Bush's disdain for the poor: NO and Bolton's dirty dealing at the UN

[PA Democrat]

From today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette by Dan Simpson, a retired U.S. ambassador:

Some of the United Nations' other member countries, and some Americans, may have been finding it difficult to understand why Bolton, with the clear backing of the administration, has been trying to take a meat ax to the U.N. program. The anti-poverty program to be presented to an estimated 170 U.N. heads of state this month in New York is clearly needed. It is supported fully by all of America's allies, including the long-suffering British, led personally by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

It is horrible to say, but the Bush administration's slow, inadequate, insensitive response to the tragedy in New Orleans makes what Bolton is doing in New York very clear: These people don't care about poor, non-white, sick, helpless people anywhere, not even in the United States. So how could anyone ever imagine that they would care about poor, non-white, sick, helpless people in the rest of the world?

It is also clear now why Bush was willing to take the political hit last month in putting Bolton into the position with a recess appointment, unapproved by the Senate. He needed Bolton in New York to torpedo the U.N.'s poverty program before the General Assembly session starts next Wednesday.

More at:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05250/566600.stm