Daily Kos

Bolton Video: You gotta be kidding me!

by alysheba

Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:23:28 PM PDT

We've all heard the quotes, we've all seen pundits burying funny little Boltonisms within larger frames about how "a President deserves to get the people he wants" - we've heard it all before.

But how many of us have seen it?? I hadn't seen it. Those who have, please enjoy the memory. Those who haven't, continue reading for a good, visceral taste of the sort of whacko our Dear Leader hopes to put in the UN building...

Please spread the downloads among the original link http://www.oldamericancentury.org/boltonun_300k.mov

...as well as these mirrors:

http://www.zencabin.com/boltonun_300k.mov (Thanks to Hail Ripley)

http://texasturkey.us/backup/boltonun_300k.mov (Thanks to lawnorder)

http://politicalwebsolutions.com/assets/applets/boltonun_300k.mov (Thanks to PoliticalWebSolutions)

I'd like nothing more than to see 44 Democratic Senators roll a video projector into the Senate chamber and run this clip 44 consecutive times. I'd like to see one of them stand up and say: "Listen, if I'm China or Japan or any of the EU nations, and I see this video and I know that THIS is the man our President wants representing our nation at the UN, I'm on the phone with the US Treasury and I'm calling in their debt. The US is in hock four trillion dollars to members of the Security Council and this is how we say thanks for the dough?? I hope we're all good and ready for another Great Depression."

Bolton is who he is. What really needs to happen is for Bolton's nomination to start reflecting on this President. He's the guy who made the nutjob call. And he needs to fucking pay.

Now, enjoy watching Bolton jump halfway out of his skin!

Update [2005-5-15 20:17:19 by alysheba]: After several updates, I can no longer keep up with the task of crediting all the Kossacks who have generously offered to host this video on their websites. To anyone who mirrors the download, please accept my sincere thanks for helping to spread this important "visual aid."

Tags: John Bolton, United NAtions, Recommended (all tags) :: Previous Tag Versions

Permalink | 166 comments

  •  Also... (4.00 / 47)

    I Final-Cut-Pro'ed this onto a DVD and am sending it to my two California Senators. Anyone in Ohio, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Maine or anywhere else with a semi-moderate Republican Senator...please do the same.

    If you're even more of a technological boob than I am,  EMAIL ME with "BOLTON VIDEO" in the subject line and I'll mail you a DVD. But please, use this option sparingly.

    - Matt

    Democrats: For the health, prosperity and security of every single American.

    by alysheba on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:13:21 PM PDT

  •  agreed -- he is condemned by his own words (4.00 / 3)

    and evn more -- wathc his body language  -- this is one angry dude with a total lack of emotional cntrol

    if this is ow he comes across, the stories about brutalizing subordinates, chasing people through hotels, trying to get people fired,  they become far more believable.

    do we still have a Republic and a Constitution if our elected officials will not stand up for them on our behalf?

    by teacherken on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:18:58 PM PDT

  •  computer slow, help (none / 0)

    So what does he say on it?

    by Sam Loomis on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:20:05 PM PDT

    •  UN doesn't exist (none / 0)

      and if you wiped out the top 10 floors of the UN building, it wouldn't matter.

      And also that the UN is nothing without the US, and that the only purpose of the UN is bolster US interests when the US wants it to.  Or something like that.

      He was yelling, pointing his finger and practically jumping out of his chair at the end of the video.

      There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. -- Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5

      by LawStudent on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:28:28 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  TOO BAD, DUDE! (4.00 / 5)

      He's getting red faced talking about how "There IS no United Nations...there is an international community which can be LED from time to time by the United States to do what we want them to...there's 38 floors in the Secretary's building, if you lost TEN OF THEM today, it wouldn't make a bit of difference..."

      Then, poor Erskine Childers DARES to say that Bolton's comments are making the Americans who fought to get the UN based in New York turn over in their graves, and Bolton FLIPS OUT...

