I have figured out the motivation behind Bolton

[jmowreader]

Bush is trying to further delegitimize the UN in the eyes of the American people.

Bush sent Bolton to the UN today. Everyone at the UN knows this is the guy who says you could knock the top ten floors off the UN Building and not affect the UN one whit. Therefore, what's gonna happen is that whenever anything comes up for a vote, the US and the UK will vote one way and every other country in the world will vote the other. And by "anything," I mean that if someone brings to the floor a UN declaration that ice cream tastes good, 190 countries will claim that it doesn't just so they can oppose Bolton.

The Bush boy, after a few months of this going on, will be able to go to the American people and talk about how the entire UN is against us now, so they're all wrong and we're right and we should just pull out of the UN and kick them out of the country.

And the 32 percent of America who would support Bush even if you found a dead girl, a live boy and a box turtle in his bed will immediately log onto Free Republic and agree wholeheartedly that the UN is just a bunch of evil, freedom-hating obstructionists.

[stray cat]

1. I think it is simpler. Bush can't stand to not get his way

[HockeyMom]

2. I think it's both

plus, time is running short on IRAN; read get the troops out of Iraq and ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS to Iran.

Bush needs a bully to discredit and abandon the UN and march into Iran.

[CatholicEdHead]

8. Bush did talk about the "ongoing war"

in his statement today. Besides the upset tone, there was a hint of impatientness in it.

[jmowreader]

3. If that was the only motivation, I don't think he'd have picked Bolton

There are LOTS of people in GOP-land Bush could have picked who aren't on record as having said you could knock the top ten floors off the UN Building and no one would be the wiser.

For instance, Colin Powell. He's a reasonably nice guy. His slime coat isn't all that thick. And there are still a lot of people who like him. If Bush would have nominated Powell, he could have gotten a fairly easy confirmation. Yes, there would have been hard questions asked. But Powell would be UN ambassador today.

The problem is, Colin Powell is a good diplomat. He could have motivated some nations to come over to our side--even though the entire UN knows he screwed them over Iraq. If you're trying to smear the UN, having someone over there winning hearts and minds will NOT do.

Bolton is a different story. He could try to advance a UN resolution that water's wet and get unanimous disapproval from the world body.

I don't think we'll have Bolton to kick around too much longer anymore. Bush's efforts at screwing the three-letter agencies will be repaid when the investigation into Bolton's part in Plamegate bears fruit and they wind up frog-marching Bolton out of the UN building.

[stray cat]

6. Good point. Except he does like to rub peoples noses in his choices.

[MODemocrat]

10. That's it in a nutshell; noone says No to little W

He's never heard the word no. He's a spoiled, rich, out of control freak.
Drunk with power :hangover: :hangover: :hangover: :hangover: :+ :+ :+

[agincourt]

4. This administration is not very complex,

It's just belligerence. They won/fixed the vote in 2004, so they'll do whatever they want if they can get away with it. A recess appointment is something they can get away with.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

5. He'll be an ambassador & can't be busted...

...as long as he stays in the UN building.

[jmowreader]

11. He can't stay in there forever

Also, "diplomatic immunity" only protects you from being tried by the host country's government. It does NOT protect you from being tried by your own. The Soviets were big on hauling off their licits when they fucked up while posted overseas. They'd give them an injection of vodka then carry their drunk asses onto the first plane headed to Moscow. Next thing you know, the old ambassador had succumbed to a sudden illness (extremely acute lead poisoning, usually), TASS was playing mournful music for three days, and someone else would be presenting his credentials.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

16. He could hide out in the top 10 floors

or he could go to another country then and be
a foreign ambassador that way and avoid the clink.

[jmowreader]

17. The foreign ambassadorship won't work

If the US government is going to throw Bolton in jail, they can go to any embassy to pick him up.

If you mean he'll renounce his US citizenship, become an ambassador to another country and escape prosecution that way...tell me three self-respecting foreign lands who wouldn't ship Bolton to The Hague.

[AlCzervik]

7. I agree to a point but Bush and Blair need the UN right now for cover

I think he picked Bolton because he owed him one or because Bolton knows where all the bodies are buried or both.

[jmowreader]

13. There are much better slots to use to repay Bolton

I know what I would have done if I was Bush and only wanted to repay Bolton for some great service, or to keep him from calling the liberal media and giving out the locations of the bodies:

1) I'd have fired Karl Rove. Now understand, this is only a paper exercise we're dealing with here. By setting Karl up in a scenic, far-flung location that's full of freepers--Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, comes to mind--with a good computer, the fastest DSL you can get, and a teleconferencing setup, Karl can continue his service to Mr. Bush and Bush gets brownie points for "dealing with the leakers" in Plamegate.

2) I'd have created a new superposition that combines the jobs of White House Chief of Staff and whatever in fuck Rove did, and given it to Condi Rice. This superposition would, of course, require Condi to have an office right next to George's. Not ONLY does it make him look like a hero to the minority/women's community to have a black female so close to the seat of power, but if Bush needs her to put on one of the blue dresses she keeps in the supply locker, she won't have to come up from Foggy Bottom to don it.

3) And with Condi's slot as Secretary of State now vacant, Bolton can now slip right into it.

This is how Bush would repay/silence Bolton: Secretary of State is a damn fine position. But as I have said several times in this thread, I don't think that's what this is about.

[annabanana]

9. I think you're right...

They've sent him in to trash the place... They no longer care about "cover" or "legitimacy". They will declare that it's in our best interest to attack Iran and away we go. (this time maybe with nukes)

[Afje]

12. Just being himself

He's giving the country the finger.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Afje!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[immoderate]

14. I'm a citizen of the world. As such I have been insulted.

The UN is the closest thing to a body that represents all who live on this planet.

Bush has shown his disrespect for humanity. I don't think I'm the only one who feels like this.

--IMM

[SalmonChantedEvening]

15. That is the best description of Bushbots I have ever seen.

"the 32 percent of America who would support Bush even if you found a dead girl, a live boy and a box turtle in his bed"

Bravo. :)

[alfredo]

19. UN reform is a big talking point with the Repugs. The UN is reforming

on its own. Bolton's job is to sabotage reform. A reformed UN removes it as a wedge issue for the right wing.

If they cannot sabotage it, they will try to take credit for the reforms, or complain loudly that the reforms are not real, or anti American.