Monday, August 01, 2005
Recess Time
John Bolton's recess appointment marks a dicey gamble on the part of the administration. Team Bush is no stranger to the fait accompli - indeed, these have worked for them more often than not. However, the recess appointment stinks of being a runaround. While the position of UN ambassador isn't one that Americans necessarily consider important, Bush's recourse to a recess appointment may well go over as just another example of White House hardheadedness. Bolton's own record of bureaucratic warfare and chasing people around in hotels makes him a particularly bad choice for a recess appointment.
The White House rationale is undoubtedly that Bolton, once installed in the job, will do reliable work, thereby justifying a lasting appointment when the next Congress convenes in 2007. Maybe their gamble will pay off. But John Bolton's cardinal vice isn't his timidity or intellectual eccentricity - it's that he's capable of becoming a frigging maniac. Team Bush underestimates Bolton's volatility and capacity for self-defeating behavior at its own peril - if he comes undone before 2007, this appointment will come back to haunt them.
The White House rationale is undoubtedly that Bolton, once installed in the job, will do reliable work, thereby justifying a lasting appointment when the next Congress convenes in 2007. Maybe their gamble will pay off. But John Bolton's cardinal vice isn't his timidity or intellectual eccentricity - it's that he's capable of becoming a frigging maniac. Team Bush underestimates Bolton's volatility and capacity for self-defeating behavior at its own peril - if he comes undone before 2007, this appointment will come back to haunt them.
