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Senate Democrats Must Put Politics Aside And Confirm John Bolton As U.N. Ambassador
Bolton Has Been A Tough, Effective Diplomat At A Critical Time
July 27, 2006 - Wall Street Journal: Bolton’s Performance Shows He Is An Effective Ambassador. “[M]r. Bolton has been proving himself in the job that critics said he was too intemperate to handle. Among his diplomatic credits are the first Security Council resolution against North Korean weapons proliferation since 1993. He has also fought hard, and with some success, to make U.N. reform more than a token exercise. Given that the U.S. is the largest contributor to the U.N.’s budget, its management is an issue that affects U.S. taxpayers directly, as well as being critical to reviving the U.N.’s credibility after the Oil for Food disaster.” (Editorial, “Bolton Revisited,” Wall Street Journal, 7/27/06)
WSJ: Another Filibuster Would Prove Democrats Put Partisanship First. “Today’s Senate hearing on John Bolton’s nomination … gives Democrats a chance to show they care as much about multilateral diplomacy as they claim to. … If Democrats filibuster him once again, they’ll be putting partisanship above an effective and credible U.N.” (Editorial, “Bolton Revisited,” Wall Street Journal, 7/27/06)
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) – A Former Opponent – Has Been Impressed With Bolton’s Performance And Now Supports His Confirmation. “I cannot imagine a worse message to send to the terrorists – and to other nations deciding whether to engage in this effort – than to drag out a possible renomination process or even replace the person our president has entrusted to lead our nation at the United Nations at a time when we are working on these historic objectives. … For the good of our country, the United Nations and the free world, we must end any ambiguity about whether John Bolton speaks for the United States so that he can work to support our interests at the United Nations during this critical time.” (Sen. George Voinovich, Op-Ed, “Why I’ll Vote For Bolton,” The Washington Post, 7/20/06)
Even The New York Times Editorial Page Praised Bolton For Fighting To Reform The U.N. Human Rights Commission. “When it comes to reforming the disgraceful United Nations Human Rights Commission, America’s ambassador, John Bolton, is right; Secretary General Kofi Annan is wrong; and leading international human rights groups have unwisely put their preference for multilateral consensus ahead of their duty to fight for the strongest possible human rights protection.” (Editorial, “XXX,” The New York Times, 2/26/06)
The Chicago Tribune: “Bolton Went To The UN Having To Prove Himself. He’s Done That.” “The Senate should speak, confirming Bolton or declaring its lack of confidence in him. A world with too many simultaneous hot spots should know that America’s ambassador to the UN has the confidence of the president, and the Congress, for whom he speaks. … Bolton went to the UN having to prove himself. He’s done that.” (Editorial, “Speaking Of John Bolton…” Chicago Tribune, 7/25/06)
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: “No-Nonsense” Bolton A Good Thing.“[I]n times like these, we’re glad a no-nonsense type like John Bolton is U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.” (Editorial, “They Fall Down, Go Boom,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/8/06)
The Charleston, S.C. Post And Courier: Bolton Is “Precisely What The United States Needs.” “Mr. Bolton’s willingness to take heat for reform and articulating the U.S. position is precisely why the United States needs to keep him at the U.N.” (Editorial, "Keep Bolton At The U.N.," Post And Courier, 7/25/06)
The Oklahoman: Bolton Has Been A “Driving Force” For Reform And Spoken With Great Clarity. “Bolton … technically will be out of a job when the current session of the Senate ends in the fall. That would be bad for America at the U.N., as well as for the U.S. image throughout the world. Bolton has proved wrong the critics who questioned his fitness for the U.N. He has been a driving force for needed reforms and has spoken with clarity on major issues, especially the twin nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea.” (Editorial, “Bolton Deserves Senate Approval,” The Oklahoman, 7/26/06)
More Oklahoman: “Democrats should concede that Bolton’s service the past year, at a minimum, merits him a straight up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.” (Editorial, “Bolton Deserves Senate Approval,” The Oklahoman, 7/26/06)
Bolton Enjoys Strong Support From Allies Of Israel
Pro-Israel Groups Strongly Back Bolton’s Confirmation. “As the Senate prepares to consider anew the nomination of John Bolton as United Nations ambassador, Senators Schumer and Clinton are facing increasing pressure from pro-Israel groups to renounce another Democratic filibuster in light of the escalating war in the Middle East.” (Russell Berman, “Schumer And Clinton Pressed To Reappoint Bolton,” New York Sun, 7/26/06)
Israel’s U.N. Envoy Called Bolton “A Breath Of Fresh Air.” “Israel’s U.N. envoy, Dan Gillerman, said Bolton’s arrival has been a ‘breath of fresh air at Turtle Bay precisely because he’s not your typical diplomat.’ ‘I’m certainly not going to tell the Senate or House of Representatives how to vote, but if John Bolton were to be confirmed by the Israeli Knesset, he would get all 120 votes,’ Gillerman said.” (Colum Lynch, “The Bolton Nomination, Act II,” The Washington Post, 7/27/06)
American Jewish Congress Chairman Jack Rosen: “This Is Not A Time For A Void” At The U.N. “Given the fact that we face a world today where every decision every day seems to count, we cannot allow any disruption in who plays the lead role in representing the United States,’ [Rosen] said. ‘This is not a time for a void. It is not a time to take away someone who’s represented us well at the United Nations…” (Russell Berman, “Schumer And Clinton Pressed To Reappoint Bolton,” New York Sun, 7/26/06)
The Jewish Institute For National Security Affairs Supports Bolton’s Nomination. The group “strongly renews its support for the nomination of Ambassador John Bolton … Ambassador Bolton has proven able to work with our friends and allies, while ensuring that our adversaries are fully aware of the seriousness with which the U.S. takes their actions in the international arena. … We strongly urge that Mr. Bolton’s nomination move forward for a vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and on to a vote of the full Senate.” (Jewish Institute For National Security Affairs, Press Release, 7/25/06)
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