Throughout the Bolton battle, it’s never been clear exactly why Bush was so dead-set on having Bolton at the United Nations. He doesn’t believe in the institution, and clearly won’t be interested in “reform” — and Anne Patterson would have been much better suited to push through a real reform agenda.
I’m Henry Farrell, an assistant professor of international relations in the Department of Political Science and Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. I’m a regular member of the academic group-blog Crooked Timber. There’s an interesting three way conversation going on about the role of democracy promotion in US foreign policy.
This is Asheesh Siddique from the Princeton Progressive Nation. It’s a little intimidating to be asked to write alongside such a distinguished group of commentators when you’re only going to be a college junior in September. Nevertheless, I’ll do my best.
The shockingly unscientific, yet still interesting, online polls are running overwhelmingly against the recess appointment. AOL is 66% opposed, 34% in favor. MSNBC is 74% opposed, 26% in favor, with 46014 total votes cast.
Just perusing some of the headlines this morning… With regard to North Korea, it is China that has taken the lead in setting the agenda. The EU-3 process with Iran appears to be approaching its crisis point.
Looks like Bolton’s appointment was announced by Bush while I was writing my previous post. Not much more to say, except to point to the New York Times and Washington Post report.
President Bush seems poised to appoint John Bolton UN Ambassador on Monday. Read Jeremy’s excellent post from last night. While Jeremy’s right that Senate opposition to Bolton has lost its momentum (excepting Biden’s superb last minute squeeze of the State Department), Dodd makes exactly the right point in calling Bolton “damaged goods.
According to today’s Times, despite previous announced extension, Iraqis are promising to stick to a US-desired Aug. 15 deadline for a working constitution. “Among the most divisive issues are the rights of women, the role of Islam and the scope and reach of Kurdish self-rule.
The Whitehouse press release is here. The AP story on the appointment doesn’t do justice to the severity of Bolton’s problems, and doesn’t get into the challenges he’s now going to face at the UN. I have mixed feelings.
Reuters’ write-up of the most recent Bolton events is a fairly good one, both as a wrap-up of the Sunday shows and as a decent overview of where things stand overall.