In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 18, 2005, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton argued that diplomacy has to happen outside of the New York “bubble”:

Well, I think that’s why it’s so important to work not only in New York…but to work in capitals as well. It is the phenomenon that sitting up there at Turtle Bay, that you operate in a little bit of a bubble. …

So that’s why this effort, I think, really does require a lot of attention not just in New York. If we left it only in New York I think we’d have the bubble problem and trying to break through that bubble should be one of our main diplomatic efforts.

According to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), there have been four UNSC trips since Bolton was recess appointed as ambassador in Aug. 2005 — to Central Africa, Ethiopia and Eritrea, Chad and Sudan, and to the Congo. He did not attend any of them.

In early June, Bolton passed up the delegation trip to Sudan because he had a “full platter here.” In reality, Bolton was giving a lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, a right-wing think tank in London.

ThinkProgress repeatedly attempted to confirm Bolton’s foreign travel with his spokesman, Rick Grenell. Grenell insisted we were “wrong” — that in fact Bolton had attended UNSC trips — but refused to say where Bolton went with the UNSC. Grenell also told us if we publicized the fact that Bolton had not attended UNSC trips “we’ll just blast you out of the water.” ThinkProgress also sent an e-mail to Bolton’s press office with our request, but have not yet received a response.

Bolton’s confirmation hearing is tomorrow. Maybe a Senator could ask him about his foreign travel and Bolton could blast us out of the water himself.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s address to a joint session of Congress was interrupted by a protestor, Medea Benjamin of Code Pink. Watch it:

Benjamin shouted, “Iraqis want the troops to leave. Bring them home now.” According to a January poll, 87 percent of Iraqis support a U.S. timetable for withdrawal. The Iraqi President, Vice President, and National Security Adviser have all advocated a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The latest USA Today/Gallup poll shows that 52 percent of the American people want a withdrawal within 12 months.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has repeatedly refused to condemn Hezbollah for its role in initiating the Lebanon-Israel conflict. Yesterday, in a press conference with President Bush, he “criticized the ‘damage and destruction’ caused by Israeli attacks but said nothing on Hezbollah’s role.” Other Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, have condemned Hezbollah for its role in initiating the conflict.

Sen. John McCain appeared on Fox this morning and falsely claimed that Maliki has “condemned Hezbollah.” McCain said that, as a result, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and others who have criticized Malaki for his position on Hezbollah are “not qualified to lead.” Watch it:

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