threatening colleagues. And yet he was still able to confront the UN of the 1970s and make a positive impact.

In all of America’s diplomatic community, is there not a single other person who could deliver a tough, confrontational style but would actually be respected and would arrive to the UN without such a sullied past? Not that President Bush would withdraw Bolton’s nomination. The President is not known for backing down as long has he still has a chance to win.

Still, there’s no way Bolton is the most qualified man for the job. There’s got to be another tough-as-nails diplomat that doesn't have a past riddled with negatives.


For additional Bolton discussion, read Charging RINO’s take here and here. Thoughts of an American Centrist here. And the Moderate Voice here.