Washington – President Bush surrendered to congressional foes Monday in his fight to install John Bolton as permanent ambassador to the United Nations, a harbinger of how the political world has changed since Democrats captured both houses of Congress.
Bush circumvented Senate opposition last year to send Bolton to the U.N. on a recess appointment, and administration lawyers in recent weeks had developed options to keep him there even after that appointment expires this month.
But officials said Bolton and the White House decided against provoking an early confrontation with Democrats as they take over Congress next month.
As Bolton’s resignation was announced, the White House deliberated on a new nominee, with attention focusing on Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq. The White House also has a crop of Republican lawmakers who lost re-election to pick from. A number of senior ambassadors from around the world have also expressed interest, but administration officials said Bolton’s successor will be a political nominee.
Bolton became the second high-profile member of Bush’s foreign-policy team after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to announce his departure in the wake of the Nov. 7 elections. Bush appeared aggravated at having to abandon Bolton, whose bare-knuckled diplomacy and skepticism of multilateralism made him a favorite of conservatives and a lightning rod for many in the Washington and international establishment.
“I’m not happy about it,” Bush said in a one-minute appearance with Bolton before cameras in the Oval Office. “I think he deserved to be confirmed. And the reason why I think he deserved to be confirmed is because I know he did a fabulous job for the country.”
During a separate interview with Fox News Channel, Bush said: “On issue after issue, Bolton delivered. And so you’re looking at a man who is deeply disappointed, and I would call it shallow politics of the Senate in this case.”
Bolton’s departure leaves another hole in Bush’s foreign-policy team at a time when the U.N. ambassador is heavily involved in diplomacy concerning the nuclear activities of Iran and North Korea and the ongoing crisis in Lebanon. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been without a deputy since July when Robert Zoellick resigned, and her counselor, Philip Zelikow, last week announced he will depart at the end of the year.
Bolton recast the role of ambassador to the U.N., a post traditionally filled by prominent Americans who helped explain the organization to Washington. Instead, Bolton relished the role of the U.N.’s chief critic, downplaying its achievements and regaling congressional committees over its failings.
Still, his encyclopedic knowledge of the United Nations and tough negotiating style earned him grudging admiration from peers on the Security Council, who credited him with helping pass resolutions demanding North Korea and Iran restrain their nuclear programs and ending the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Bolton also convinced the Security Council for the first time to add Myanmar to its permanent agenda, a long-sought goal of human- rights activists.
Khalilzad, an Afghan-American who has served as Bush’s envoy in Kabul and Baghdad, is well liked by Democrats.
About Bolton
Before his United Nations appointment, John Bolton was undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. He was senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute and has served in several other positions in government since the early 1980s.
A lawyer, he was most recently a partner with Lerner, Reed, Bolton & McManus.
He was born in Baltimore on Nov. 20, 1948. He received a B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Yale Law School.
