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Bush names Bolton as U.N. ambassador
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| josh4 |
| quote: | Bush names Bolton as U.N. ambassador
Recess appointment bypasses Senate, ends nomination impasse
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ending a five-month standoff over a controversial nomination, President Bush on Monday used a recess appointment to name John Bolton the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
"This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform," Bush said from the Roosevelt Room at the White House.
The move bypasses the confirmation process in the Senate, where Democrats had blocked the nomination in a dispute over documents and accusations that Bolton lacks the temperament to hold the U.N. post.
"A majority of United States senators agree that he's the right man for the job," Bush said. "Yet because of partisan-delaying tactics by a handful of senators, John was unfairly denied the up-or-down vote that he deserves."
Senate GOP leaders twice failed to muster the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster and move Bolton's nomination to a floor vote.
Although the split was largely along party lines, one Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, joined Democrats in opposing Bolton's nomination.
Under the Constitution, the president has the power to make temporary appointments without Senate confirmation when Congress goes into recess. Lawmakers began their current break Friday.
A recess appointment puts Bolton at the United Nations through the end of 2006.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bolton planned to take the oath of office and head to U.N. headquarters in New York on Monday.
Standing beside Bush on Monday, Bolton said he was "profoundly honored."
"I am prepared to work tirelessly to carry out the agenda and initiatives that you [Bush] and Secretary [of State Condoleezza] Rice direct," Bolton said. "We seek a stronger, more effective organization true to the ideals of its founders and agile enough to act in the 21st century.
"It will be a distinct privilege to be an advocate for America's values and interests at the U.N."
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, criticized the recess appointment.
"The abuse of power and the cloak of secrecy from the White House continues," Kennedy said in a statement.
"It's bad enough that the administration stonewalled the Senate by refusing to disclose documents highly relevant to the Bolton nomination. It's even worse for the administration to abuse the recess appointment power by making the appointment while Congress is in this five-week recess. 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."
Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Indiana, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, lamented that Bolton failed to receive a vote from the full Senate but said the appointment "was necessary to ensure our representation at the United Nations and to provide momentum to the vital process of U.N. reform."
Commenting before the announcement, Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona, said that "everybody at the U.N. will know that he's the president's man."
"Yes, he's a tough guy, but I think they appreciate the fact that the president felt at this time in the U.N.'s history, when it could use a little tough love, John Bolton is the kind of guy to do the job that the president wants done there," Kyl said.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08...ment/index.html
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well, here we go. this should be interesting. look out U.N.! you've got the most stereotypical american imaginable headed right for you |
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| Q5echo |
| quote: | Originally posted by josh4
look out U.N.! you've got the most stereotypical american imaginable headed right for you |
i hope you're not ashamed of that. |
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| kush paintings |
| I'm watching O'Reily right now, and they are talking about Bolton and how is is to become the "proecuter of the U.N." or the "housekeeper" of the U.N. Why is the U.S. insisting on policing the world, the U.N., everything and anything. I long for a president that will just turn their focus towards domestic issues. |
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| Q5echo |
| you may have a point if we didn't contribute 1/4 of the UN's total ineffectual budget. |
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| Fir3start3r |
| quote: | Originally posted by kush paintings
I'm watching O'Reily right now, and they are talking about Bolton and how is is to become the "proecuter of the U.N." or the "housekeeper" of the U.N. Why is the U.S. insisting on policing the world, the U.N., everything and anything. I long for a president that will just turn their focus towards domestic issues. |
Are we saying then that the U.N. doesn't need house-cleaning?
If Bolton shakes up the house enough to have the rats fall out, the U.N. might actually become respectible again.
Some the wings of the U.N. do great things, but when it comes to intervention, they really need to change the process.
So if the U.S. doesn't step up to the plate who will? If they're making up the lion's share of the U.N. budget why shouldn't they have greater voice in the U.N. house?
Notice I didn't say, "greater vote"; Monopolizing via contribution would not be fair to smaller countries. |
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| kush paintings |
| I believe the U.S. pays for a quarter of the U.N. budget, more than any country but by no means a majority of the budget. I realize the problem the U.N. is having, and yes they need to be fixed. But, I don't understand why, nor do I believe, the U.S. should be the one country to go out and fix it. Why? Bolton is Bush's pick, because Bush knows Bolton agrees with his agenda. Therefore, if Bolton is going to be the one to clean up the U.N., then would he not promote the Bush agenda in the process. Why is there no talk a joint or collective effort to rid the U.N. of its trouble. All I have been hearing for the past two days is "[The U.S.] needs to take a stronger U.N. role to help get rid of the corruption." This is why I am frustrated. The U.S. is seemingly begining to develop an U.S. against the world mentality, even while we have aspirations of empire. |
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| Chris Larkin |
I believe you pay %22 of the UNs budget, the most that you are allowed to give and Japan pays %20. Even so, I'm pretty sure that your GDP is more than 22% of the international GDP, so things are fair. China and India, as 'developing countries' pay none of the budget, so when this is adressed (China is now far too rich not to pay anything), you will pay even less. You don't actually pay the most per citizen either, which is really the figure that should be looked at (along with how much the payments are as a part of your GDP), so I have no idea why you are complaining. Also, as of 3 months ago, the USA had missed all of its 2005 payments. Other nations have far more cause for complaint. I'm afraid I can't find the figures right now, but I would appreciate if anyone else can.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this appointment - because I reckon that Bolton will try to change too much too fast, and get a big 'NO' from everyone else. The Bush regime might realise that it cannot control everyone else, which can only be good for international relations. |
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| Fir3start3r |
I thought these were kinda funny...:haha:
 :stongue: |
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| Q5echo |
| Darth Vader with a mustache:haha: that's funny |
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| Dupz |
| quote: | Originally posted by josh4
well, here we go. this should be interesting. look out U.N.! you've got the most stereotypical american imaginable headed right for you |
lol, i dont know how anyone can take this guy seriously with that handlebar moustache.. But yeah, this guy couldnt come from any other country in the world other than the US. Maximum redneckism right there :) |
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| ShadoWolf |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dupz
lol, i dont know how anyone can take this guy seriously with that handlebar moustache.. But yeah, this guy couldnt come from any other country in the world other than the US. Maximum redneckism right there :) |
What are you talking about? Lech Walesa has one, and he's a great man
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| josh4 |
| quote: | Originally posted by ShadoWolf
What are you talking about? Lech Walesa has one, and he's a great man
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i think he was making two separate comments. one on the mustache and then another on Bolton's american personality.. not that only someone with such a mustache can come from the US |
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