Ceci N'est Pas Un Ambassador

[PDittie]

From Bob Harris:

This goes so nicely with a Healthy Forests Initiative that leads to cutting down more trees and a pending Consumer Protection bill which screws every consumer in America:

What do you do with a State Department official who actually says things like "There's no such thing as the United Nations?"

Why, you make him ambassador to the United Nations, of course.

I'm starting to think the Bush administration isn't a government, but a highly-sophisticated form of Dada performance art.

If Bush suddenly appoints Leonide Massine as our new Secretary of Dance and Donald Rumsfeld shows up with both of his eyes on the same side of his head...

Well, don't say I didn't warn you.

:evilgrin:

[Democrats_win]

1. Common for loco republicans to run for an office that they despise

For instance in Denver, a person against public transportation was on the public transportation board. He caused so much trouble he was voted out.

[beam me up scottie]

2. Yeah, he'll do wonders for that nasty

little image problem we seem to be having.

[PDittie]

3. The problem with the Bolton nomination

isn't that the US will have to get by with fewer friends in the world. Bush has effectively demonized international cooperation anyway, so what does it really matter if he nominates another ignorant, arrogant schmuck?

See, the problem is that at a time when the United States is fighting a two-front war (and possibly opening a third one), we have fewer and fewer allies. We have very little significant combat help, very little logistical help, and it's our soldiers that are the ones paying the price.

Even staunch allies like Italy, with a few thousand troops in country, are insulted by insinuation ("she's a communist; she writes for a communist rag") after a tragic friendly-fire mistake. Intentional or not, the tragedy of course is that the intelligence agent responsible for her freedom died shielding her from bullets fired by Americans. (Even if we wanted her dead -- and I'm just not certain we did -- we couldn't have wanted him dead.) "Friendly fire". An oxymoron if there ever was one.

And if Bush can at least pretend to mend fences with the French, why can't the rightwing nuts do likewise? What is the depth of American conservative xenophobia? I'm not sure it's been plumbed.

Bush should have nominated a UN ambassador that would be capable of rebuilding burned bridges with alienated allies; someone who could help deliver the international help our troops need.

Instead they give yet another middle finger to the world community.

And while conservatives snicker behind their hand, content in their clever "message" to the world, US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to die. No pullout in sight, despite the singing and cheering and dancing associated with Iraqi election day last month.

John Bolton isn't going to be accomplishing much in the way of international cooperation, and more importantly, he probably contributes indirectly to more of our brave men and women dying in the desert for years to come.

Nice legacy that will be.

[displacedtexan]

4. Bolton is a BushCo tool.

Plain & simple.

A tool.

I posted lots of Bolton info (including truly vicious quotes about the UN) on my blog (under the burning bush).

And what's up with that German Shepherd butt on Bolton's head, anyway?

[PDittie]

5. There comes news he will be opposed

in the Senate:

Democrats are gathering an arsenal of material, much of it from Bolton's own writings and speeches, and predicted a tough confirmation fight in the U.S. Senate.

Bolton's critics do have a lot to work with, indeed. Bolton is known as brilliant, prolific, obstinate and mouthy. He isn't much for small talk, or for the blurry language common to diplomats.

How vigorously and successfully...I suppose we'll see.

You know, you don't often see a man whose carpet doesn't match his draperies...