Bolton Bashing

Not so very long ago, there was much gnashing of teeth and wailing from the liberal part of the world, faithfully (and loudly) reported by their MSM lapdogs. The cause of the angst? George W.'s recess appointment of “Bully Boy” Bolton to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Well, now Ambassador Bolton has been there for a while. Last I heard, the U.N. headquarters is still standing (darn it!), and relatively few delegations have committed suicide (I was really hoping to see the North Koreans and Libyans stage something dramatic like that). So this makes me wonder — just what is Bully Boy up to, anyhow? Is he having any effect at all?

From Investor’s Business Daily, Bolton Comes Out Swinging:

Clearly, recent developments have made Annan testy. The biggest factor more than likely was the sight of Bolton checking off the top items on his agenda. Bolton created an international stir — marked by the European Union’s formal opposition — when he threatened to block the body’s 2006-07 budget unless the U.N. commenced serious self-reform.

Last week: a successful start. The 191-member General Assembly approved a resolution for a two-year, $3.8 billion administrative budget. Attached to the resolution was a spending cap at $950 million, enough for the first half of next year. Look for Annan in June to request more money to pay U.N. personnel.

Some countries — among them Egypt, India and Jamaica — deny the emergency budget was tied to any reforms. But Bolton, calling the vote a victory for the U.S., said the resolution implies the General Assembly must approve, according to Reuters, “a new human rights body, new international accounting standards, a review of programs older than five years and a stronger internal watchdog office."

Remind us: Just why did the Democrats oppose this guy?

Ah ha! Bully Boy has put strict limits on their allowance!

Well, maybe not so strict — $950M sounds like a lot of pocket change. But it’s a terrific start, though it doesn’t inflict near the bureaucratic pain that I’d like to see inflicted. Yup, I’m 100% for bureaucratic torture: elimination of third-world rape privileges, reduction of Mercedes budgets, and even (gasp) making “diplomats” responsible for their crimes (yes, that means parking tickets, too).

But I’ll take caps on the allowance as a start…