      "The United Nations exists as a function of the United States and that's exactly how it should be because the ONLY THING (pounding the desk)...the ONLY THING that matters is our national interest and if you don't like that (to Childers) then I'm sorry but that's just the fact."

      He's a freak. I wish you could see it.

      Democrats: For the health, prosperity and security of every single American.

      by alysheba on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:31:46 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Of course, Morons like Bolton... (4.00 / 2)


        ..., that is, Wingnuts who live with their heads up their asses, are too damn dimwitted to get that more often than not, virtually always in fact, it's IN THE U.S.'s NATIONAL INTEREST to have the cooperation of the other nations of the world and that, more often than not, a decision with international ramifications -- ummmm, such as if or when to launch a WAR -- is BEST arrived at by CONSENSUS and that that is in the U.S.'s NATIONAL INTEREST!!!

         Good God!  The 9-year-olds are running the country!!!

         BenGoshi
        __________________

        "We in the gloam, old buddy," he said, "We definitely right in the middle of it." -Larry Brown

        by BenGoshi on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:10:31 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Don't insult the 9 year olds! (4.00 / 2)

          "And tell me how does god choose whose prayers does he refuse?" Tom Waits

          by madaprn on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:31:19 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Wingnuts love tantrums like Bolton's... (none / 0)

          ...because they confuse BLIND, IDIOTIC RAGE with actual TOUGHNESS.  

          Rightwingers are psychologically maladjusted, and love to see others act out like they do (or want to do).

          Hey, I'm all for anger -- it's a major gear for me.  But Bolton is waaaaaay off the meter.  

          Rightwingers will always fall in love with a fellow rightwinger who is red-faced and angry all the time, no matter what he says.  Note that Bolton is spouting absolute drivel here.  It's just the fact that he's obviously having a meltdown that they love, because it reflects their own twisted, rage-filled worldview.

          Personally, I think their social development stops way shy of your avergae 9-year old.  My infant daughter has much more dignity than Bolton, even when she screams, trying to get a poop out.  At least when she manages to pass it out, as it were, she relaxes and smiles.

          JOHN McCAIN = George W. Bush's 3rd term.

          by chumley on Mon May 16, 2005 at 08:02:28 AM PDT

          [ Parent ]

  •  Clearly, his medication was off the scale there (4.00 / 10)

    Bolton is a dangerous man, given to hubris and incapable of accepting that he is part of a system and a hierarchy. He would probably like being able to start his own wars.

    Imagine having him deliver Powell's speech to the UN in February 2003!

    "I don't do quagmires, and my boss doesn't do nuance."

    by SteinL on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:20:28 PM PDT

    •  good point (none / 0)

      a 4 for the powell speech observation

      by tompaine2004 on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:31:20 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I wish he had (4.00 / 6)

        it's extremely unlikely anyone would have backed us up on the war, if this nutjob had made the case!

        Tragically, Colin Powell's credibility and diplomatic gravitas were the only thing that got the world to take our claims of Iraqi WMD seriously.  Maybe there is a case for John Bolton, after all.

        by Steve M on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:43:54 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Precisely why I say above let Bolton get nominated (none / 0)

          He can best represent 21st century America. We are arrogant, spiteful and angry as a nation. What's wrong with Bolton showing the rest of the world our true face?

          by SwingVoter on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:17:54 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

        •  Unfortuantely... (4.00 / 3)

          As the Downing Street memo documents, the die was cast for war long before Powell's appearance at the UN. Powell's presentation was just spin for the American and British public. It was just a dog and pony show.

          I'm sure the Austrailans, Ukrainians, Polish (don't forget Poland), and the others in the coalition of the billing, had decided to do their thing for George long before the UN presentation. Powell's presentation didn't persuade the public in any of those countries (or even Great Britain) about the need for war. The governments in those countries made business decisions that going to Iraq was going to be profitable for them. It is just another in the long line of instances where the proletariat offers their blood to line the pockets of the few.

          by JohnnyAppleseed on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:28:57 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

    •  I would (4.00 / 3)

      have rather had Bolton giving that speech. No one would have believed him and public opinion in the US wouldn't have been so apt to support the war.

      by deano on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:42:30 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I second that emotion! (none / 0)

        It's the backing by supposed "moderates" like Powell and Blair that provided Bush the fig leaf he needed for the invasion. Without Poodleboy's support, the coalition would have appeared much more lopsided.

