Apologizing in advance - the Daily Bolton's back

[whometense]

I hoped we'd seen the end of these reports, burt it appears Lugar, Voinovich, Chafee and Hagel all have a day of reckoning coming for not killing this guy's chances outright when they had the chance.

Bolton's already busy wrecking things at the UN. For example, take a look at his modifications to the draft document for the Millennium Summit in September. Steve Clemons (guest-posting at Talking Points Memo):

These suggested revisions are leaps and bounds more offensive, regressive, short-sighted, and dismissive of others than America's "bad guy" role in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.

In short, the document does the following:

~ knocks out entirely the Millennium Development Goals

~ continues to undermine collective efforts against climate change

~ knocks out targets and timetables for all goals and objectives

~ guts any efforts toward further disarmament objectives and focuses exclusively on non-proliferation, while both had always been important objectives in the past

~ strikes the section that states that countries will use force only as last resort

~ and oddly, strikes out the need to establish a legal definition of terrorism, which the Bush administration has previously stated is a requirement before proceeding towards a U.N. Convention on Terorrism.

[whometense]

1. AND there's more.

Steve Clemons again:

The Bolton Civil Wars in the State Department may have just re-started.

For those who followed the Bolton battle from early March through August, one of the real issues with John Bolton is that he was constantly attempting to undermine Colin Powell, Richard Armitage and others but did so with Dick Cheney's blessing.

There is evidence bubbling to the surface -- not altogether clear -- but pointing to the possibility that Bolton has already stepped out of his holding pen and is undermining Condi Rice and Bob Zoellick -- again with Dick Cheney's blessing. . . .

. . . . The insubordination may have just begun. Maybe they'll give him a pass this first time -- and try and teach him a lesson about coordination and communication. But my guess is that Bolton is drawing his energy and position from Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and only flirts part time with Bob Zoellick and Condi Rice.

We'll see. This picture I've painted could be wrong, but something is amiss between Turtle Bay and Foggy Bottom.

[TayTay]

2. Bolton the Bastard, making a fool of the US yet again

This bastard also wants the UN to NOT target diminishing poverty across the globe. He wants the UN to lighten up on the need to diminish global poverty. Holy shit. (Mr. Bolton: Satan on line one. Mr. Satan, can you hold? Mr. Bolton is currently swiping food off the plates of starving poor children, he'll be with you in a minute. Yes, he does know that a war with Iran is your number one priority, but he just couldn't resist. He's funny that way.)

That should make the US much more beloved across the globe. Does Karen Hughes know about this? She is running around trying to get the rest of the world to see the Bush Admin as little cuddly teddy bear people who just couldn't be nicer or sweeter or a better ally to cosy up to. Then this demented refugee from a soup strainer commercial shows up and all the other diplomats just try to hide and avoid him. ("No, I will not take a call from John Bolton. That mother is batshit crazy. Do you know he steals food off of the plates of starving children. Yeah, my sister once dated a minion of Satan and he told Bolton does that. Just for kicks.")

Sigh!

[karynnj]

3. That list is really sad. What a jerk

I almost thought it was an overstatement when Kerry talked about the US not having any friends on the planet. (I liked the sound of the phrase - I'm sad he wasn't exaggerating.)

Voinovich at least had the decency to speak out - and held it up for months, at least making it an issue. Tears on the Senate floor have to be rare. Hagel and Lugar always seemed decent - but they could have stopped it and didn't. Lugar seemed to have a total personality change at least in the one meeting where he tried to silence all the Democrats.

It's too bad there's no provision where they can recall him like the defective merchandise he is.

[ginnyinWI]

4. well, the U.N. knows what they are dealing with

I hope they feel free to wrestle him to the ground and sit on his head! :P

[whometense]

6. Anyone else here love Monty Python?

You just reminded me of this post I read by Michael Crowley on Talking Points Memo yesterday. He was talking about Pat Robertson, and brought up this Monty Python bit that also seems to fit here. :D

If you'll indulge another oddball reference (don't worry, this is my last day!), Robertson's pathetic cover story reminds me of the great old Monty Python "Piranha Brothers" routine:

Rogers: I've been told Dinsdale Piranha nailed your head to the floor.

Stig: No! Never! He was a smashing bloke. He used to buy his mother flowers and that. He was like a brother to me.

Rogers: But the police have film of Dinsdale actually nailing your head to the floor.

Stig: (pause) Oh yeah, he did that.

[karynnj]

7. I loved Monty Python

That does fit Bolton

[ginnyinWI]

11. yup

That's Bolton, alright. :)

[TayTay]

5. Well, he might be involved in the Plame case

That would take him out.

The Unconfirmed and Acting US Ambassafor to the UN is a crazy son-of-a-bitch. I think the rest of the world knows this. And I think they know about the plans for Iran. And I don't think they are gong to roll over unless we bribe them to do so, and the treasury is looking pretty bare these days.

Sigh! John Kerry never would have appointed a madman like Bolton to the UN post. Damn!

[ginnyinWI]

12. With a President JK

Our country would be on a whole different trajectory by now! Sigh.

[karynnj]

14. President JK would have been more likely to

ask his justice depatment to investigate Bolton than to appoint him.

[whometense]

8. Off to

Tanglewood today :-) , but I had to post this first.

Ambassador Bolton's Very Exclusive Reception

So John Bolton had a reception at the U.N. ambassador's private residence in the penthouse at the Waldorf Astoria last night. The Washington Times, Fox News, and various other conservatives were invited, but some of the people who weren't included Colum Lynch from the Washington Post and Warren Hoge from the New York Times, both of whom cover the U.N. for their respective papers. If you thought the Bush administration's cowardice about facing anyone not completely on board was confined to Crawford and the campaign trail, think again.

