Pressure For Bolton Recess Appointment Builds

The Center for Security Policy today released an open letter to President Bush, signed by such heavyweights as....

David A. Keene, Chairman, American Conservative Union; Paul M. Weyrich, National Chairman, Coalitions for America; Gary L. Bauer, President, American Values; Fred L. Smith, Jr., Founder and President, Competitive Enterprise Institute; Colin A. Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring, Inc.; Phyllis Schlafly, Founder and President, Eagle Forum; Mariam Bell, National Director of Public Policy, The Wilberforce Forum; Tom Schatz, President, Council for Citizens Against Government Waste; Alan Keyes, Chairman, Declaration Alliance; Melanie Morgan, Chairman, Move America Forward; Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman, American Family Association; and Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

....urging him to stop dithering with obstructionist Senate Democrats and install John Bolton as U.S. Ambassador to the UN via recess appointment:

In our judgment the Nation can ill-afford further delay of action on the Bolton nomination. As you know, the United Nations has a very full agenda this Fall. Given the momentous nature of that agenda – and the danger that some of its items may pose for American interests and sovereignty – we urge you to ensure that you are represented in New York at the earliest possible time by a man who enjoys your confidence and trust, and ours.

Of particular concern is the prospect that the upcoming high-level plenary meeting of the U.N. General Assembly from September 14-16 will be used to implement various ideas for international taxes. As you know, such proposals are not new. In fact, these initiatives have long been seen as a means of underwriting world government, or at least diminishing this country’s ability to influence the United Nations by dint of its granting (or withholding) of large sums in annual dues.

What is new, however, is that some believe the United States now must agree to the imposition of one form or another of global taxation ... We are sure that you share our unalterable opposition to the imposition of international taxes on American citizens and entities by unelected, unaccountable international bureaucrats.

As things stand now, however, our only hope of avoiding such ominously precedential "solidarity contributions” – whether they be imposed on airline tickets, currency transactions, international commerce or the internet – is for your view to be faithfully, articulately and effectively represented at the U.N.

Which is precisely why the Democrats have stalled the Bolton nomination, and precisely why the President needs to slap them down by taking the matter out of their hands via recess appointment. And, when the 109th Congress ends, if the DisLoyal Opposition still insists on denying him confirmation, simply recess appoint somebody just like him through 2008.

George W. Bush won last fall's election, not John Kerry. This is just one more opportunity to do what the GOP has done all too little of over the past eight months: make the minority party face the consequences of its defeat.

Call it "tough love." Something Turtle Bay is in dire need of as well.