The confirmation of John Bolton as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations should have been a mere formality. The last time I checked the Republicans had control of both the United States Senate and thus a majority in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It takes a “yes” vote from this Republican committee for Bolton’s nomination to go before the full Senate where confirmation is all but assured.
So, what’s the problem? This is the same Foreign Relations Committee that approved him to serve as Colin Powell’s Undersecretary of State for Arms Control in 2001. A job he still holds today and for which he has received glowing reviews from current Secretary of State Rice with whom, as Nation Security Advisor, he works closely. In short, she knows this man and his work and, based upon that, she selected him to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations.
Bolton has been under fire from Democrats who have claimed he’s a tough boss and has a negative opinion of the United Nations. One would hope that anyone who has risen to the rank of Undersecretary of State would be a tough boss. Should we be looking for an Ambassador with an interest in glad handing with his subordinates? Furthermore, on the question of him having a negative opinion of the United Nations, anyu American with an IQ over 85 should hold that same opinion. However, what the Democrats think shouldn’t really matter as they don’t have the votes to block his nomination.
John Bolton’s problem, it turns out, is a small number Republicans who are looking to embarrass the White House or are simply looking for personal political gain. One major problem is the normally meaningless Republican Senator from Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee. Chafee who entered the Senate upon his father’s death has dreams of one day garnering the respect his old man had when he was a United States Senator. Well, Lincoln is never going to fill his daddy’s shoes but as long as there is a camera in his face he’ll keep trying. Another problem with Chafee is that a “no” vote on Bolton would be popular in his liberal Bush-bashing home state of Rhode Island. Chafee is a man who has no power to influence the White House or his fellow Republicans to support policies and legislation that benefit Rhode Island, so one can expect him to use the Bolton nomination to increase his personal power in the short-term, a move that he will likely regret in years to come
Empowered by Chafee, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska is now playing the same game. One can expected this type of behavior from meaningless Senators who appear to have developed inferiority complexes after working daily with truly important Senators. Both men’s possible opposition has been supported by Colin Powell, who clearly has personal problems with John Bolton. It would be logical to assume Bolton and Powell clashed over the war with Iraq, which of course was the true reason for Powell’s departure from the State Department.
The time has come for President Bush to sit these three men down and make it clear what happens to Republicans that oppose his decisions. The President can make it very difficult for federal money to make it to Rhode Island and Nebraska. As for Colin Powel, the time has come for him to heal his bruised ego and regain the respect of his fellow Republicans, the same people that pay the speaking fees that are making him a rich man.
