Posted on 12/14/2016 12:58:13 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump’s selection of ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as secretary of state threatens to touch off a confirmation fight, but the man in the running to be Tillerson’s deputy could spark an all-out war in the Senate.
John Bolton, the mustache-sporting, Iraq War-cheering former United Nations ambassador, is possibly one of the least diplomatic diplomats ever to serve in the U.S. government. He has argued the U.S. should bomb Iran to stop its nuclear program, dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state and called the United Nations a "twilight zone."
Trump has shown a contrarian streak in his appointments so far, so the odds are good that the president-elect will tag Bolton for a powerful Foggy Bottom job. But signs are that senators will put up more resistance to Bolton than Tillerson.
Already, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentuckian with a libertarian bent, has threatened to block Bolton, a man he considers a warmonger. On Tuesday, Chuck Schumer, the incoming leader of the Senate Democrats, explicitly compared Tillerson and Bolton in a statement that clearly laid bare his preference, saying: "Mr. Tillerson’s worldview may not seem to be as dangerously interventionist as Mr. Bolton’s."
Back in 2005, Bolton, who was serving as undersecretary of state for arms control, failed to get confirmed by the Senate when then-President George W. Bush nominated him as U.N. ambassador. Bush circumvented the process by appointing Bolton during a recess, but not before significant doubts were aired about him by Democrats and State Department colleagues.
According to media accounts at the time, Bolton was a highly opinionated, intense boss who brooked little opposition to his point of view. One colleague testified that Bolton was a "kiss-up, kick-down kind of guy."
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
The Senate is populated by wussies.
‘Nuff said.
Bolton seems to resonate with the fellas at the coffee shop.
“He has argued the U.S. should bomb Iran to stop its nuclear program, dismissed the idea of a Palestinian state and called the United Nations a “twilight zone.””
I’m not seeing a problem here.
Although, the UN looks more like the bar scene in Star Wars than the Twilight Zone.
5.56mm
Rex cleans up the world, while Josh cleans up the State Department.
Works for me.
we need someone tough enough to rip out the core of the State dept, while Tillerson makes nice with foreign leaders. State is just full of liberal political correctness!
Obviously another great choice!
What better endorsement could he get than from politico? He would be a fantastic hatchet man for Tillerson and he knows where all of the bodies are buried at the State Department.
I like him.
Bring it on...we’re getting use to winning.
... called the United Nations a “twilight zone.”
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I tend to think of the UN as either a Den of Iniquity or a Hive of Villainy, depending on my mood at the time.
We have within the Republican Party today, pro and anti-war factions.
Deal with it.
Bolton sounds just what we need. At the top
Maybe Bolton is there to make sure Rex is confirmed.
That's a nasty thing to say. Those guys in Mos Eisley were jus' chillin', having' a few drinks, listening to the band ...
Setting himself to take over the whole department in 2020.
RE: Maybe Bolton is there to make sure Rex is confirmed
Yep, it’s possible he could be the fall guy.
RE: We have within the Republican Party today, pro and anti-war factions.
Deal with it.
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Well, one need look no further than this forum.
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