Steven C Clemons of "The Washington Note" on Bolton

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Mon Aug-01-05 07:56 PM
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Steven C Clemons of "The Washington Note" on Bolton

As many of you are aware Steven Clemons and colleagues have done a remarkable service for all of us in their unblinking, rigorous efforts to prevent Mad-Dog Bolton from ever representing the United States of America at the United Nations.

I am posting segments of three items that appeared today at TWN as a statement of gratitude and encouragement to Mr Clemons and his colleagues and for your reading pleasure.

George Bush's Bolton Mistake

August 1, 2005

First of all, the guest bloggers on TWN have been stimulating, provocative, and very much worth reading. Thanks to all during these few days I am away.

But I am away, and the White House as all of you know has appointed someone to the United Nations that Americans don't feel proud of and someone who does not possess the kind of impeccable credentials that America's Ambassador to the United Nations should carrry.

I am sorry that the President thinks it is appropriate and part of his so-called mandate to over-ride the concerns of some in both parties -- yes, both parties -- about John Bolton's "fitness" for this position.

More at the link, including comments:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000867.html

Charles J. Brown: Winners, losers, lessons

August 1, 2005

President Bush's decision to appoint Bolton this morning only denies those fighting the nomination closure - but not much else. We may have lost the Bolton battle, but it sure looks like we won the war. The events of the past five months, taken together, represent a big victory for those promoting global solutions to and cooperative efforts on those problems that no nation can solve alone.

In addition, the Bolton battle is a model for future efforts to engage the American people on international issues. Those who challenged the Bush Administration stayed on message, supplied timely information, praised allies at every opportunity and avoided berating or denigrating opponents.

As a result, the movement for a constructive, pro-engagement foreign policy is both stronger and more effective. A lot of folks on both sides of the aisle found their backbones over the course of the past five months, and thus are more likely to stand firm on similar questions in the future. Our opponents, who expended enormous amounts of political capital just to keep the Bolton nomination alive, emerge much, much weaker.

The Bolton battle also has been an inclusive effort, one that has brought many unlikely players into the fray. I can't say enough about the importance of the Steve's efforts and those of our NGO partners, the field organizers, and other friends and advocates who independently contributed their time, energy, and resources to this effort above and beyond their jobs. We have all made a difference. As this blog has demonstrated over the past week, this was a battle that crossed ideological and partisan divides.

Let me sum up by offering a list of heroes, villains, and lessons. Let's start with the heroes:

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List and comments at the link:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000866.html

And, on the question of "Why did Bush do this?:

So the question remains: why? Is it as simple as stubbornness? Is it merely Cheney free-riding on Bush's ability to abuse constitutional powers? Does Bush genuinely hold our allies in contempt? The Bush administration blew so much credibility and political capital on this appointment that there must be a serious reason, but no morally neutral rationale comes to mind. I'd love to hear people's thoughts.

My best guess: the underlying intelligence scandals that led us into war are going to blow up in the next year, whether through the Fitzgerald investigation or something else. Bush wants to have a loyalist -- someone he knows will always put loyalty to the Bush administration above the loyalty to the country -- in place at the UN.

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From The Mystery of Bush's Motive by Dave Meyer on August 1, 2005

More at the link, including comments:

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/000864.html

And, to close, here is what Steve Cobble has blogged at Huffington Post:

George W. made his continuing contempt for the Senate official this morning, giving John "Mad Dog" Bolton a recess appointment, only days after Bolton confessed he lied to the Senate.

Well, why not? Why should he be the only liar left out? After all, it's not like the "Liar's Club" is some exclusive group in the Bush Administration, like Skull & Bones. Heck, the Bush & Co. Liar's Club isn't even whites-only or male-only. They can all join.

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Ladies and gentlemen, the Bushies lost this skirmish. Thanks to the coalition that gathered together to oppose this outrageous and insulting appointment, the truth about John Bolton became known around the world. Thanks to the toughness of Senator Dodd and, for once, Senator Biden -- and the conscience of Senator Voinovich -- this is truly a pyrrhic victory for Bush & Co. And particularly thanks to the brilliant, mold-breaking clearinghouse role played by Steve Clemons' blog, www.thewashingtonnote.com, this coalition not only pushed out the truth about Bolton, we broke new ground in grassroots/netroots coalition strategy.

So Bolton got his recess appointment, but we didn't lose. The Liars' Club lost, even though they fixed the game.

From Mad Dog at Recess by Steve Cobble on August 1, 2005

More at the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/steve-cobble/cobblestones-mad-dog-at-_4975.html

Someone should explain gravity to Georgie boy.

WATCH IT; SPREAD IT http://www.bushflash.com/right.html

Peace.

www.missionnotaccomplished.us - How ever long it takes, the day must come when tens of millions of caring individuals peacefully but persistently defy the dictator, deny the corporatists their cash flow, and halt the evil being done in Iraq and in all the other places the Bu$h neoconster regime is destroying civilization and the environment in the name of "America."