John Bolton

O.K., I really, really, really wanted to write about Jane Harman and the 'new direction' of Nancy Pelosi's House. I even intended to add several comments about Pelosi's support of John Murtha for House Majority Leader. And for good measure I was going to add to my long list of compliments for Representative Charles Rangel by noting his very vocal support for Maryland Representative Steny Hoyer for the Majority Leader position.

All in all, the article was going to be about the new spirit of cooperation and bipartisanship being exhibited by Nancy Pelosi. O.K., that is a joke.

MEANWHILE: In reading my daily grouping of bloggers, I've noted that poor Michelle Malkin has really gone of the deep end. The "firecracker" of conservative bloggers, Malkin has gotten considerably more conservative and considerably more strident since the election.

So that I would quote Malkin, let alone virtually copy her in entire blog entry today (in the spirit of plagiarism as an artform), comes as a surprise to me.

But the decision of the Democrats to 'swiftboat' United Nations Ambassador John Bolton as their first real act of bipartisanship speaks volumes about the real world of politics over the next two years than any of the political payback appointments being made by our first Madame Speaker.

Certainly a big part of my strong support of Bolton during his soon to fail bid for Senate confirmation has been his superb support for the people of Darfur. We simply couldn't ask for a stronger, more forceful or more eloquent defender of the people. Bolton has strong support among Darfur activists here and around the world.

Since he is doomed, let's hope his successor will continue his fine efforts.

Here is Malkin's blog entry, reformatted into my style with a few editorial changes. Thank you Michelle for allowing bloggers to reprint your work and your strong support of Internet Freedom.

Blogging for Bolton



The Democrats want John Bolton's scalp.

This is a moment for conservatives to stand up to the Left's empty, vindictive obstructionism and support a strong voice for America's interests at the corrupted, soft-on-jihad offices of Turtle Bay.

We're videoblogging for Bolton over at Hot Air.

Call Congress and make your voice heard here.

Editorial boards weighing in: The Chicago Sun-Times: "Confirm Bolton"

Bolton has done an exemplary job at the U.N. He succeeded in getting resolutions to impose sanctions on North Korea; he brokered a Security Council resolution to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

If the Democrats are genuine about working in a collegial manner with the president, they will endorse Bolton: He has turned out to be far more co-operative than divisive. He is, in fact, an able diplomat.

The Wall Street Journal:

The opposition to Mr. Bolton is based on nothing save vindictiveness. Republican Lincoln Chafee, who would have lost his GOP primary without White House support and who finally did lose last week, now says he won't vote for Mr. Bolton though he had once supported him. Mr. Chafee is a mystery wrapped in a muddle even to himself. Democrats Chris Dodd and Joe Biden are trying to show that any political appointee who refuses to bend to their wishes can't be confirmed. They know other Democrats would vote to confirm Mr. Bolton if he made it to the Senate floor.

Having had one recess appointment, Mr. Bolton can't get another one and be paid. But he could retain his position and be paid if Mr. Bush names him to a non-confirmable post at State and then assigns him to the U.N. Ambassador's duties. Now, that's a compromise.

The New York Post:

...John Bolton has been too good an ambassador - at a time when America sorely needs an effective envoy at Turtle Bay - to be tossed on the scrap heap because of the Democrats' short-sightedness.

* It was Bolton who recently organized the majority coalition that blocked Hugo Chavez's Venezuela from winning a seat on the Security Council.

* It was Bolton who worked with France to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah (flawed as it was).

* It was Bolton who took the lead in pressing for comprehensive reform of the U.N.'s rotting institutional infrastructure.

* It is Bolton who has refused to play the game of diplomatic double-talk, refusing to participate in the new - and already discredited - Human Rights Council, which he memorably called a case of "putting lipstick on a caterpillar and calling it a butterfly."

...Last week, Tehran called Tueday's elections a victory for Iran, Chavez called for Bush's execution, al Qaeda in Iraq said it wouldn't rest until it blew up the White House, and former Gitmo detainees moved to bring criminal charges in Germany against top Bush administration officials.

Much of this, of course, is little more than a postelection pile-on against a president seen as a powerless lame duck. But it may also represent a genuine belief that the Democrats, who campaigned against every aspect of Bush's foreign policy, will go soft in the War on Terror.

Democrats have an obligation to demonstrate conclusively to America's enemies that they don't have allies on Capitol Hill. By moving so swiftly to torpedo John Bolton, they've sent precisely the opposite signal.

If the White House were to proceed with a second recess appointment for Bolton, he would have to serve without pay. Claudia Rosett proposes a fund-raising drive to pay for Bolton's salary.

Hugh Hewitt seconds that idea. Thirding it!

I cannot stomach the idea of Beltway GOP elites cutting and running from Bolton. Make sure to make a call today.

***
Pam at Atlas Shrugs has video of Sen. Norm Coleman supporting Bolton.

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Reading the above entry by Michelle Malkin reminds me again why she is just about the finest blogger on the net from the standpoint of style and readability.

But I also echo her remarks about Bolton. Sadly, I realize it is a failed effort.

TECHNORATI TAGS: JOHN BOLTON UNITED NATIONS NANCY PELOSI DEMOCRATS MICHELLE MALKIN DARFUR NANCY HARMAN JOHN MURTHA SENATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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