Revoltin' Bolton

[whometense]

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/07/28/bolton/

Revoltin' Bolton

Returned to face the Senate that failed to confirm him the first time, U.N. ambassador John Bolton could barely contain his contempt.

By Michael Scherer

July 28, 2006 | WASHINGTON -- After a year as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton has still not gone to get a decent haircut. He showed up Thursday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee looking as shabby as the last time he testified, with an unruly cushion of graying locks flopped across his forehead and bunched over the nape of his neck. Combined with a walrus mustache and glasses that kept falling down his nose, he looked like the Muppet Show's Swedish Chef applying for a job in the Foreign Service...

...At the Thursday hearing, Bolton's wife, Gretchen, followed her husband's lead by emanating disrespect for her husband's critics. Sitting just behind him, she wore sunglasses for much of the hearing, in an apparent response to the room's lighting. When Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts began to speak, she started doodling a large "X" on a piece of paper, while muffling scornful chuckles that appeared to emphasize her opinion of the one-time Presidential candidate.

For about ten minutes, Bolton and Kerry argued over the best diplomatic approach to North Korea, but Bolton gave no ground, treating Kerry like a teacher treats a pupil who has not done his homework. Kerry finally appeared to give up. "We're not going to resolve it here," Kerry said, exasperated.

"Yes, that's right," Bolton shot back.

By then, the substance of the hearing had further given way to theater. The showers in the Senate staff gymnasium, located above the hearing room, had begun to send torrents of water leaking through the ceiling and down onto the carpeted floor. "This is a form of transparency," Bolton joked. "Let's hope it's rain water and not something else," cracked Sen. Bill Nelson, the Florida Democrat.

No similar joke could be offered in Bolton's defense. For years he has been causing trouble with his aggressive style and committed aversion to international law or compromise. When it comes to Bolton, what you see is what you get.

[karynnj]

1. How do you read this?

The article is about Bolton's lack of respect to others in the UN and to the Democrats. While it is true that Bolton was very disrespectful, Bolton did NOT control the discussion - which the sentence that Kerry gave up implied.

Kerry was right, not Bolton! There were no section 7 sanctions. On the diplomacy, Kerry is correct - as he was in the debates - under their lack of diplomacy, North Korea has become immensely more dangerous.

I hadn't noticed his wife - she sounds like a real class act.

[whometense]

2. I can see that interpretation.

He was so critical of Bolton that I read it as a comment on Bolton's being an unreasoning immovable object. The use of the word "exasperated" describing Kerry made it sound to me like Kerry just realized he couldn't get anywhere with Bolton rather than that he gave up.

Bolton and his wife sound like a real match. That description of her made me think of junior high.

My favorite quote was the one from the WaPo: "His hair was so poorly cut, it bordered on rude." Perfect.

[ginnyinWI]

13. I agree with your take on it

It showed how difficult trying to talk to Bolton is--and how it is pointless to try to make him see reason. That guy is anything but a diplomat.

[wisteria]

3. I didn't like the reference that implied Kerry didn't do his homework and

just gave up pressing his points. Maybe though, it was meant to point out how condescending Bolton really is- even to an articulate, prepared Senator Kerry. It just didn't come off quite that way.
For sure, Kerry was frustrated and it was a waste of time going around in a circle arguing with this arrogant, know it all POS. However, Kerry made his points and you could see and feel his concern over Bolton's lack of abilities and diplomacy.

[whometense]

4. I agree with you,

but I do think it was meant as a comment on how supercilious Bolton was rather than as a slam on Kerry. It wasn't real clear, though, from the way it was written.

[wisteria]

5. I think so too. Kerry's questioning brought out the real and nasty

lying Bolton.

[karynnj]

6. I agree that it was written about Bolton's rudeness

I think it is open to misinterpretation. He does, however, in the previous paragraph give Kerry the status of Presidential candidate. As such, people saw the first debate - where on the same topics, Kerry was awesome and had so much expertise it was obvious that he had been doing his homework for a long time. This is an opinion piece and if it were in conjunction with good reporting, it would be fine. The North Korean situation is a mess - and Bolton did not fix it and Kerry summarized it well.

