Monday, August 01, 2005

JESUS, FUCK YOU BUSH

Like a goddamned spoiled child, he always has to have his way.

"This post is too important to leave vacant, especially now during a war". Shut the fuck up, you coward.

"The United States Senate held thorough confirmation hearings, and a majority of United States senators agree that he is the right man for the job. Yet, because of partisan delaying tactics by a handful of senators, John was unfairly denied the up or down vote that he deserves."

UP OR DOWN VOTE PARTISAN TACTICS What a blithering fucking idiot. Rot in hell.

Bush installs Bolton as U.N. ambassador
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush bypassed the Senate and installed John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Monday over protests by Democrats that the combative critic of the world body would hurt U.S. credibility.

Five months after nominating Bolton, Bush appointed him in a subdued White House Roosevelt Room ceremony with the mustachioed Bolton beside him and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing nearby.

"This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform. So today I've used my constitutional authority to appoint John Bolton as America's ambassador to the United Nations," Bush said.

Bolton, 56, will be able to serve until January 2007, when a new Congress is sworn in. Bush gave Bolton a "recess appointment," taking advantage of a loophole that allows him to make such appointments when Congress is in recess.

Recess appointments are by no means rare but it was believed to be the first time such an appointment had been made for the job of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy called it an abuse of power.

"It's a devious maneuver that evades the constitutional requirement of Senate consent and only further darkens the cloud over Mr. Bolton's credibility at the U.N.," he said.

Bush sidestepped the Senate confirmation process after it became clear he would not be able to overcome Democrats who held up the nomination of the outspoken conservative on charges he tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views as the top State Department diplomat for arms control.

Bush blamed "partisan delaying tactics by a handful of senators" but Delaware Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Democrats have legitimate concerns.

After intelligence failures in Iraq, he said, "We need someone who has credibility with the international community and Americans can trust. That is not John Bolton."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan fired back: "Ambassador Bolton has been confirmed four times by the Senate. It's the Senate Democrats who have a credibility problem."

Bolton was to be sworn into office and depart quickly for New York to begin his job.

'STONEWALL THE SENATE'

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Bolton could have gotten a vote if Bush had provided information that Democrats wanted to determine Bolton's fitness for the job but instead "the president chose to stonewall the Senate."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, who failed to obtain a vote for Bolton, said Bush had done the right thing because the Bolton nomination "has been stymied in the name of politics."

Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich (news, bio, voting record), who broke ranks with Bush and opposed Bolton, said he was disappointed.

"I am truly concerned that a recess appointment will only add to John Bolton's baggage and his lack of credibility with the United Nations," he said.

Bush has insisted that Bolton has the type of personality to pursue reforms at the United Nations and wants to get him into office to prepare for the U.N. General Assembly in September.

"I'm sending Ambassador Bolton to New York with my complete confidence," Bush said.

Taking the podium after Bush spoke, Bolton said he was prepared to work tirelessly.

"It will be a distinct privilege to be an advocate for America's values and interests at the U.N., and, in the words of the U.N. charter, to help maintain international peace and security," Bolton said.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stayed out of the fight.

"We look forward to working with him, as I do with the other 190 ambassadors and we will welcome him at a time when we are in the midst of major reform," Annan said at the United Nations in New York.

In making the appointment, Bush was calculating that Senate outrage would not spill over to confound September confirmation hearings for John Roberts, his nominee to the Supreme Court.

Posted by crimnos @ 3:43 PM