I'm a night-owl, so I just read this (Fri) morning's
WaPo article on Powell's views of Bolton.
Powell doesn't like Bolton:
Powell spoke in recent days with Sens. Lincoln D. Chafee (R.I.) and Chuck Hagel (Neb.), two of three GOP senators on the Foreign Relations Committee who have raised concerns about Bolton's confirmation, the sources said. Powell did not advise the senators to oppose Bolton, but offered a frank assessment of the nominee as a man who was challenging to work with on personnel and policy matters, according to two people familiar with the conversations.
More on the flip.
"Challenging" is an interesting word. So noncommital. Powell has clout, so why doesn't he use it? Is he so loyal to the commander-in-chief he won't go against a nomination that will hurt this country? We're not talking embarassment, here -- we're talking about a man who throw things at women govt contractors in Russian hotels. Will he attack Kofi Annan if he doesn't agree? Spit on Chirac?
Again, from "people who know" Powell:
Those who know Powell best said two recent events provide insight into his thinking. Powell did not sign a letter from seven other former U.S. secretaries of state or defense supporting Bolton, and his former chief of staff, Lawrence B. Wilkerson, recently told the New York Times that Bolton would be an "abysmal ambassador."
"On two occasions, he has let it be known that the Bolton nomination is a bad one, to put it mildly," a Democratic congressional aide said. "It would be great to have Powell on the record speaking for himself, but he's unlikely to do it."
My question: Why the hell doesn't Powell have spine and the moral courage to speak on the record? He doesn't have to fear retribution -- he quit, for Pete's sake!
I was never totally impressed with Powell's diplomacy -- the way he wavered on Iraq, disagreeing and then lying to the UN to make the case for an unjust war. That said, I did like the fact that he was willing to speak his mind, even if it meant he got put in the freezer.
He knows his former boss. He knows Bolton. He knows what a horrible mess it would be if Bolton is confirmed. To not speak up, on the record, is a crime against this country. Strong words, yes, but he is supposed to be a soldier, who defends his country -- even if it means defending it against misguided leaders.
In the same article, Scotty McClellan tries to reassure everyone by saying:
"John Bolton is someone who has a long record of getting things done, and sometimes that's going to make people mad."
If only you could say that about Powell!