There's no question that Dubya will take a political hit for Bolton.

[Goldmund]

So then, WHY is he doing this?

Couldn't they have sent somebody else to the UN to do the Neocons' bidding? Why is it so essential that it be Bolton himself?

Help me out here, I'm not getting it. :shrug:

[lala_rawraw]

1. bolton = fixed facts = blackmail

my theory, bolton is pulling a Hunt.

[Goldmund]

8. I agree

This is the only explanation that makes even theoretical sense. :)

[mpendragon]

2. yea, if he keeps this up he won't get re-elected

I'm not picking on you but he doesn't have much to lose aside from influence in Congress.

[Goldmund]

6. It doesn't work that way.

The entire GOP agenda is tied to Bush. If Bush suffers politically, they all do.

[LSK]

12. you think he cares about the GOP???

In his eyes, hes got 3 more years to play and as far as he knows, the GOP does whatever he wants them to do.

The stem cell issue was the 1st break between Bush and GOP that I can recall.

[Goldmund]

16. I don't think it matters much what HE cares about.

Any particular individual is not that important for the purposes of the Cabal. Bush is a tool of the Cabal as much as anyone else. It's a mistake to give Bush too much individual importance -- he's just a monkey they put up as their front.

[LSK]

21. who exactly is the Cabal??

Because I am thinking that the Senate GOP is not part of it. Yes they have given the Bush admin everything they want, but I dont think the Bush admin (my definition of the Cabal) cares what happens to the GOP Senate.

[Goldmund]

24. It is the set of interests driving the Bush Admin.

In a broad sense, those interests have driven every Republican administration since at least Reagan, maybe even Nixon. It is a coalition of large industrialist corporations and banking interests.

They care about the GOP senate as long as it is a tool they can use to implement their agenda. If the Senate stops being an effective rubberstamp, then they are in trouble.

[mpendragon]

30. they'll run a governor from another state and he'll get a free pass

Cheney will not be president, he'll say he doesn't want it but he can return to the private sector and make an incredible amount of money there. Rice will not be president, she's a good solider for them but she's smarter than Bush and they don't want that.

They'll tease McCain and find a conservative governor to beat him. The governor gets a free pass on the Senate and House votes because he didn't have to vote on them. He'll tell people what they want to hear and carry on the party's business.

They can't run as a reformer but they'll try and hope people don't notice that the GOP has been running the show for years.

[tinrobot]

3. Spoiled brat president...

...wants his pony.

You can't analyze Bush as an adult. He behaves more like a child.

[annerevere]

4. He's doing it because

Bolton is Cheney's man, Cheney wants him in, and Bush does not like losing. They will do anything to keep from losing.

[AValdoux]

5. Its a win with his base

For his base who think the american way is being a bully will be happy. The UN job isn't really that important to his foreign policy. He has shown he doesn't need UN approval for his actions. Bolton is a bone to his rabid base who want some ass kicked. It really won't affect his foreign policy.


AValdoux

[intheflow]

7. It keeps the Left's focus fragmented.

We know Bolton's a bad choice, so more of us will be watching what he does at the UN. More of us watching Bolton mean less of us watching KKKarl/DSM/Roberts/Coingate/Global Warming/etc. Divide and conquer, that's this MO for this Admin.

[raccoon]

13. that's a good point.

So much in this administration has to do with distraction, smoke and mirrors, keep 'em watching this so they won't see something else going on. Like a magician.

[Oversea Visitor]

9. Cause

The Republican party will still win in 2006, voters dont count machine do. What can one say but good luck to you guys. Well its your cup of tea hey.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. Someone speculated that...

... the real purpose is to give Bolton diplomatic immunity. Using an untouchable Bolton as a scapegoat for Plamegate is less risky than the Casey approach.

[Walt Starr]

11. Biden double dog dared him to do it

He couldn't ignore a double dog dare from a Democrat.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

14. Too true

But wouldn't it have been much less destructive, not to mention entertaining, if he'd dared him to to stick his tongue to a frozen flag pole?

[htuttle]

15. Because he's a Made Man

If you look carefully, Bush has only gone with proven capos for important jobs.

And their pool of good fellas ain't as large as it used to be.

