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Novak: Castro Real Story of Bolton Controversy
NewsMax ^ | 5/12/05 | Carl Limbacher
Posted on 05/12/2005 8:45:11 AM PDT by wagglebee
The campaign against John R. Bolton’s nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is about far more than his reputedly abrasive personality – behind the smears lies a pro-Castro agenda.
The criticism of Bolton by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd and his aide Janice O’Connell is "based on taking issue with his accusations that Castro is building a biological warfare capability," writes columnist Robert D. Novak.
And the effectiveness of O’Connell - the veteran Democratic staff expert on Western Hemisphere affairs – in making life difficult for enemies of Fidel Castro is "legendary,” according to Novak.
"She was largely responsible for blocking confirmation of Bush’s 2001 nomination of [Otto] Reich as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs."
The anti-Bolton campaign suffered a setback when former CIA deputy director of intelligence Jamie Miscik appeared at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing into the nomination and backed away from testifying that harassment from Bolton had "damaged" National Intelligence Officer Fulton Armstrong.
Otto Reich also testified. And Novak writes: "Whatever damage Bolton did to Armstrong professionally could not even compare with Reich testifying that the analyst’s work was considered substandard throughout the national security bureaucracy.
"That fits complaints I have heard from Reagan administration officials about Armstrong’s left-wing bias on Western Hemisphere questions in general, but particularly on Cuba.
"Cuba is the them that runs through the ordeal of John Bolton."
Even the Washington Post has acknowledged that the campaign against Bolton’s nomination is sputtering.
The paper says that while the investigation of Bolton’s performance has turned up numerous examples of "fierce policy disputes" between Bolton and lower-level officials, "no additional direct evidence of abusive behavior toward subordinates has emerged."