Lynch actually called the mission to the U.N. to confirm that he was not invited, and he was told that, indeed, he was not. A few hours before the reception I asked Warren Hoge about all this. "I'm not taking it personally. I've never met John Bolton," he told me, "and clearly this will continue through tonight."

Indeed, this is not about taking it personally, but it's not an auspicious start -- especially coming on the same day as the reports about the extensive and undermining revisions to a proposed U.N. reform document. Is that what Bolton meant when he said he was going to New York to "strengthen" the U.N.?

I hope you had fun, Mr. Ambassador. Just send us the bill. We'll be picking up the tab for you for quite a while, I suspect.

[karynnj]

9. If he won't talk to the NYT and the Washington Post,

will he talk to representatives of countries who have problems with us (which may soon be every country in the world - Bush will find a way to anger Israel and the UK). Maybe he will speak to Judith Miller if she ever gets out of jail.

Have fun at Tanglewood. I get to help my middle daughter pack for college. The hardest part is done - she has selected the three under the bed boxes worth of books she's taking. Tomorrow, we get to get up at about 5 am to drive to Worcester.

[whometense]

10. Have a great trip!

And good luck with the packing. We're going to hear Lynn Harrell play the Haydn concerto my daughter's been working on. I'm looking forward to the day!!

Did you hear the news item a week or so ago about Bolton's visit to Judy Miller IN JAIL??? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-judy-file-millera_b_5687.html

[karynnj]

13. Have a really nice time

I had heard that - but it was a mention on DU without a link - so I wasn't sure if it was true or sarcasm. It just seems that the NYT was not exactly against Bush in the lead up to Bush's war nor was the Post, so the exclusion is worrisome.

Oh, the NYT has an op-ed on your former governor written by a former speech writer. He's trying to make the case that Weld may be better at running for governor than Elliot Spitzer. No mention of any Senator who may have defeated him at one point - maybe because Spitzer in being a serious, corruption fighting prosecutor might share some characteristics with the Senator.

Link to Weld op-ed:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/26/opinion/26gregg.html

[ginnyinWI]

15. is she a freshman?

It seems like yesterday our youngest was a freshman at UW-Eau Claire. Next week we are moving her to Minneapolis to start Grad school! Yikes. She zoomed through school in just four years, ahead of most of her friends. Anyway, next week we get to haul all her stuff on a 5 1/2 trip--I don't want to think about the gasoline this will take! :( But this time it's an apartment rather than a dorm, and she'll be staying put rather than moving home in summers.

[karynnj]

16. Yes

It's weird though - we have 3 girls. Only the youngest, our 15 year old, will be home this year. It seems only a short time ago they were all little. This one is going further away, but the school seems so much more supportive (or maybe it was just the stark comparison with New School where our oldest started. The difference really reflects the huge differences in the two girls - who are actually very close.) and should be a great fit for her - and it's in a nice state with excellent Senators.

It really shocked me when I saw the statistics on the number of years kids take to complete school now. Then on the other hand there are all these kids who have taken so many AP classes. A niece finished in 3 years by having some AP classes, going in the summers while working part-time and taking absolutely nothing that didn't count. She is now in law school.

It must be kind of hard this year knowing she will be staying in Minneapolis. When I was young I never really thought of how my parents felt as we moved all across the country from Northern Indiana - to places as different as NJ, VA, NC, WA, and AZ with a some still in Ind and IL.

[TayTay]

17. Thanks Kaynnj, we'll keep an eye on her

And MA Sens show up in Worcester all the time to give speeches. (Well, 3 or 4 times a year anyway.) If I hear anything, you can go up, visit your Daughter and maybe make a visit to Carpenter's Hall for a nice little speech.

Good luck! I know how you feel. My daughter goes back to SVA in NYC next week. I just saw her website (advertising her photography shots) and we are lucky so far to have just gotten away with a lip ring and a tattoo. I fear what we will have at the end of this year. (Art School, it's art school. We have to be open-minded.)

[karynnj]

18. Thanks

She would get a little suspicious if my turning up just happened, by total coincidence, How would I have known?, to coincide with one of the Senators just happening to have scheduled a speech open to the public. But, if I showed up with LOTS OF COOKIES, she might overlook it. She's seen me watching too many Senate hearing that Kerry just happens to be participating in to think it was an accident. (or worse, watching Senators casting votes - There's no way to explain that.)

It's cool that your daughter has a web site set up and it's great that she clearly has something she loves doing. My Holy Cross student is an unusual kid who surprises me with her maturity and intelligence. At this point, she is less interested in politics than she was years ago and far more interested in religion. I hope as time goes on she becomes a little more balanced. (and stops telling me I'm obsessed with politics).

[TayTay]

21. Yeah, why is that so interesting sometimes?

My husband will come into the room and see me watching Senators vote on something (some amendment or something) and give me that look that says, "You're crazy woman. Why are you watching a bunch of people standing around talking, with an occasional vote in between." "Ahm, I don't know, I just like it."

I'm glad to know that I'm not the only crazy person who likes watching votes.

[ginnyinWI]

19. yeah

She did have some "retro" credits for taking a lot of French in High School, but ended up taking many more credits than she needed for graduation simply because she was a Psychology major and needed certain classes, and took some that would help her in grad school too.
What really helped her graduate in "only" four years was a)not changing her major, something her older brother and sister both did, and b) taking a fairly heavy class load of 15-18 credits or more per semester. She just keep pushing herself; ended up with a 3.9 GPA, about which we are very proud!
She'll be in Minneapolis, but that is only an hour and a half further than she was before, while getting her undergrad degree. She's only been home summers since High School, anyway, so we are adjusted to that. I have a little more anxiety about the "big city", but I think she's ready to handle it.

Good luck to your daughter starting school! It's an exciting time to say the least.

[karynnj]

20. self deleted