I realize that his purpose was to describe Bolton's behavior. Although it would have been nice if he would have included an ajective (like knowlegeable or well versed before "Kerry" - that would make it clear that though Bolton treated him like someone who didn't do his homework - he had.). It might be that this is overly defensive - that only the Rush Limbaugh people could think this after the debates. For most readers, Kerry has been considered a foreign policy expert for years.

The real message from this except should be what it says for Bolton's interactions with the most prominent opposition Senator on the committee. Both he and his wife are shown to be extremely rude. How is he likely to have acted with his peer from some lesser country - which, in his opinion, they all are? Kerry putting up with this for 10 minutes while he was seriously trying to discuss NK is likely more than most diplomats Bolton meets would be willing to do. The author's point was likely that this disrespect of a man, at least his peer in government, who was acting in a respectful way should convince observes that Bolton is not fit to be a diplomat. His putdown of Obama was far worse - Obama asked a question on the budget and Bolton intentionally misinterpreted it and said his last name was not spelled, "Bolten" and he hadn't worked in OMDB. RUDE!!!)

Giving up in exasperation when there is a brick wall there might be more intelligent than continuing - also it does seem that Kerry subtely shifted to listing problems (Bolton/Bush not speaking to other countries etc) rather than just questioning Bolton from then on. Kerry had made his point. Kerry was not going to achieve a change in policy, so there was no reason to continue.

[ProSense]

7. The media is

purposefully withholding coverage of Kerry's questioning of Bolton. Kerry absolutely schooled him. From consensus on sanctions to the breakdown of talks, this guy is a failure and an embodiment of Bush's runaway clueless (negligent or whatever you want to call it) foreign policy. This was the guy the Repubs bragged would go in there and shake things up (lesson: arrogant bully doesn't equal competent manager), yet throughout the entire hearing, BtB did nothing but blame everyone for why he hasn't been effective.

Everyone knows they are bogged down with trying to manipulating their Iraq disaster to make it appear as though they know what they're doing that they have failed to effectively engage any of the most pressing and complex foreign policy issues.

[whometense]

8. The usual Kerry media blackout is

definitely in force. Except for this article and a mention by Scott T Paul at BoltonWatch, there's been very little reported on the interaction between Kerry and Bolton.

And I've been looking.

Scott T. Paul: http://boltonwatch.tpmcafe.com/blog/boltonwatch/2006/jul/27/an_open_question_on_north_korea_and_chapter_7_resolutions

John Bolton is insisting that the Administration interprets the Security Council resolution on North Korea as binding under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. The problem is, it doesn't say Chapter 7 anywhere in the resolution itself. Senators Kerry and Nelson rightly expressed skepticism about the value of Bolton's "interpretation."

[ProSense]

9. Excellent find!

You should post it in KG's thread in GD-P.

[whometense]

10. They just played a Kerry v. Bolton clip

on Stephanie Miller.

And, done. (posted in GD-P)

[ProSense]

11. Cool!

I wish a few clips would surface and be floated around. Which portion was played?

[whometense]

12. I have horrible recall,

and I was working at the time. Was anyone else listening?

Plus I am forced to add, for the sake of complete disclosure, that when I hear Kerry's voice on the radio my brain sort of melts a little and I have trouble focusing on what he's saying. :blush:

[whometense]

14. Today's new news:

Hagel isn't sure how he'll vote on Bolton.

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/001569.php

Hagel:

I recognize that there are differences of opinion just as I have stated here just as Franklin Roosevelt spoke about that sixty years ago. And I don't think we've done a very good job of factoring those differences into our policies and our relationships. That's partly why I think were in trouble in the world.

So, bottom line answer to your question is, I haven't decided yet how I'll vote on Mr. Bolton.

The debate about John Bolton is now back in play.

[karynnj]

15. That is great news!

Was Hagel at the SFRC? I don't remember him, but I missed Lugar and Dodd. So, I may have missed him too. It would be great if both he and Chaffee vote against him. Couldn't they even keep him from the floor?

[wisteria]

16. I do not want to get to hopeful, but it would be stunning to see

a couple of Repubs do the right thing and vote against Bolton. This isn't about being democrat or republican any more , it is about doing what is right for our country.