McCain: Bolton the Right Man for Corrupt U.N.
Tuesday, March 8, 2005 9:18 a.m. EST
newsmax.com
Sen. John McCain praised Under Secretary of State John Bolton Tuesday morning, saying the Bush administration's controversial nominee to be United Nations ambassador is just the right man to clean house at the corrupt world body.
"I think John Bolton might be just what the U.N. needs," said McCain, who often sides with Democrats on controversial issues, in comments to "Imus in the Morning" co-host Charles McCord.
McCain then ticked off a list of scandals that have engulfed the world body, noting, "We've got the Oil-for-Food scandal, we've got misconduct in the Congo by the peacekeepers, we've got a whole lot of problems within the United Nations."
The Arizona Republican said Bolton was "a tough guy - I think he'll do a good job."
"I think that all of us agree that the United Nations needs reforming, and I hope that he'll work in that direction," he added.
McCain's praise stood in sharp contrast with the comments of his good friend and colleague, Sen. John Kerry, who blasted the selection on Monday, saying, "Quite simply, Mr. Bolton's nomination carries with it baggage we cannot afford."
Sen. Joe Biden said the Bush U.N. pick gave him "great pause," while Sen. Chris Dodd complained that Bolton's "antipathy to the U.N. will prevent him from effectively discharging his duties as our ambassador."
But McCain said Bolton's nomination "reminds me a little bit of Ronald Reagan appointing one of my heroes, Jeanne Kirkpatrick, as ambassador to the United Nations back in the 1980s."
Noting that her nomination was roundly criticized at the time, he reminded: "She turned out to be one of the absolute finest ambassadors that we've ever had." |
