It’s a sad day for our country, and a sad statement about the Bush administration’s chokehold on Senate leadership, that the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee has to “endorse” a potential U.N. ambassador with a statement like this:
Secretary Bolton’s actions were not always exemplary. On several occasions, he made incorrect assumptions about the behavior and motivations of subordinates. At other times, he failed to use proper managerial channels or unnecessarily personalized internal disputes. The picture is one of an aggressive policymaker who pressed his missions at every opportunity and argued vociferously for his point of view. In the process, his blunt style alienated some colleagues. But there is no evidence that he has broken laws or engaged in serious ethical misconduct.