Israel Matzav

Confirm Bolton Now!

President Bush has resubmitted the nomination of John Bolton to be the United States' ambassador to the UN (Hat Tip: NY Nana). Bolton, who is Israel's best friend in the United Nations, and who has done a yeoman's job of defending us against the pirranhas in the Security Council, is serving under a 'temporary appointment' that expires when the next session of Congress begins. Bolton's chances of confirmation are deemed better in this Congress than in the next one, which will be controlled by the Dhimmicrats.

Bolton's nomination was turned down in Congress the first time President Bush sent it, which is why Bolton was made a 'temporary appointment' while Congress was in recess. A number of Jewish Democrats in the Senate have since considered dropping their opposition because of Bolton’s outspoken defense of Israel and his tough stance on Iran. But Senator Lincoln Chafee - a liberal Republican who was a key to blocking Bolton's nomination, and who lost in Tuesday's election - says that he will continue to oppose Bolton. If he does, I hope he will never serve in an elected office again.

Al-Reuters reports that the White House deems Bolton's appointment an important priority:

"This is something that we think is important, that he (Bolton) stay there," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters.

Snow said Bush discussed a desire to get Bolton confirmed during a breakfast meeting with Republican congressional leaders at the White House on Thursday.

The outgoing Congress is set to convene next week to wrap up its business before the end of the year. Bush also is seeking confirmation during that time period for ex-CIA director Robert Gates, his nominee to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

But unfortunately, that may not be enough:

Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the expected chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a Democrat-led Senate, said on Wednesday he thought Bolton's nomination was "going nowhere."

"I never saw a real enthusiasm on the Republican side to begin with. There's none on our side," Biden said.

One of Bolton's strongest supporters is blogger Pamela of Atlas Shrugs. Pamela points out that Bolton has managed to push through every resolution he's been asked to put through in the United Nations:

But Bolton? Why Bolton? Talk about taming the lions. He accomplished everything, he accomplished the impossible. Ambassador Bolton got resolutions passed on every single one of those nightmare states (Iran-resolution 1696, North Korea resolution, Darfur-resolution 1706, and Lebanon, resolution 1701) with weak, spineless, malevolent member states of the UNSC no less, many of which were patrons, sponsors of those very rogue, belligerent nations.

This has nothing to do with performance and everything to do with dismantling the backbone and strength of the Bush administration.

Go to Pamela's blog for more details on how you can help this friend of Israel to be confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations for the next two years.

Update 2:39AM

At PajamasMedia, Claudia Rosett is blogging for Bolton:

If Congress is absolutely determined to reject the best UN ambassador the world has seen in about a quarter of a century — John Bolton — then the only alternative if President Bush wants to keep him is another recess appointment. For that, Bolton would have to work without pay. It’s enough to make a person want to suggest that if you really care about trying to do some good in the world via the UN, stop sending your kids out to collect for UNICEF, and start sending them out to collect donations to keep John Bolton in office. Bolton, from everything I have seen, is far more honest and competent on every level than UNICEF, any of the other UN agencies, or most of the senior staff walking the halls of the UN, let alone many of the UN ambassadors whose limos cruise the streets of New York.

Read the whole thing.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:59 PM