        And without Colin's minstrel show at the UN, the viewing audience at home would have been much more uncomfortable about backing Shock-n-Awe. It was never about appealing to the rest of the world; Powell's PageantTM was aimed squarely at Murken viewers and shoring up shaky poll numbers.

        "Men would rather believe than know." -- Edward O. Wilson, Sociobiology

        by rob511 on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:57:37 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  Eager to start his own wars? (none / 0)

      Not if the other guys have guns.

      by Heteraetcaetera on Sun May 15, 2005 at 10:00:17 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  Have another 4 (none / 0)

      Exactly.

      Makes one wonder if he'll be happy to pony up the 100 billion or so the US owes the UN.

      Perhaps the silver lining could be a screw up of epic magnitude say around....Oct, 2006?

      As my Grandfather used to say "You can't polish a turd".  So an embarassment would definately be forthcoming.

      What in the Hell Was I Thinking? OBAMA '08

      by HillaryIsMyHomegirl on Mon May 16, 2005 at 04:10:23 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Recommended (none / 1)

    Thanks!

    I hadn't seen the video of this either.

    Just f'n amazing that anyone could think this man is fit to be U.N. ambassador.  He's an insulting pig.

    There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. -- Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5

    by LawStudent on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:25:56 PM PDT

  •  Nice (4.00 / 3)

    The White House must think this is a game.  "Tee hee. The UN are jerks. Let's just send Bolton. What are they gonna do about it? Sanction us? Tee hee."

    What's particularly galling is that obviously they don't give a damn about the UN and have no respect for it whatsoever. BUT since they would sound bad if they came right out and said it, they pull stunts like this.

    They are cowards AND assholes. Not a winning combination.

    by Nim on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:26:48 PM PDT

    •  my sentiments exactly (4.00 / 3)

      For just one election cycle in my life I would like to see GOP candidates campaign on what they really think and see if people buy it.

      It's clear what Bolton thinks of the the UN and the USA's role in it. Did you hear anything like that in his confirmation hearing? NO. I would love to see him sit in front of a Senate committee and tell them that his goal at the UN would be to find new and different ways to bend it to his will and cow the member states. Then if he can't accomplish that, conceive of ways to weaken the UN and render it powerless.

      The truth is that we will never hear any of that spoken by Bolton, or Bush or Cheney, on the evening news because they don't have the courage of their convictions. They all know damn well that if they went to the public and made an honest case for their real agenda that we wouldn't see another Republican president in our lifetimes. They couldn't broker an honest consensus if their lives depended on it.

      Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx

      by Joe Bob on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:13:25 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  It isn't about... (none / 1)

        courage of convictions per say, it is about how the end justifies the means. The means in this instance is the GOP lying and misrepresenting their positions. They will do anything to obtain and retain power, so whatever it takes to do that, they are going to do.

        A classic example is the famed "southern strategy" which is really nothing more than turning closet racism into a political force. You will never get the GOP to admit that that is what the southern strategy was/is, but it is clear that the GOP really doesn't care that they cater to racists, as long as they keep winning elections.

        by JohnnyAppleseed on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:27:24 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  Sad thing is (4.00 / 3)

    Bolton is the Republicans' dreamboat. They couch their aims in talk of "reform", when what they're really salivating over is the prospect of utter destruction of the UN. Nobody's ever mumbled a single syllable about a PLAN for reform. Remind you of anything? < cough Social Sec^H^H^H^cough >

    I agree with Steve Clemons and Scott Ritter that Bushco are sitting in a circle jerk with visions of Dolton launching his patented assmissile into the UN Assembly and precipitating a conflagration with Iran and North Korea over their nuclear ambitions, "reform or not".  

