"Yosemite Sam" Bolton doesn't take criticism well......

[marmar]

from ThinkProgress:



Bolton Bristles When Challenged On Getting It Wrong On Iraq: That’s ‘An Ad Hominem Attack’»

Former UN Ambassador John Bolton has been intensifying his calls for a war with Iran, telling Fox News last weekend that Israel may attack Iran before the inauguration of a new U.S. President. He added that Arab states “would be delighted” if this happened.

Bolton appeared on XM radio’s Potus ’08 earlier this week to talk about an Iran war. He argued this issue “goes fundamentally to your tolerance for the risk of radical Islamists holding nuclear weapons.” Host Tim Farley interrupted and asked, “It also goes, does it not, to the credibility of those making the argument?”

Bolton bristled at the accusation:

Absolutely not! And by the way, the credibility point is an ad hominem reference. … But to address the merits of the argument requires a response on the merits, not an ad hominem attack.

Farley tried to interject, but Bolton demanded, “Let me finish my answer!” The host later followed up by noting that the credibility of the argument is lacking when war advocates like Dick Cheney and President Bush “tell you one thing and the truth turns out to be something else.” Bolton responded by complaining to the host that you’re “debating with me.” Listen here: http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/26/bolton-iraq-ad-hominem/


George Monbiot, a columnist for the Guardian, has charged that Bolton was “instrumental in preparing and initiating the Iraq war by disseminating false claims through the State Department” while he was under-secretary of state for arms control.

Before the war, Bolton orchestrated the removal of the head of a global arms-control agency, Jose Bustani, because the Brazilian was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors to Baghdad. In Feb. 2003, Bolton orchestrated the removal of State Department official Rexon Ryu because Ryu “had been instrumental in getting the most controversial allegations” out of Colin Powell’s U.N. speech.

But Bolton would prefer all these acts are washed away with history so that he can have a clean slate to make his pitch for a new war.

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/06/26/bolton-iraq-ad-hominem/

[Demeter]

1. Doesn't Even Know What It Means, Apparently

.....There's glory for you!' (Humpty Dumpty said)

`I don't know what you mean by "glory,"' Alice said.

Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. `Of course you don't -- till I tell you. I meant "there's a nice knock-down argument for you!"'

`But "glory" doesn't mean "a nice knock-down argument,"' Alice objected.

`When _I_ use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.'

`The question is,' said Alice, `whether you CAN make words mean so many different things.'

`The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, `which is to be master - - that's all.'


http://www.cs.indiana.edu/metastuff/looking/ch6.html.gz

[Sal Minella]

6. What a glorious quote! Thank you.

I do wonder how "You've lied to me before so why should I think you wouldn't lie to me again???" can possibly be construed as an ad hominem attack?

Truly, the man seems to not know what the phrase means.

[williesgirl]

2. This asshole belongs in jail, not on our airwaves. rec'd

[kevinmc]

3. I heard Bolton this afternoon on the BBC Stream .....

he was pissed about N. Korea and tied Bush with Obama on it. The BBC sure has that idiot on there often for comments on US policy. Bolton always sounds like a crazy person.

[ReadTomPaine]

4. I'd love to see a particularly abrasive Democratic sponsored group hound him...

and bark out harsh criticism of him at every appearance and on every media outlet they can get on to or buy time with. Park people outside his home, get his associates to shun him by hounding them if they openly associate, etc. It would be particularly nice if they did it in his own, nasty and brutish style.. giving him no peace and no privacy until he's ready to medicate and disappear from public life.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

5. The Rootinest, Tootinest, Moustache Cartooniest

Bag of lies on the planet.

[librechik]

7. of all the Bushies, I hate him the most

remember him sitting next to a Florida vote counter, going over the ballots that had just been checked to make sure no Gore vote got through? That was a clip in "Recount," too!

Gad, I'm getting infuriated just sitting here thinking about it!