Originally issued as a CGS press release on August 1, 2005.
Resorts to Recess Appointment for John Bolton
Washington, DC – President Bush used his Constitutional authority today to appoint John Bolton to the post of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
Statement from Charles J. Brown, President and CEO of Citizens for Global Solutions:
“President Bush chose politics over principle today when he sent an Ambassador to the UN who does not have the support of the Senate or the American people. Amb. Bolton chose ambition over integrity today when he refused to step aside in light of reports that he failed to disclose information to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His appointment stands in direct contrast to other cases where nominees from both parties withdrew their names when it became clear that they had provided partial, misleading, or inaccurate information during their confirmation process.
”At the very moment that the American people are demanding principle and integrity at the UN, at the very moment that the world is coming together to make the UN more effective, the President chose to send to the UN someone whose integrity, and divisiveness fail to live up to the high standards of past U.S. Ambassadors to the UN — individuals like Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Patrick Moynihan, and John Danforth.
”Over the next 17 months, Amb. Bolton must demonstrate that he can set aside politics and rhetoric to work for a more effective United Nations. He must show that he is capable of building up the institution, not tearing it down. Anything less will mean that he is acting against the stated positions of the Administration, the clear vision of the U.S. Senate, and the strong opinions of the vast majority of the American people.
”In appointing Amb. Bolton, President Bush said that the UN Ambassadorship ‘is too important to leave vacant any longer.’ Such remarks ignore the distinguished service of Amb. Anne Patterson, a career foreign service officer who has been serving with great integrity and distinction as the acting US Ambassador to the UN. In contrast to the President, Citizens for Global Solutions would like to thank Amb. Patterson and her colleagues in the Department of State for their important and pragmatic work toward advancing a revitalized, more effective United Nations over the past six months.
“We call on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to ensure that Mr. Bolton stands by the declaration he made today, ‘[to] seek a stronger, more effective organization, true to the ideals of its founders and agile enough to act in the 21st century… and, in the words of the U.N. Charter, to help maintain international peace and security.’”
