Two weeks ago while in Washington, I asked an old friend, a liberal Democratic Senator from the Northwest, whether John Bolton will be confirmed? He answered, “yes, eventually.”
The leadership of his party is making a great error, if they believe that Americans beyond their party base are supportive of their tactics. The U.N. is a sick organization and we, not only as the only superpower in the UN, but more importantly as its prime financial provider must provide the tough leadership necessary for a turn-around.
I challenge the Democrats to tell us which of their colleagues is without a temper or has never rebuked an underling or colleague? Toughness, intelligence, integrity a clear vision of our national needs, a proven record and most importantly the confidence of our President are the key ingredients for our UN representative and that describes John Bolton.
I close my eyes and see a tough Adlai Stevenson standing up to the Russians in the Security Council. I recall vividly the video of Patrick Moynihan hugging Chaim Herzog the Israeli UN delegate after the “Zionism is Racism “ vote was lost . Moynihan can be seen clearly saying to Herzog “let them go F—K themselves." And I remember Jean Kirkpatrick taking no nonsense from our adversaries.
John Bolton is in that tradition. I have had the honor of meeting him when he appeared before the Presidents Conference. The last time was in his suite at the Waldorf during a UN meeting. He is tough, competent and to the point. There is no doubt that he understands the War on Terrorism and his views have certainly made him a target of the Presidents opponents.
The battle over judicial nominations has brought the issue of the filibuster to the forefront. Federal and Supreme Court nominees who serve for a life-time tenure at least highlight the issues of Conservative vs. Liberal philosophies. The Bolton nomination is an attack on our foreign policy and the right of the President to choose his team and his approach to the world. As the victor in our elections, that is his right and his candidate deserves an up or down vote.
It is time for that vote. President Bush should not hesitate one millisecond to act and use his recess appointment powers if the Senate continues to obstruct the needs of our country.
