Media Default To John Bolton For Criticism Of Obama’s U.N. Pick
Media Default To John Bolton For Criticism Of Obama’s U.N. Pick
Last Monday, President-elect Barack Obama announced the nomination of his campaign’s senior foreign policy adviser Susan Rice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Obama added that he would restore Rice’s position to Cabinet-level rank, as it had been during the Clinton administration.
But in searching for an alternative perspective of this decision, it appears that some in the media got lazy. Instead of providing a thoughtful counterpoint from a respected and credible voice, the easy route seems to be just to quote U.N. basher John Bolton:
– The New York Times: [Bolton] said it was unwise to elevate the position to the cabinet again. “One, it overstates the role and importance the U.N. should have in U.S. foreign policy,” Mr. Bolton said. ”Second, you shouldn’t have two secretaries in the same department.”
– USA Today: [Bolton] said Cabinet rank creates the potential for bureaucratic conflict, especially with the State Department. Bolton also questioned whether the U.N. — whose culture he says is “impervious to change” — should be so central to U.S. foreign policy.
Naturally, Fox News gave Bolton air time, who, having once served as U.S. ambassador to the world body himself, offered Rice some advice: U.N. ambassadors “are not sent to New York to be platonic guardians with other ambassadors for the good of the world.” Watch it:
Of course Bolton thinks elevating Rice to a cabinet level position and refocusing U.S. foreign policy on greater international cooperation is a bad idea. He hates the United Nations. Bolton famously said “there is no such thing as the United Nations” and if the U.N. building in New York “lost ten stories, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.” Not only that, but Bolton once boasted that he never took any international law classes while attending Yale.
In fact, Bolton’s credibility on issues of peace and cooperation are certainly suspect, as he has spent much of the past year calling for war with Iran. Even President Bush thinks Bolton is a fraud.
But that doesn’t seem to stop the media from continuing to quote him. After all, without much to do these days, perhaps Bolton is more than happy to sit by the phone.
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37 Responses to “Media Default To John Bolton For Criticism Of Obama’s U.N. Pick”
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I have more respect for the mustache than I have for the man... and I hate the mustache.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:02 pmFar be it for the media to do any work themselves; rather they will call Bolton and ask that jerk's opinion, giving him undeserved credibility.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 pmBolton approached Bush in his level of embarrassing comments, very non-diplomatic in a sensitive position representing the US.
The man should be banished to the trash heap writing memoirs that only the neocons will embrace.
!!! JOHN BOLTON !?!?!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 pmIt could be like a Sampson thing.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:14 pmWe hold him down and pull his mustache out by the roots, then he's not able to run his mouth anymore.
And we're still listening to these lathered penises... why</i?? Why are the networks putting people like Bolton and Tom DeLay and Karl Rove on TV when they have never once been right in their entire lives?
Meanwhile, Gallup reports that 7 in 10 terrorists believe Obama to be Muslim.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pmThey continue to handout undeserved credibility.
WHY do we have to hear from:
Bolton
Rove
Romney
and most of all,
PALIN!!!!!!!
America spoke - BE GONE!!!!!!!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pmBolton is a war criminal as defined by the Nuremberg Tribunal, and should be hung as one.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:17 pmCrap. I wouldn't trust John Bolton to advise me about what to have for lunch.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:21 pmAbsolutely Insane! Every time I read a story about this I think I've lost my mind. Then I realize that Akira Kurosawa was right. In a mad world, only the mad are sane.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:23 pmDementedly,
Leporello.
Bolton is as relevant and credible as herr dubyah.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:24 pmHa ha, bolten doesn't matter......
carry on democrats.......suck it up gop.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:27 pmJohn Bolton was never the United States's Ambassador to the UN.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:27 pmGeorge Bush made an interim appointment during a Congressional recess, which was never confirmed by Congress.
After not being confirmed by Congress, Bush appointed Bolton AGAIN during another Congressional recess, which meant that Bolton had to serve without pay.
Bush didn't even try to get Congress to approve him again.
He's a brutish blowhard idiot the is reminiscent of nothing so much as a Soviet ideologue sourly insulting the community of nations.
Another humiliation to America from a regime that specialized in them.
If only the hair would match the tache, I might be able to laugh a little less at this dude. Really has he ever seen his reflection? Is it possible he doesn't notice? Things like that mystify me. I suppose crocs with socks is a cool look to this oddball as well...
