What Does a John Bolton Appointment Mean for a Bill Clinton Election?
Just before dashing off to the ranch for five weeks, the Prez did what everyone expected and gave John Bolton a ‘recess appointment’ as ambassador to the UN. It’s an unusual but not unheard-of use of the presidential prerogative. Unlike kindergarten, it doesn’t mean he has to clean the erasers during recess, but you’re close.
I’ve written a bit about what I think of Bolton for this job in general and recess appointments in particular, but Bolton’s presence in the UN made me wonder about the positive or negative influence on another UN candidacy.
Bill Clinton has made it known that he would like the Secretary-General job that Kofi Anan is set to vacate in sixteen months. With Bolton sitting smugly in a seat he couldn’t win by approval, two scenarios are possible; 1) that the Bushies will do everything in their power through Bolton to dissuade such an outrageous outcome and, 2) that the very fact of Bolton’s mugging the job will work perversely in favor of Clinton with the 191 member-na…