He was never confirmed as UN Ambassador thanks to a Democratic filibuster, so his term ends with the current lame duck session, another casualty of the November election.
Mr. Bush had planned to push for confirmation during the current lame-duck session of the Republican Congress, which would have allowed Mr. Bolton to continue as ambassador. But today’s announcement suggests that the White House realized it was not going to receive the necessary votes.
President Bush said that he accepted “with deep regret” Mr. Bolton’s decision to end his service.
“I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States Senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate,” Mr. Bush said. “They chose to obstruct his confirmation, even though he enjoys majority support in the Senate, and even though their tactics will disrupt our diplomatic work at a sensitive and important time.”
Mr. Bush, who is expected to meet with Mr. Bolton later today, said in his statement that this “stubborn obstructionism ill serves our country, and discourages men and women of talent from serving their nation.” |
To be fair, we can't blame this one entirely on the election and the Democrats. Republicans should have grown a spine and pushed his nomination through when they had control of the House and Senate. Now we're going to get a watered down, PC version of John who will simply allow the UN to continue to be the pointless organization it currently is. We continue to pour billions of dollars into the UN without any hope of meaningful action in return. Bolton was the only bright spot in that organization.
Now he's gone.Labels: Bolton, Bush, Democrats, election, UN |