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:30 pmMy my Mr. Bolton, how catty!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:32 pmMyOwnPeace, don't forget Huckabee. He will have his own talk show on Faux Noise. Good place for him.
The media outlets that are going to Bolton are trying to stir up controversy. So long as it makes money they don't give a crap if it is good reporting or not. I am old enough to recall when news was to inform not entertain. Very little of that around these days.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:34 pmAsking for John Bolton's critique of Obama's treatment of the position of Ambassador to the UN...
basically, that's conferring authority on a guy who couldn't get confirmed and who by all accounts was a (predictably) miserable failure in the job.
Way to go, Librul Media!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 pmJust what successes do these PNAC clowns represent? Every one of them is a disgraced, run-out-of-public-life loser.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pmBolton got his ass handed to him on election night. He was on BBC America's coverage for a bit and some UK journalist ate him up. I don't have a link but it was fun to watch.
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pmThat UK journalist is lucky Bolton didn't have a stapler handy!
December 3rd, 2008 at 5:58 pmWho gives a sh!t what that walrus thinks?
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:00 pmBut no one cares. His claim to fame was he couldn't get approved by the Senate. Well, that and he's a moron.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:06 pmJohn Bolton is a war mongering, neoconservative blind faith Pax Americana Empire builder. He and his cohorts have caused the death of 100's of thousands of innocent people. I'd sooner listen to the Devil himself.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:09 pmIs there anything Obama has done or will do that Bolton will approve of ?
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:12 pmBut in searching for an alternative perspective of this decision, it appears that some in the media got lazy. Instead of providing a thoughtful counterpoint from a respected and credible voice, the easy route seems to be just to quote U.N. basher John Bolton....
But how else to get the mandatory "he said/she said" narrative? That's necessary to be "fair and balanced".
Cheers
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:21 pmBolton must have been all giddy that the media paid attention to him again. He must have been ready with all that new material he's been writing on the walls and floors since the last time anyone cared to ask the loon a question.
Let it be known if you catch a president with blow and a certain "Secretary" at 2 a.m. in the morning, you to can achieve your dreams in life after being a janitor in a "white" government building!
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:23 pmMan once you get on that list :Call for Quotes no matter how big a buffoon you turn out to be it's recycle recycle ad nauseum
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 pmBolton is a clown. He wears a costume and pretends to know something about international relations. All he really knows is that he'd like to skim cash off of anyone he deals with.
Mr. Bolton, please go blow yourself.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:21 pmBolton is one of the most despicable , dishonest, & partisan creeps ever in U.S. politics, and let's be honest-- that's saying a lot. He hates anything global/international/non-agressive. He's a war-monger, pure & simple (well, maybe not pure...) Give him no more air time, no credibility-- he's a lying, hateful bigot.
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:24 pmConsidering that this man had to be recess-appointed while Congress was on a break and could not be confirmed by the Senate in the first place, I'd hardly put any stock in what this man says.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:18 pmkonchster Says:
... it’s recycle recycle ad nauseum
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
-----
and you thought Republicans weren't environmentalists.
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 pmWhere's AbleCluster?
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 pmWho gives a flying f**k what John Bolton thinks?
December 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 pmForget about AbleCluster, I'm wondering where Tim Vacuous is.
He's a big fan of John Bolton, as I recall.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 pmRalph, Tim is on the global warming thread. dbadass it tutoring him on how to form an argument and the use of facts. A long an tough process.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:15 pmSmall correction on Bolton at the UN. He was NEVER the US Ambassador to the UN. On August 1, 2005, Bush officially made a recess appointment of Bolton, installing him as Permanent US Representative to the UN.
Bolton was so reviled even by Republicans that his appointment as Ambassador was never confirmed.
Bolton is a jerk and a loser, and never US Ambassador to the UN.
December 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 pmWho is lestening to the War Criminal John Bolton? A SOB who was booed in the UN!
December 4th, 2008 at 1:43 amdasm Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton is one of the most despicable , dishonest, & partisan creeps ever in U.S. politics, and let’s be honest– that’s saying a lot. He hates anything global/international/non-agressive. He’s a war-monger, pure & simple (well, maybe not pure…) Give him no more air time, no credibility– he’s a lying, hateful bigot.
December 3rd, 2008
...one of the most despicable! Don't forget Chenney and C. Rice, the war criminals!
December 4th, 2008 at 1:45 am