    Let the great world spin for ever down the ringing grooves of change. - Tennyson

    by bumblebums on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:34:49 PM PDT

    •  In Repug Speak Reform = Destroy/Destruction (4.00 / 5)

      depending on whether 'reform' is used as a noun or a verb.

      If you subsitute in any administration official's statements destroy for reform, that is what they mean by it.

      Darn near every time.

      by LIsoundview on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:42:55 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  The Republicans' dreamboat (none / 1)

      fer shure! I picture Bush & Cheney sitting around, watching this video, and high-fiving each other while exclaiming (in the immortal words of Mel Brooks, voiced by Zero Mostel), "That's our Hitler!"

      The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

      by sidnora on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:59:23 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Bialystock: Well you know what they say... (none / 0)

        'smile and the world smiles with you'

        (looks at Bolton)

        ...this man should be in a straight-jacket

        People in Eurasia on the brink of oppression: I hope it's gonna be alright... Pet Shop Boys: Introspective

        by rgilly on Mon May 16, 2005 at 04:44:48 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  loose cannon (none / 0)

      Unleashed on the UN? Shudder. Excellent film clip. Came away thinking that he has 0% diplomatic skills and wonder, what the heck must it be like to live next door to this guy?  

    Why did we bother to beat the Soviet Union if we were just going to become it? Molly Ivins

    by offred on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:38:25 PM PDT

  •  20 steps back (none / 0)

    The sad thing is that if he does become US Ambassador to the UN, there are four other permanent members that he will have to deal with.  As much as he is pounds his fist about how the UN won't do anything with out the US pushing it, it is equally true that the US cannot get the support it neeeds if the other four permanent members take a stand and block the US at every turn.

    It is one thing to be pro-American.  It is another to be a nationalist scumbag like Bolton.  

    NARAL and HRC endorsed Lieberman. Therefore, I can no longer endorse them.

    by LeftofArizona on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:40:54 PM PDT

    •  Well, according to the UN Charter.. (4.00 / 4)

      he may not be allowed to vote, since Chapter IV, Article 19 states

      "A Member of the United Nations which is in arrears in the payment of its financial contributions to the Organization shall have no vote in the General Assembly if the amount of its arrears equals or exceeds the amount of the contributions due from it for the preceding two full years. The General Assembly may, nevertheless, permit such a Member to vote if it is satisfied that the failure to pay is due to conditions beyond the control of the Member."

       We haven't paid our dues in a while, I believe. Unless Bush paid them before he blew off the UN.

      And in case you were wondering why the neocons hate the UN..this is also from the Charter..

      ..the United Nations shall promote:

      "a. higher standards of living, full employment, and conditions of economic and social progress and development;

      b. solutions of international economic, social, health, and related problems; and international cultural and educational cooperation; and

      c. universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.

      And then there is this..
      "Article 92
      The International Court of Justice shall be the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It shall function in accordance with the annexed Statute, which is based upon the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice and forms an integral part of the present Charter.

      Article 93

         1. All Members of the United Nations are ipso facto parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice.

      So Bush may think he has withdrawn from the World Court, but in fact he, and we, are still under it's jurisdiction, as long as we are members of the UN.

      It will be interesting to see what happens when Bush is out of office, whether or not he is arrested and tried for the war crimes he has committed under the UN Charter.

      What happens when Bush takes Viagra? he gets taller. Robin Williams

      by Demfem on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:03:30 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Demfem (none / 0)

        While researching for my letter to Senator Specter, to ask him to vote 'no' on Bolton, I found this article  which you may want to read, as it describes the U.S.'s current status w/r/t UN dues. Scroll down to 'Status' for the short version.

        Official Culture

        by Halcyon on Mon May 16, 2005 at 06:14:49 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  The World Court (none / 0)

        And I'll give you two guesses which Undersecretary of State formally delivered the US's signatory withdrawal from the Rome Statute that established the ICC....

        How I wish I was kidding.

