59 American Ex-Diplomats Oppose Bolton

[CatWoman]

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - Challenging the White House, 59 former American diplomats are urging the Senate to reject John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.


"He is the wrong man for this position," they said in a letter to Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Indiana Republican has scheduled hearings on Bolton's nomination for April 7.

"We urge you to reject that nomination," the former diplomats said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press and dated Tuesday.

The ex-diplomats have served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, some for long terms and others briefly. They include Arthur A. Hartman, ambassador to France and the Soviet Union under Presidents Carter and Reagan and assistant secretary of state for European affairs under President Nixon.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=5&u=/ap/20050328/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_un_ambassador

[gratuitous]

1. Ahhh, just a partisan focus group!

Bolton's in because Chimpy wants him in, and "responsible" Democratic voices (for some reason, the names "Lieberman" and "Leahy" keep coming to mind) will say that Bush needs to have the people he wants in sensitive positions because he's the preznit after all.

The Republicans will run with those "endorsements," paint every naysayer as a partisan focus group, get the media squawking and parroting every syllable, and Bolton gets his sinecure from where he'll reduce American prestige even further, and make sure that no one at the UN takes the U.S. seriously or lends them any credence unless the U.S. whim of the moment happens to coincide with their interests.

[HereSince1628]

2. Read the NSS, if a coalition of nations threatens or potentially

could threaten the hegemony of the United States said coalition will not be tolerated.

The UN is perceived by the Neocons and Palenuts as such a coalition.

Bolton is consequently EXACTLY the right guy. He is the proverbial fox in the henhouse.

Those 59 are just chocolate loving cheese eating wine drinking has beens. They don't make history; the Neocons make history.

[Ironpost]

3. If he was nominated by * you can bet your biffy

he shouldn't be in that position. The turd has our interest NOT in mind.

[leftchick]

4. Tch,tch.... not a nice letter at all. I wonder if Congresss will read it?

~snip~

Their criticism dwelled primarily on Bolton's stand on issues as the State Department's senior arms control official. They said he had an "exceptional record" of opposing U.S. efforts to improve national security through arms control.


But the former diplomats also chided Bolton for his "insistence that the U.N. is valuable only when it directly serves the United States."


~snip~

Bolton promised to work closely with members of Congress to advance President Bush's policies and said his record demonstrates "clear support for effective multilateral diplomacy."


Approval of the nomination requires a majority vote from the Senate committee, which has 10 Republicans and 8 Democrats.

~snip~

Also, they said Bolton had worked as a paid researcher for Taiwan and supported recognition of it as a sovereign state, and said he was skeptical of U.N. peacekeeping operations.

[AlCzervik]

5. i hope so but i'm afraid it will fall by the wayside.

[NVMojo]

6. Fifty-Nine Former American Diplomats Oppose Bolton's Confirmation

WASHINGTON (AP) - Challenging the White House, 59 former American diplomats are urging the Senate to reject John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
"He is the wrong man for this position," they said in a letter to Sen. Richard Lugar, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The Indiana Republican has scheduled hearings on Bolton's nomination for April 7.

"We urge you to reject that nomination," the former diplomats said in a letter obtained by The Associated Press and dated Tuesday.

The ex-diplomats have served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, some for long terms and others briefly. They include Arthur A. Hartman, ambassador to France and the Soviet Union under Presidents Carter and Reagan and assistant secretary of state for European affairs under President Nixon.

More...

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB4QTTBV6E.html

[Moderator]

7. kick to combine

[truthpusher]

8. Dozens of diplomats come out against President Bush's U-N nominee

Dozens of diplomats come out against President Bush's U-N nominee
-------------------------
STATE DEPARTMENT Many former American diplomats are urging the Senate to reject John Bolton's nomination to be U-S ambassador to the United Nations.

In a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, 59 former diplomats say Bolton "is the wrong man for this position."

The ex-diplomats, who have served in both Democratic and Republican administrations, are critical of Bolton's stand on issues as the State Department's senior arms control official. They say he had an "exceptional record" of opposing U-S efforts to improve national security through arms control.

But they also chide Bolton for what they say is his "insistence that the U-N is valuable only when it directly serves the United States."

Complete Story: http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=3135798

[patrice]

9. "U-N is valuable only when it directly serves the United States."

the United States' weapon markets.

