Speaking softly, without the big stick

Every Wednesday morning, John Oakley has John Bolton on his morning show to discuss world events.  My son and I try to never miss it, and it is a highlight of our morning drive to school.

When a 15-year-old emo kid can understand and appreciate your knowledge and eloquence on foreign policy, you’ve achieved a minor miracle.  I can tell you.

Due to this regular contact, I was marginally oblivious to the fact that he was no longer the US ambassador to the UN, or who his replacement was.  I don’t feel so bad though, realizing now that the latest ambassador leaves an impression slightly more memorable than a stump of wood.

Do you get the impression that her colleagues regularly refer to her as wazzername?

While Rice, like all Democrat-appointed US Ambassadors to the UN, also serves in the President’s cabinet, she has nevertheless been absent at many crucial Security Council meetings in New York during some of the world body’s most turbulent times.  Rice was even missing from this week’s Security Council debate and vote to add new Peacekeepers to a beleaguered UN operation in Haiti.  According to several UN veteran reporters and some US Mission staff, Rice has been missing from crucial negotiations on Iran too.  They say that when Rice does attend UN negotiations, she is all too willing to avoid confrontation.  The Permanent Members of the Security Council – the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia and China – rely on American leadership to drive issues to a close and force votes.  While the Permanent Members historically complain publicly about being forced to vote or meet on certain issues, without one country driving issues to completion the UN Members will keep talking or find ways to continue fruitless discussions.  After spending 8 years inside the UN and watching the Security Council debate a plethora of issues, I can personally attest to the fact that an effective American Ambassador cannot worry about being the most popular person in the room.  Forcing an end to a UN debate and calling for the Security Council to vote on an issue is never popular.

Over the last year, Rice has avoided tough negotiations and public feuds at the UN and has subsequently produced very few UN resolutions on America’s priority issues.  While other foreign Ambassadors speak fondly of Rice and her ability to make nice at the UN, she has been a weak negotiator for the American people.  Many UN veterans have indicated that Rice’s lack of leadership on the Iranian issue in particular has forced the French Ambassador to pick up the slack in trying to forge a new Security Council resolution to increase sanctions.  The irony that the French are tougher than the Americans on the Iran issue has not been lost on career State Department officials.

Comments

[Monnie]

Another example of "trickle down" incompetence from the Imposter-in-Chief.

Ironic, isn't it, since supposedly the UN is so VERY important to Obama and his ilk?

The Boy Wonder's regime is falling apart.

Hate to say "I told them so", but I DID predict that one year under Obama would be more than enough time for the overwhelming majority of voters to realize this guy doesn't cut the mustard.

If we're lucky, he means what he says about putting health care "reform" on the back burner and focusing like a laser beam on JOBS, JOBS, JOBS! Of course, the Moron-in-Chief is destroying every job in sight. Since he's a Marxist, his belief system would resist doing the right things for the economy even if he really wanted to...

...but that he was selected by George Soros to help destroy America's middle class assures me he not only doesn't know how to encourage the job market, but may not even want to do so.

Since he's so good at helping fellow Dimwits win elections, maybe he should focus on that and leave everything else alone!

[Texas Canuck]

Yeah, I'm also a little puzzled by the lack of participation in the UN by the great"0" and his one world community. I guess he isn't all that shit hot of a community organizer after all.