        One more Justice and John McCain gets his wish.

        by JR on Mon May 16, 2005 at 06:47:17 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

      •  Pfft, General Assembly? (none / 0)

        I'm pretty sure the only reason why we send a guy to the UN is for the Security Council, not the General Assembly.

        It would be interesting if somebody in the General Assembly amended Article 19 to nullify all voting privileges, including veto powers on the Security Council, if the Member didn't pay the arrears.

        You'd damn know that the U.S. would be paying it's dues on time if a rule like that was in effect.

        Amateurs talk strategery, professionals talk logistics

        by Young Freud on Mon May 16, 2005 at 07:15:29 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  The difference between us and them... (none / 0)

      The one thing that strikes me about the US is that we go around thrashing about how "YOU ALL NEED US! You idiots, you have to obey us because you NEED us!"

      We are the only superpower in the world today, more or less, and it's true that pretty much everyone else needs us.

      What our leaders do not understand is that we, too, need them. We need the UN and the EU and China and so on. We could end our need of them, but it would require a huge withdrawal from the world stage. So we'll just keep running towards this wall and ignoring that it's a wall because doing otherwise would bruise our precious ego.

      Unfortunately, our egos are not the things most liable to get bruised right now.

      The Shapeshifter's Blog -- Politics, Philosophy, and Madness!

      by Shapeshifter on Sun May 15, 2005 at 08:07:29 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  If we had a real media... (4.00 / 19)

    This would be playing all day, every day.

    They should all be as humiliated as I am at the mere SUGGESTION that a pig like this ought to be our representative to the whole fucking world.

    -9.63, -7.03 Rage, rage against the Lying of the Right

    by Maryscott OConnor on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:44:45 PM PDT

  •  Total whacko! (4.00 / 3)

    Let's hope this plays on TV news. It's possible, because a lot of people wonder what the fuss is about.

    Also, today, there are questions about Bolton and the "intelligence failure" that led to Iraq:
    here

    by CrawfordMan on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:50:50 PM PDT

  •  that dude is batshit crazy. (4.00 / 3)

    period. and his hostility to the institution (in addition to his batshit state) make him unfit to serve in that position. and don't even get me started on his penchant for mucking up intelligence.

    oh, and he's an asshole too.

    "after the Rapture, we get all their shit"

    It's time: the albany project.

    by lipris on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:52:17 PM PDT

    •  I heard it before... (none / 0)

      but now I've seen it; the guy is a genuine asshole.  He has the mentality of a 14-year-old who "has it all figured out" and won't let the facts change his mind.  I don't see how BushCo could have picked a worse guy for themselves and for the US.

      -6.38/-6.26 Bush is studiously anti-science, a man of applied ignorance who has undernourished his mind with the empty calories of comfy dogma. - Richard Cohen

      by mofus on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:15:56 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Sad part is (none / 1)

    that many Reps. will agree with Bolton, no doubt, and applaud his fervor and his stance. We all know how much they like a man with fervor.
    It is interesting to see the anger rising in the man at a most inappropriate time in my estimation, and indicates clearly, what he is capable of doing in other circumstance.  I do believe he is fully Bush's boy, and will carry any water Bush chooses.  

    by diane101 on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:54:38 PM PDT

  •  Can you imagine living (4.00 / 3)

    with this idiot?  You would end up so beaten down that you would feel worthless.

    It is so apparent by the tone of his voice that he not only thinks he is superior to the congress people he is talking to, but to just about every other entity in the world. And it is obvious that he has been allowed to go on thinking this the whole way through his life.  Just watching him in this little clip is intimidating.  Imagine being with him for a couple of hours at a stretch.

    How did this jackass get the idea he is so valuable.  I'd like to see a story of his life written, starting with his homelife growing up.  I bet there are some real clues in his formative years.  I'll bet his father abused his mother, on at least a verbal level. He had to learn it somewhere over a stretch of time.   And he had to see it was effective, in order for it to become second nature.

    by hopscotch1997 on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:56:58 PM PDT

    •  Christina Bolton (4.00 / 2)

      RawStory

      "The records show that Bolton's wife left him during a trip to Vienna in two weeks in 1982 and never returned."
      ......

