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April 20, 2005
In a surprise turn of events yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations committee decided to postpone the scheduled vote on the nomination of John Bolton to allow for further review of new allegations about Mr. Bolton's fitness for the UN ambassadorship. Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-OH), who had remained quiet during the hearing, came forward and said he wanted more time to look into allegations, saying: "I've heard enough today that I don't feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton." The Senate should use the additional time to get the bottom of the following questions:
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Why did Bolton seek the names of 10 different U.S. officials directly involved or discussed in highly secretive NSA communications? The identities of American officials whose communications are intercepted are protected by law, and access to the names may be authorized by the NSA only in response to special requests. Bolton has refused to explain who the 10 officials were and why he sought information about their communications.
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Does Bolton have the personal control necessary to carry out important diplomatic duties? Allegations of Bolton's intimidation and bullying of subordinates continue to mount and demand further investigation. According to staff at Bolton's old law firm, Covington & Burlington, Bolton was "not invited to return" to his law firm because of "abusive treatment of subordinates there." Also, a woman working for the U.S. Agency for International Development has reported that when Bolton was a private lawyer for an AID subcontractor, Bolton allegedly threatened her, threw documents at her and was "genuinely behaving like a madman." Her story has been corroborated by two witnesses.
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At a time when America's reputation in the world is in desperate need of repair, is it wise to send a man to the UN who has questionable diplomatic and managerial skills? All of these investigations paint a picture of Bolton as someone drastically lacking the personal and professional comportment required to serve as the UN ambassador. The nomination of Bolton seriously undermines US efforts to repair our relations with key allies and show the world that America is an honest broker in world affairs.
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