Give peevishness a chance

A specter may be haunting America: the specter of rediscovered integrity by a -- growing? -- number of Republican pols.

Saying "My conscience got me," Senator George Voinovich of Ohio earlier this week led two other Republican moderates, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, to endorse postponement of a Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations.

Of all the improbable diplomats, Bolton had to be the flakiest of the flaky for this job, and reality-based stories about the man are confirming that judgment by the hour. Indeed, one of the three Republican rebels said that vulturine allegations circling Bolton "cry out for further examination."

But in the name of lawyerly hairsplitting, why?

As the worst choice, Bolton was merely the administration's imminently congruous choice. He was its leather gauntlet thrown down at the feet of the world. The White House hasn't given one spit about the U.N. and showed its disrespect through promoting the disrespectful Bolton. Everyone knew that.

What we and Senate Republicans didn't know, of course, was that Bolton -- who former Assistant Secretary of State Carl Ford called a "kiss up, kick down" kind of guy -- is pretty much undiscriminating in his disrespect, except when it comes to superiors who can do him some good. We all know the type.

And like his superiors, the wanna-be ambassador has done little but bluster and bully his way through the 21st century.

At its dawning, Bolton participated in the Florida Coup of 2000 -- announcing in Tallahassee that "I'm with the Bush-Cheney team and I'm here to stop the count" -- showing his team's characteristic contempt for the democratic process. Perfect choice so far.

Lawyer John went on as secretary of arms control and international security to practice full-time browbeating of State Department and CIA intelligence subordinates. More proof of his perfect suitability.

He showed his natural talent for manic thuggery more than 10 years ago, though, in the bizarre case of Melody Townsel.

As you've likely read, Ms. Townsel, a former Agency for International Development subcontractor, has written a letter to the Senate committee detailing her peculiar treatment at the hands of then-private attorney John Bolton, whose prime-contractor client had been fingered by Townsel in 1994 as incompetent, legally noncompliant and plain stingy.

She recounts how Mr. Bolton, Esq., retaliated in a "pathological" frenzy of "throwing things" at her, "shoving threatening letters" under her door, making "unconscionable comments about [her] weight ... wardrobe and ... sexuality," "and, generally, behaving like a madman."

Her point being?

I dunno. Sounds like the perfect Bush II nominee to me.

After treatment like that, I'm surprised Ms. Townsel would want to write what amounts to an endorsement of Bolton in the ethos of the habitually bullying Republican Party -- and that's where the real surprise came in.

At least three of its members are no longer blind, deaf and mute to the vulgar idiosyncrasies so emblematic of this administration and its congressional henchmen, and these noble three tripped up their fellow Republicans by showing, of all things ... a conscience.

Sure they were moderates to begin with -- so-called Rinos: Republicans in name only. Notwithstanding, the party has shown an internal discipline up to now reflective of textbook parliamentary cohesion. So to unexpectedly kick a top White House appointee down the stairs -- and what's more, to say it's being done out of "conscience" -- reveals a major, internal party fault line and backhandedly labels its leadership as, bluntly, "unconscionable."

Could exercising a conscience become a trend among Republican pols? Become fashionable? Chic?

I doubt it. But still, the act by no less than three Senate Republicans was a troublesome specter to all who have come to adore those otherwise enduring, mapcap conservative ways.

Comments

[j whyte]

not to be undermined, the president took a hissy-fit on national television this morning, demanding, in the manner of a spoiled schoolyard bully, that his megalomaniac appointee be confirmed.

the pnac neocons have a master plan that will not be undone. just ask ms. rice. it's beginning to sound like berlin.

[Stormcrow]

As a non-american, I'm torn in two about the Bolton nomination; yeah, hopefully he won't be confirmed for the post because he is such a bullying neo-con neanderthal, but the 'fun' side of me wants to watch his head explode in a fit of self-righteous infuriation right there on the floor of the UN Assembly when he realizes that France, Cuba, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico (and so many others now) simply won't be brow-beaten anymore.

[pessimist]

John Bolton is merely the most uncontrolled extremist of the entire Bu$hCo cabal, and the response he's caused in Chafey and Voinovich and Hagel is too long overdue.

Conservatives claim they are out to 'conserve', yet they allow radical activists from the right to rampage unchallenged (until now) across the entire national character and tradition. Would it not be fair to suggest that if the radical activists causing major changes to the nation were from the left, these three would not have stood by idly on the sidelines as they have to date?

It would not. These three are not leaders, so they would have been following those from the right who lead, hollering at the top of their lungs to be noticed above the throng.

Despite these personal failings, and considering the relative lack of any opposition from any part of the political spectrum to the excesses of Bu$hCo, I will take what I can get and hope that there will be more forthcoming.

Maybe the ghost of Joseph Welch is running about and asking his famous question "have you no sense of decency?"

[Crackpot Press]

There HAS to be a better Republican for this post! No matter how ya cut it,it's gonna be Republican. So I'll start Rudy G. is the obvious candidate, but there has to be others.

ARGH! Just think. Bush needs to put up an apointee that meets some middle ground!

They had an independent preaching the virtues of being moderate on the Daily Show the other night. Jon Stewart suggested we gather our masses take the streets with cries of "BE REASONABLE"

Dave
Crackpot Press

[wtmoore]

earlier today on MSNBC, sen. coleman (R-Delusional) advanced the notion that "bush is sending bolton to "reform" the UN." the bush cabal has an unlimited supply of arrogance and mendacity. excatly when did it become our job to "reform" a body politic of which we are but one of it's members? the sense of entitlement the bushies wear on their cuff has become quite boorish. the world will be a better place the day the last shovel of dirt is tossed onto the cold dead body of the last neo-con bush cabal sycophant. they are a cancer...

[Art Durand AKA Whitebear]

While the attention of the nation is fixed on DeLay and Bolton, I wonder what other horrors,insults to people of conscience and just plain goofyness are being perpetrated behind the scenes?
"Watch out now, take care, beware of greedy leaders, who take you where you should not go."

[RT Carpenter]

I saw one of the neocons on TV praise Bolton for helping repeal the UN resolution that equated Zionism with racism. He IS the neocon candidate because he wants to help them and the Israeli expansionists castrate the UN. After all, the UN has consistently condemned Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Of course, any proposed UN action has always been vetoed by the USA.