      "The first Mrs. Bolton's conduct raises the presumption that she fled out of fear for her safety or, at a minimum, it demonstrates that Mr. Bolton's established inability to communicate or work respectfully with others extended to his intimate family relations," said Mr. Flynt.
      ..........

      "Corroborated allegations that Mr. Bolton's first wife, Christina Bolton, was forced to engage in group sex have not been refuted by the State Department despite inquires posed by Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt concerning the allegations."

      by wabegg on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:24:40 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  I agree with Bolton... (4.00 / 2)

    In principle only, please! :-)

    I am all for maintaining the superpower status of the US and doing what it takes to promote our power.Every country tries to use the UN to it's advantage, and we should too.

    But this freak is not the one to do that. He is going to cause people to become uncooperative and back off from us, because honestly, I think this guy has some issues. If he starts yelling like that in an open session of the SC, our country will be a laughing stock!

    The line that the Senate Dems need to pursue:

    1. We need to reform the UN and further our own interests there.

    2. Bush Administration has eroded trust in America in the UN.

    3. We need a sensible, tough guy, which Bolton clearly is not to fix up the UN and advance our interests in that organizations.

    by araina on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:56:59 PM PDT

    •  I'm sorry (4.00 / 3)

      You don't think that the UN as well as the rest of the international institutions are already far to deep in the US's pocket?

      Considering the state of the resr of the World, and the hand of corperations in that, the last thing we need is things going in the corperates US's favour.

      by altusm on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:55:26 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

    •  I'm sorry (none / 0)

      You don't think that the UN as well as the rest of the international institutions are already far to deep in the US's pocket?

      Considering the state of the resr of the World, and the hand of corperations in that, the last thing we need is things going in the corperates US's favour.

      by altusm on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:55:40 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Good idea! (none / 1)

    "I'd like nothing more than to see 44 Democratic Senators roll a video projector into the Senate chamber and run this clip 44 consecutive times."

    Well-behaved women seldom make history - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

    jc's designs

    by jaysea on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:57:16 PM PDT

  •  I wish I could recommend this twice (none / 0)

    What a travesty, that this guy should get his greasy fingers on the UN.  They really are trying to wipe out any trace of Roosevelt's legacy.

    Obama Everywhere!

    by kismet on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:58:24 PM PDT

  •  We need to get the video to John Stewart and (4.00 / 4)

    Keith Oberman. Let them use the humor angle to get wide spread air play.

    by JohnnyAppleseed on Sun May 15, 2005 at 01:59:10 PM PDT

  •  Bolton's Point and his Pointing (2.00 / 2)

    Maybe he's right--UN action, especially within the Security Council, is entirely dependent on getting representatives of 5 states with incredibly divergent interests to agree on a resolution.  The US quashes anything that is AGAINST our interests, and promotes what it feels is in our interests.  Stuff that we're neutral about is rare (yay superpower!).

    Bolton is giving a Kissinger-esque realist argument.  And he's not totally off-base in his reasoning.  HOWEVER, that does not make him an acceptable nominee.  The fact that he can't articulate this observation in terms of a problem that, with appropriate measures, can be reformed out of existence.  Instead he belittles the IDEALS that led to the creation of a formal body for discussing and deliberating the path of the global community for over 50 years.

    To be sure, the UN needs some reform in order to maintain any effect in the 21st Century.  But Bolton is a strict vinegar-only type, and we need honey to catch these flies.  We need someone that can persuade the world to help us in Iraq and Afghanistan because, contrary to popular wingnuts, we cannot succeed alone.  Persuasiveness is the key factor we need in a nominee, and John Bolton ain't got it.  For some reason, many Bolton and Administration supporters equate force and inflexibility with strength and resolve.  They do so at all our peril.

    Ambassadorial posts are not meant to be paybacks for past support.  They're called "diplomats" for a reason.