[Beetwasher]

17. He Doesn't Care If He Takes A Hit Politically (They MUST NEED HIM THERE)

He's not running for re-election, so the political hit is irrelevant.

They need Bolton at the UN. Why? I'm not totally sure, but obviously it's imperative they get him there.

Perhaps they will use his position to shield him from investigation? Perhaps it's essential for their plans for the next war (Iran)?

[Goldmund]

18. I disagree that the political hit is irrelevant

...especially since this is a clear issue of abuse of power, and makes for a succinct argument for the necessity of checks and balances.

Also, the current GOP is inextricably linked to the Bush agenda. If that agenda takes a hit, so does the party.

I also fear that this may have something to do with their Iran plans.

[Beetwasher]

20. Obviously Getting Him In Is More Important

The GOP might care about the political hit (maybe, I'm not so sure though, they seem to have a way w/ "winning" election anyway, if you know what I mean), but not Bushco. They could care less. It's all slash and burn for them now that Chimpy no longer has to be reelected.

[Goldmund]

26. But if Buscho is no longer politically viable,

then they lose their power. In other words, if the senate "cares about the political hit" and ceases to be a blind rubberstamp for BushCo, then BushCo can hardly implement their agenda very effectively -- short of implementing some variation of a martial law.

For example, the Stem Cells thing would have been an entirely different story in, say, 2002.

[Beetwasher]

32. I Don't Think So

Or at least they wouldn't necessarily see it that way.

He who counts the votes...


Their arrogance and utter disregard for consequences (both real and political) only further convinces that the game is rigged and they have no plans to ever relinquish power. They will hold onto it by any means necessary.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

19. The time has come the Walrus said

To speak of many things,
Of bombs and leaks and Downing Street,
And oil and Iranian Kings.


And this is probably the reason bush had no choice but to appoint the Walrus.

[BillZBubb]

22. Busholini will take no hit unless Bolton does something too zany

The sheeple don't care about Bolton. It's a tempest in a teapot to them.

Busholini does it because he can and he knows their won't be any political fallout.

[Ignoramus]

23. Scott Ritter's opinion: Bolton in UN = Now we can invade Iran

On Democracy Now I think it was, the other day, he speculated that with Bolton in UN, they can put the Iran threat propaganda in over drive and then force the Issue of a preemptive strike against Iran, when this is opposed it will be used to demonstrate again but more strongly that the UN is supposedly incompetent, effectively justifying the invasion and promoting the overall plan of US military domination of the globe without needing to worry about accountability.

Here is something along those lines:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0330-31.htm

[Stirk]

29. Yep. I've heard people say that the neocons would never

attempt an attack on Iran now, with the military overstretched, and the Iraq occupation as unpopular as it is.

But when have these guys ever acknowledged simple facts, let alone public opinion? I don't think they've abandoned the neocon foreign policy playbook at all.

[Bumblebee]

25. Less scary explanation: cannot show any weakness or Dems would

demand more records from Supreme Court nominees, so short time political liability but will blow over and Dems will know they cannot win.

More scary: needs him to try to take Annan down and prepare for attacking Iran.

[long_green]

27. How could Bolton help with preparing world opinion...

for an attack on Iran?

[Bumblebee]

31. I am not sure he would be able to

but they figure he is the bulliest of them all, and they don't believe in diplomacy, just battering rams... They want UN to collectively shake in his presence. They may be stupid and wrong -- but that wouldn't be the first time. And I do think the strategy has more than one prong, and one is to take Annan down (probably won't happen either) and discredit the whole organization in the process so that Blair does not whine next time about how they need to go through the UN before they attack Iran.

[Fescue4u]

28. Bush is proably president for life.

Lifetime presidents don't worry about politics.

[Greyhound]

33. It apparently has escaped the notice of most Amerikans...

that he's done. They have done all they set out to do, so now the plan is to become more and more objectionable, so the repugs running in the mid-terms can point to him and say "vote for me, I'm not as bad as he is".
Frist 'sees the light' on stem cell research is just the first. God we're soooooo stupid, we deserve what's coming. :yoiks:

[emcguffie]

34. hubris.

Pride goeth before a fall....

He's completely out of touch with reality. Or it truly doesn't matter. I'm not sure which, but either way it's hubris.