Posted on 12/01/2016 11:29:21 AM PST by Kaslin
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering seriously at least two men for the critical position of secretary of state. One, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has divided the Trump team between those who think it is a good idea and those who think Romney's severe criticism of Trump during the campaign disqualifies him.
The other is retired general and former CIA Director David Petraeus. A major problem for Petraeus is his mishandling of classified documents, which he reportedly leaked to his biographer-mistress, Paula Broadwell. After Trump hammered Hillary Clinton for her "extremely careless" handling of classified material when she was secretary of state, it would be hypocritical of Trump to name Petraeus.
Though also in the running, former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani is thought to be running a distant third, if the number of visits in and out of Trump Tower are any indication.
So, of the top two contenders, who? How about someone with experience as a diplomat, including within the State Department and as a former U.N. ambassador?
John Bolton, now a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a regular commentator on cable news, does not engage in wishful thinking, or project American morals on those who don't share them in the vain hope they might be contagious. Here is Bolton on the threat of radical Islamic terrorism: "When you have a regime that would be happier in the afterlife than in this life, this is not a regime that is subject to classic theories of deterrence."
n his book "Surrendering is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations," Bolton is unrelenting in his criticism of the toothless UN and of many U.S. policies that have not produced results in America's best interests -- precisely the attitude of President-elect Trump, who wants to look out for America and its interests first. In this pursuit he is not unlike one of his predecessors, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, who said, "What takes place in the Security Council more closely resembles a mugging than either a political debate or an effort at problem-solving." It is a mugging, and too often it is the United States and Israel who get mugged.
Here's another Bolton quote: "Negotiation is not a policy. It's a technique. It's something you use when it's to your advantage, and something that you don't use when it's not to your advantage." That is the opposite of wishful thinking.
In a July 2015 column for the Dallas Morning News, Bolton wrote that it is a fiction to believe Iran won't violate terms of the nuclear weapons deal it made with the Obama administration. He argues that "snapback" sanctions won't work because sanctions failed before. He thinks the only option for keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of the ayatollahs is Israel.
"However, Iran may well retaliate," Bolton acknowledges. "At that point, Washington must be ready to immediately resupply Israel for losses incurred by its armed forces in the initial attack, so that Israel will still be able to effectively counter Tehran's proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, which will be its vehicles for retaliation. The United States must also provide muscular political support, explaining that Israel legitimately exercised its inherent right of self-defense. Whatever Obama's view, public and congressional support for Israel will be overwhelming."
Who is to blame for this situation? Bolton writes: "American weakness has brought us to this difficult moment. While we obsessed about its economic discomfort, Iran wore its duress with pride. It was never an even match. We now have to rely on a tiny ally to do the job for us. But unless we are ready to accept a nuclear Iran (and, in relatively short order, several other nuclear Middle Eastern states), get ready. The easy ways out disappeared long ago."
This is sober reality and precisely the worldview that is needed at the Department of State.
“Can you name a Bush nominee who didn’t cause the “forces of evil” to lose their minds?”
Why do you put “forces of evil” in danger quotes? It is a true and accurate description.
That said, Condoleezza Rice won Senate confirmation as secretary of state after only hours of debate by a vote of 85-13. Also, 95 percent of his district court nominees skated through without much difficulty.
I just haven’t heard any credible information on Bolton that would make me question his moral compass or his fighting heart.
Bolton is the man I have been hoping would get the job from the start. Time to kick arse and take names.
I think "Stranglehold" would be more appropo.
Uh -- whut? He's been living in that swamp for more than three decades.
You want to disqualify an anti UN, anti international law, anti ICC and pro US sovereignty SOS candidate because he has "lived" in the swamp?
Uh -- no!
I didn’t support Donald Trump just to see him drag a bunch of Bush hacks to Washington with him.
Is that too much to ask?
P.S. — there are probably tens of millions of Americans who meet the description you posted there. Surely we can do better than someone with Bolton’s background in the Beltway.
Absolutely yes! He is the only person I could see in that job in the Trump administration. Why is Trump looking at idiots like Romney or people like Guiliani, who could better be used in homeland security, etc.?
I didn’t support Donald Trump just to see him drag a bunch of Bush hacks to Washington with him....I want a Secretary of State who doesn’t have a long track record of seeing U.S. military/intelligence assets as tools to be used for the benefit of foreign interests. Is that too much to ask?”
Not if you can support your allegations.
Got anything?
I want no Neo-Cons.
Rudy would be OK too, but I feel good about this.
No way! Enough pointless foreign wars
“This” being which point? Petraeus and gun control? There are plenty of other sources that say the same thing. Petraeus’ support of gun control and other liberal policies, like that of many flag officers that survived Obama’s purges, has been known for quite some time.
Here’s one you might consider more authoritative, but there are many, many more: http://www.wnd.com/2016/11/top-8-facts-you-dont-know-about-david-petraeus/
Besides, Petraeus is a lying, cheating scumbag and shouldn’t be anywhere near classified information ever again.
I want Rudy - because he was so helpful to the campaign and I think Trump should consider this. I didn’t see Bolton too much doing anything to help win the Presidency like Rudy did.
And I think Rudy would make a GREAT SOS!
I agree.
But alas, it won’t happen.
5.56mm
It seems as though for every good pick (Flynn, Mattis), Trump picks one Wall Street or GOP establishment figure. Secretary of State is probably the most important cabinet position, and Trump's short list there isn't very encouraging.
I think that this is mostly a consequence of the fact that Trump knows that he won't accomplish anything without GOP establishment support in Congress, because if he says "my way or highway," Congressional Republicans will monolithically unite with Congressional Democrats against him so that nothing gets passed. The only way around this is for him to appoint some establishment-friendly figures. I just wish that establishmentarians were limited to token positions of zero power and influence (like Multi-Culti-Nikki as ambassador to the UN) as opposed to positions of consequence like SoS.
I never believed that the Romney play was anything but a rope-a-dope for the media and Trump’s wry sense of humor in getting Mitt to lick his toes...
Kelly would be a nice choice, but I see no move to put his name forward.
Another Freeper also made a good point within the last couple of days. There probably aren't a lot of talented, reputable people in the U.S. who are willing to give up a lucrative career elsewhere and take on a senior administration role that has limited value outside of Washington. I didn't realize how true that was until I went back over the last 25-30 years and saw how absolutely mediocre so many of the people in the Secretary of State post really were.
I mean -- I think I could find a more impressive group of people on the roster of my last hockey team ... and that includes a few guys with criminal records, too. LOL.
Wow.
I never had high hopes for Trump.
For me, he was just the “Not Hillary!” candidate.
But day after it day, it seems like Christmas...
Bolton for SecState? What joy that would be! Can you imagine the screaming at the UN and other dens of depravity?
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