    One more Justice and John McCain gets his wish.

    by JR on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:02:13 PM PDT

  •  This shows the bankruptcy of the GOP (3.00 / 4)

    Bush's nomination of Bolton shows his utter contempt for the United Nations. Any Senator who supports Bolton's nomination either feels the same way or is a spineless jellyfish. Senators who privately oppose Bolton but roll over on this one have abdicated their constitutional responsibility to "advise and consent" -- where appropriate -- instead of rubber-stamping whatever maniac Bush wants to appoint.

    Bush and those who actually support Bolton (as opposed to cravenly rolling over to vote for him) should stop beating around the bush, and forthrightly advocate withdrawing from and/or disbanding the U.N. Appointing Bolton as Ambassador to the U.N. would be like appointing
    Richard Dawkins Ambassador to the Vatican.

    When we talk about war, we're really talking about peace. George W. Bush

    by Frederick on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:04:04 PM PDT

  •  Missing footage (4.00 / 3)

         Hey...where's the part where he takes off his shoe and pounds it on the table?

    "What everyone wants is a job and some hope."--RFK

    by For Dean in Dixie on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:06:09 PM PDT

  •  Wow. I'd read the quotes, but seeing him... (4.00 / 3)

    ...foam at the mouth is something else. He's a lunatic. The question is whether his confirmation is really such a bad thing. His capacity to make the Rethuglicans look bad is pretty high. I mean, I'm appalled that he could be representing the U.S., but it's appropriate for him to be representing Bush.

    OT, but don't you all think it's pretty Oedipal that this guy is being appointed by the son of a former U.S. ambassador to the UN? Calling Dr Freud....

    "The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous."

    by expatjourno on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:09:08 PM PDT

  •  Paging BARBARA BOXER... (none / 0)

    Senator Boxer, please disseminate this video amongst your colleagues.  (And thanks for the hold!)

    Isn't a centrist just someone who doesn't have the balls to be a fanatic? -- Stephen Colbert

    by Muboshgu on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:10:42 PM PDT

  •  How to get that on as a TV spot? (4.00 / 2)

    How much money could we raise quickly enough to get this spot some local airtime in some small markets and then hope the national media picked up on it?

    Is there anyone (like truthAndHope.org or MoveOn) who would take the video and then order the spots based on donations?

    (I'm one of those folks who has more money than time so I can contribute but not lead... Sorry :(  )

    -Fred

    Democrats *do* have a plan for Social Security - it's called Social Security. -- Ed Schultz

    by FredFred on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:11:59 PM PDT

  •  Boxer DID show this (4.00 / 2)

    Granted, in the SFRC, not the full Senate. But if I remember correctly, she did roll out a video tape.

    Didn't seem to change the minds of Hagel, Murkowski, or Chafee.

    This is the way democracy ends Not with a bomb But with a gavel -Max Baucus

    by emptywheel on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:12:47 PM PDT

    •  And in the next reelection campaign (4.00 / 2)

      for Chafee atleast, you can hang this albatross right around his neck.

      It should completely destroy his creds as a 'moderate'.  And although he did well for New England, he didn't do that well on base closings either.  There are definitely mumblings on the local RI channel which I get on my CT cable that Chafee didn't get the pork from BRAC this time.

      by LIsoundview on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:23:10 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  Loony Tunes (none / 0)

    And not only that, this guy obviously has an emotional interest in reducing the influence and efficacy of the United Nations.  Freakish, weird and sadly typical for the Bush Administration.

    "Truck Stop Women," a New Film By Phil Gramm and John McCain.

    by bink on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:14:47 PM PDT

  •  We really need to tie this guy to Bush (4.00 / 4)

    This guy is arrogant and abusive. He will not play well with women, especially those who have had experience with abusive men.

    I want every Senator or mouthpiece on our side to say something like: "I know that John Bolton is an important nominee to the President. I know that he and the President have a long relationship. I just don't think that he has the right temperment to hold such an important position."