[manly]

10. Bolton as UN ambassador

Yet another example of Bush's incredibly poor judgement. It is appalling how he keeps churning out mistakes one after another. I can think of no other job Bush could hold in which his record of consecutive mistakes wouldn't get his ass fired.What an incompetent idiot!
If this country could hold a referendum on Bush's job performance since the election, he would get thrown out of office.

[flordehinojos]

11. Bolton seems to have some sort of supremacist bend, i.e.

"...the U-N is valuable only when it directly serves the United States."

No apparent thought of "other people have equal rights to their voice and their opinions" sort of thing ... but rather more of bush's own, "you shall do as I say, or else ... "

[GetTheRightVote]

12. Glad to hear some of the world is not falling all over itself for ugly *

There remain some intellect individuals ready to act on bad decsisions such as Bolton nomination.

:kick:

[MADem]

14. Ironically, the WORLD diplomats have been restrained

...in their criticism. They obviously do not go for the guy, but their comments have been more along the lines of "He'll learn" and "We'll change his heart."

In the above article, these were AMERICAN diplomats from both sides of the aisle doing the bitching.

There are times when diplomacy doesn't cut it--this appointment is clearly one of them!!!

[NYC]

15. I was misled by the headline.

I thought foreign diplomats were criticizing.

[MADem]

16. Actually, you are not wrong!

I saw an amusing piece on the cable news about the reaction of the UN based diplomats....they were being very "diplomatic" but it was clear that they were not handing out sweets and clicking their heels in the air!

[NYC]

19. Good.

Thanks.

[paineinthearse]

17. It's only a matter of time till these career diplomats

are purged.

[jmcon007]

13. Bolton is to the UN what Private Accounts are to SS

that's the whole point. The monkey wants them both dismantled.

[Hekate]

20. Exactly. There are no "mistakes" with Bush

Periodically there are some miscalculations, as with political and public negative response to changing Social Security, but I long ago concluded that there are no mistakes.

The sonsabitches INTEND TO dismantle (take your pick) the United Nations, Social Security, public education, environmental protections, and our government's system of checks and balances via three independent branches. If you see them doing something in service to that dismantlement, believe that's what's going on and pay no attention to what they say to the contrary.

Hekate

[lovuian]

18. This man is NOT a DIPLOMAT!!!!!!!

He is a war monger!!!

[emad]

21. Ex-US diplomats round on Bolton

BBC

Fifty-nine former US diplomats have written to the chairman of a key Senate committee in protest at the nomination of John Bolton as ambassador to the UN.

The diplomats, who served under both Republican and Democrat presidents, described Mr Bolton, a known critic of the UN, as "the wrong man" for the job.

They urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to block his appointment.

Mr Bolton served as under-secretary of state responsible for arms control during President Bush's first term.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4389639.stm

[punpirate]

22. As well they should....

Any idiot advocating the destruction of the UN is not a suitable ambassador to that body.

This is the Spencer Abraham mode of appointment. If you hate the agency, be appointed to it for the purpose of undoing it.

[Goathead]

23. Bolton worked for Philip Morris

...and is responsible for trying to undermine the WHO's tobacco awareness programs in developing nations.

[Danmel]

24. Come on- What would they know?

They obviously hate America.

[cthrumatrix]

25. so where are these people on OUR airwaves? Give them air time!

[struggle4progress]

26. kick

[lovuian]

27. 59 ex U.S. diplomats object to Bolton appointment as UN Ambassador

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=1e8f3df3cabc6c08

Big News Network.com Tuesday 29th March, 2005

Fifty-nine former U.S. diplomats are opposing the appointment of John Bolton as the U.S. envoy to the United Nations.

In a letter to Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the bipartisan group urged the rejection of President's Bush's choice to represent the United States on the U.N. Security Council, citing his past activities and statements (that) indicate conclusively that he is the wrong man for this position.

more...

Bolton is an embarassment!!!

[Wilms]

28. Fifty - Nine. Nice and harsh.

[anarchy1999]

29. This is just too sweet! How many more can they get to sign on?

BOLTON IS AN EMBARRASSMENT!!! Is it time for anothere "DU ACTION"?

Contact your reps and senators.

Back these people up!

[WearyOne]

30. he would wear this as a badge of honour. The man is a disgrace