 |
| The new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton departs from the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in New York, August 1, 2005. |
President Bush bypassed the Senate and installed John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations on Monday over protests by Democrats that the combative critic of the world body would hurt U.S. credibility.
Five months after nominating Bolton, Bush appointed him in a subdued White House Roosevelt Room ceremony with Bolton beside him and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing nearby.
"This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about U.N. reform. So today I've used my constitutional authority to appoint John Bolton as America's ambassador to the United Nations," Bush said.
Bolton, 56, will be able to serve until January 2007, when a new Congress is sworn in. Bush gave Bolton a "recess appointment," taking advantage of aloopholethat allows him to make such appointments when Congress isin recess.
Recess appointments are by no means rare but it was believed to be the first time such an appointment had been made for the job of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy called it an abuse of power.
"It's adeviousmaneuver that evades the constitutional requirement of Senate consent and only further darkens the cloud over Mr. Bolton's credibility at the U.N.," he said.
Bush sidestepped the Senate confirmation process after it became clear he would not be able to overcome Democrats who held up the nomination of the outspoken conservative on charges he tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views as the top State Department diplomat for arms control.
(Agencies)
|
Updated: 2005-08-02 11:15
