Bolton Sinking Under Veiled State-ments of Resentment

Bolton Sinking Under Veiled State-ments of Resentment

"Bolton Nomination
is Toast" from "Outside the Beltway" references a NY Times
article that said Mr. Bolton's public utterances had to be vetted by State Department
brass. This seconds earlier leaks that former Secretary of State Colin Powell
had some reservations about Mr. Bolton, who had sailed through the confirmation
process four times before. It would seem that one of several scenarios is at
work. One is that Mr. Bolton has gotten drunk on power or some is suffering
from some other deleterious syndrome and thus this tour of duty was a stormier
one that previous outings. Another may be that Mr. Powell was apparently not
pressed to do a second tour himself and thus Mr. Bolton's ascendancy is a bit
distasteful and thus some subterranean tidal waves started to emerge, especially
since Mr. Bolton seemed to get a Good Housekeeping seal from current Secretary
of State Rice.

One wonders if Mr. Bolton is confirmed that he will be so defanged and neutered
that he will not be able to reform the United Nations, much less eliminate it.
He will probably get a few curveballs aimed his way as means of hazing and initiation
to that jolly assembly of nations who will no doubt blix him with WMD references
as the United States rationale for the war in Iraq. One also wonders if the
White House could get a win-win here - let the confirmation process move forward,
let Mr. Bolton swing in the wind and then blame obstructionist Congress members
rather than sending up a candidate that even they may at second thought, not
be too regretful if it all doesn't work out.