Monday, August 01, 2005
BUSH TO WORLD: JUST FUCK RIGHT OFF
Sorry to drop the f-bomb right up front, but Bush's super-sneaky appointment of John Bolton (aka Wally Walrus, Yosemite Sam, etc.) this morning is just too much.
W: "Questions? Comments? Concerns? Oh, wait, I don't give a shit."
Wally: "When do I get to start, uh, 'diplomatically' cracking skulls sir?"
If you work on the top 10 floors of the UN building here in New York, you may want to start packing up your office. On his way out the door this morning to spend a month at his ranch, President Bush ignored all concerns and controversy surrounding his raging, mustachioed nutjob of a nominee and utilized a "recess appointment" to install Mr. Bolton as the US representative to the United Nations. This is sort of the political equivalent of leaving a giant, steaming pile of crap on your own doorstep for the housesitter to clean up as you skip off on a month's vacation.
This appointment seems a disaster. In addition to concerns about Bolton's instant perception as a lame-duck and his heavy-handed tactics (i.e. throwing blunt objects, chasing people through hotels, suppressing relevant intelligence, pissing off allies, etc.), there is also the pesky matter that the guy is a flat-out liar. It was revealed last week that Bolton incorrectly answered a question ahead om his confirmation questionairre. The question asked whether Bolton had been interviewed as part of any federal investigations in the past five years. He answered "no." But wait, it turns out Bolton was interviewed, less than 2 years ago in fact, during an investigation into questionable intelligence ahead of the Iraq invasion, specifically about intelligence having to do with Saddam's alleged (and false) uranium shopping in Niger. Hmmmmm, wonder why he lied about that?
Bolton said he simply "didn't recall" the interview when he was filling out his questionairre. Seriously, he says he just forgot (oops!) and will correct his answer now. Uh huh. So I guess what we have here is either an out-and-out liar or a forgetful buffoon of epic proportions. Either way, it seems to me that he's not the kind of guy you want representing your country to the world. But Bush doesn't care about that. Apparently, this middle finger last week wasn't intended just for the press, but rather the entire world.
Bush's earlier bird.
But why would Bush risk even more of his nearly-gone credibility to push a proven liar into the UN? Because there's a plan you see, and Bolton is crucial to that plan. Arthur Silber says:
Sorry to drop the f-bomb right up front, but Bush's super-sneaky appointment of John Bolton (aka Wally Walrus, Yosemite Sam, etc.) this morning is just too much.
W: "Questions? Comments? Concerns? Oh, wait, I don't give a shit."
Wally: "When do I get to start, uh, 'diplomatically' cracking skulls sir?"
If you work on the top 10 floors of the UN building here in New York, you may want to start packing up your office. On his way out the door this morning to spend a month at his ranch, President Bush ignored all concerns and controversy surrounding his raging, mustachioed nutjob of a nominee and utilized a "recess appointment" to install Mr. Bolton as the US representative to the United Nations. This is sort of the political equivalent of leaving a giant, steaming pile of crap on your own doorstep for the housesitter to clean up as you skip off on a month's vacation.
This appointment seems a disaster. In addition to concerns about Bolton's instant perception as a lame-duck and his heavy-handed tactics (i.e. throwing blunt objects, chasing people through hotels, suppressing relevant intelligence, pissing off allies, etc.), there is also the pesky matter that the guy is a flat-out liar. It was revealed last week that Bolton incorrectly answered a question ahead om his confirmation questionairre. The question asked whether Bolton had been interviewed as part of any federal investigations in the past five years. He answered "no." But wait, it turns out Bolton was interviewed, less than 2 years ago in fact, during an investigation into questionable intelligence ahead of the Iraq invasion, specifically about intelligence having to do with Saddam's alleged (and false) uranium shopping in Niger. Hmmmmm, wonder why he lied about that?
Bolton said he simply "didn't recall" the interview when he was filling out his questionairre. Seriously, he says he just forgot (oops!) and will correct his answer now. Uh huh. So I guess what we have here is either an out-and-out liar or a forgetful buffoon of epic proportions. Either way, it seems to me that he's not the kind of guy you want representing your country to the world. But Bush doesn't care about that. Apparently, this middle finger last week wasn't intended just for the press, but rather the entire world.
Bush's earlier bird.But why would Bush risk even more of his nearly-gone credibility to push a proven liar into the UN? Because there's a plan you see, and Bolton is crucial to that plan. Arthur Silber says:
"Most people seem not to understand that when we deal with the Bush administration, we are dealing with something unique, and uniquely dangerous: an administration which is fully committed to an ideology—an ideology that is entirely self-contained and completely self-referencing. It is not concerned with facts, evidence, logic and argument. It is concerned only with its own internal vision of the world, and how that world should be constructed and howOh, and while it may seem impossible given are stretched military, current mess and lack of public support, a 'struggle' with Iran is seeming like a greater possibility with every passing hour. Damn logic. Damn public opinion. Damn the consequences. And damn the world.
it should operate."
UPDATE: Iran may be happening even sooner than I thought. *gulp*
MORE
WaPO: Round-up of Bolton Reactions
Stygius: Ongoing Coverage
WashNote: More Coverage
Bounded Rationality: Fun With Emoticons
Silber: Entering the Anteroom of Hell
YesterDAYS: I Am the Envoy, Goo Goo G'Joob
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