Panderer wanted

John Bolton is leaving the UN, but I’m proud of Bush for doing some finger-pointing:

President Bush said today that John R. Bolton will end his service as the United Nations ambassador when his appointment ends this month.

Mr. Bolton became the ambassador last year under a recess appointment made by President Bush, bypassing the usual requirement of Senate confirmation after Democrats blocked a floor vote on the nomination. Because it was a recess appointment, Mr. Bolton’s term expires when the current Congress ends its term later this month.

Mr. Bush had planned to push during the current lame-duck session of Congress for the confirmation of Mr. Bolton, which would have allowed him to continue as ambassador. But today’s announcement suggests that the White House realized it was not going to receive the necessary votes.

President Bush said that he accepted “with deep regret” Mr. Bolton’s decision to end his service.

“I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States Senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate,” Mr. Bush said. “They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate, and even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time.”

With a Democratic Congress, I guess we’ll go back to business as usual, with some sleek, polished yes-man at the UN, willing to sit idly by as corruption, anti-Semitism and the worst type demagoguery hold sway. This is what happens when Republicans “punish” the candidates. Remember next time — the time to punish is the primaries, not the election itself.

BTW, after I wrote the first sentence in the preceding paragraph, it suddenly occurred to me that John “I speak French” Kerry is the Democrats’ dream candidate for the UN.

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