Clinton, Schumer To Do a Voinovich on Bolton?

Via Raw Story:

Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) are "seriously reconsidering” their positions on the appointment of Ambassador John Bolton to the UN, according to the New York Sun.

I'm skeptical because the New York Sun is the source, but if Clinton and Schumer lose heart in opposing Bolton a la George Voinovich, they will provide the two additional Democratic votes to block a Bolton filibuster led by a fellow Democrat, effectively burnishing their image as members of the Republican wing of the Democratic party.

Bolton is a punk who bullied intelligence analysts; now he applies the same tactics at the U.N., even on U.S. friends and allies who now have nothing good to say about him.

Yet Bolton is unfazed and proud of his combative reputation, according to Bloomberg:

Bolton is unapologetic, and relishes his role as an outsider. He told reporters last month that New Yorkers frequently cheer him on as he walks to the U.S. mission to the UN from his residence in the Waldorf Towers. " 'Hey Ambassador Bolton, you're doing a great job,' Bolton said taxi drivers and people on the street say. 'Give 'em hell.' "

Give 'em hell?

A U.N. ambassador should be a diplomat, not a pugilist.

Strongarm tactics might work for a while, but not for long. Earning the ill will of the rest of the world isn't exactly smart diplomacy, especially in these critical times.

Ever heard of encirclement?

Image: AFP/Timothy A. Clary.

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