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April 21, 2005

Sen. Voinovich sees the future.

From NorthJersey.com:

"What a surprise this week when a Republican senator on the Foreign Relations Committee refused to take the easy way out and vote for John Bolton to be ambassador to the United Nations. As a result, the vote on this abysmal choice has been postponed until next month.

The Bolton nomination is a grievous error. But it looked like all 10 Republicans on the Senate panel were going to approve him Tuesday when Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio suddenly spoke up. "I have heard enough today," he said, "that I don't feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton."

The committee has been bitterly divided along party lines on the nomination, and its chairman, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., was eager to shut off debate and get to a vote when Mr. Voinovich made his dramatic announcement.

Hurray for Mr. Voinovich.

He actually listened to the arguments of members of the opposing party and then changed his mind based on what was said - something that is virtually unprecedented in today's Congress. Democrats on the committee have raised numerous allegations of abusive behavior by Mr. Bolton.

Mr. Bolton would be a disaster at the United Nations. He would be a bully in a china shop. An ambassadorship calls for skillful and sensitive diplomacy and consensus-building. Mr. Bolton has been described as threatening, rude and vindictive.

The Foreign Relations Committee now has several weeks to investigate some of the many allegations that have surfaced about his behavior. One example: In an open letter to the committee, Melody Townsel, a woman who had a disagreement in dealings with Mr. Bolton on a government project a decade ago, wrote that he "proceeded to chase me through the halls of a Russian hotel, throwing things at me, shoving threatening letters under my door and, generally, behaving like a madman."

She said he later told others that she was "under investigation for misuse of funds and likely was facing jail time." The assertion, she said, was false. The woman termed Mr. Bolton's behavior "pathological."

Others have alleged that Mr. Bolton, now an undersecretary of state, manipulated intelligence to support his viewpoints, intimidated intelligence analysts and attacked the credibility of subordinates."

Forgive the long cut/paste. But Sen. Voinovich is clairvoyant. Think about it: Bolton -- "threatening, rude and vindictive"; "generally, behaving like a madman"; "pathological"; "manipulated intelligence to support his viewpoints, intimidated intelligence analysts and attacked the credibility of subordinates."

Clearly, ambassador to the U.N. is beneath a man of this stature.

Posted by Jeff at April 21, 2005 05:53 AM