    Its important that we really tie Bolton to Bush, 'cause you know there are going to be more stories and incidents of Bolton's abusive behavior. Even if confirmed, the guy is going to blow up. Only extensive therapy can change behavior like Boltons. We have to tie Bolton tightly to Bush to make W pay a poltical price if/ when Bolton goes down. We can't have W skate off scot-free like he did with Kerick (sp?).

    by JohnnyAppleseed on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:16:39 PM PDT

  •  Boxer DID play this (4.00 / 5)

    when she was directly questioning Bolton during the hearing.

    He said something like "those comments were intended for a certain audience".

    And she basically then called him a liar/hypocrite: "Oh, so you have a different story depending on who you are talking to?"

    "They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time. [...] That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary."-Handmaid's Tale

    by JLFinch on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:18:45 PM PDT

  •  And Also (4.00 / 2)

    Why has this not been played on CNN a million times a day during this whole mess so people can see it for themselves?

    "Truck Stop Women," a New Film By Phil Gramm and John McCain.

    by bink on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:20:16 PM PDT

  •  There is so much to work with here. (none / 1)

    Of course how angry he gets.

    Talking about how the US really runs the UN and it exists for our benefit and no one else's...  that the only question is our national interest and no one else's... that the US is the only great power in the world...

    At the end, when he said, "If you don't like it," I really thought he was going to say "Go Cheney yourself!"

    by The Witch on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:34:45 PM PDT

  •  Video hosted on The Zen Cabin (4.00 / 8)

    I have plenty of bandwidth right now, so feel free to use this link to direct folks to the video.

    Bolton UN Video

    Bolton makes America look bad and we certainly don't need his kind representing us.

    Rip -

    by Hail Ripley on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:35:02 PM PDT

  •  Alysheba (4.00 / 2)

    You make an excellent point regarding the financial consequences of neutering the UN. Will there be a backlash by those holding American debt, because  cowboy W and his ranch hand Bolton want to score points with a small portion of his base. I would love to see how popular the UN is in the pacific rim and other creditor countries. I bet most of them (with the possible exception of China) are big UN fans since their security is dependant on recieving help from the international community if they are threatened.

    All the people who think it is America's way or the highway are grossly in error. It really is America's creditors way or the highway.

    by JohnnyAppleseed on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:42:24 PM PDT

    •  Not to mention OUTSOURCING (4.00 / 2)

      With all our stuff that is being produced and built overseas, boycotting international cooperaton and international law is the recipe for disaster.

      What will the US do if China decides to appropriate a billion dollar semi conductor factory from Intel ?
      Or a manufacturing plant from one of Bush's donnors ?

      Nuking China won't bring the $$$ back... The only thing that can help is an international court of law where such disputes can be resolved peacefully. WTO's scope is too narrow for it to take on all the possible problems outsourcing and a global economy brings... And who knows if WTO won't be Bolton's next target ?

      The Permanent Republican Majority lasted about as long as The Thousand Year Reich

      by lawnorder on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:04:10 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  •  do we know if Sen. Boxer has seen this video? (none / 0)

    The Bill of Rights, and not the Ten Commandments, is what should be displayed on the front of our federal buildings

    by chinkoPelinke on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:54:54 PM PDT

  •  Ex-CIA Director on video backing up Bolton is bad (none / 1)

    ..claims:

    http://movies.crooksandliars.com/Late_Edition_McLaughlin_05_08.wmv

    by araina on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:59:25 PM PDT

  •  Add this mirror site! (none / 1)

    Bolton is the quintessential Texas Turkey!

    http://texasturkey.us/backup/boltonun_300k.mov

    The Permanent Republican Majority lasted about as long as The Thousand Year Reich

    by lawnorder on Sun May 15, 2005 at 02:59:30 PM PDT

  •  Bolton Video: You gotta be kidding me! (4.00 / 2)

    Barbara Boxer showed this video during the original Foreign Relations Committee hearings with Bolton present.  Her point was much the same as yours:  Reading Bolton's diatribe is off the wall, but watching him deliver it is off the Richter Scale.

    I disagree that we need an alternate venue to show this.  The current site is a group that supports the Bolton appointment, and they have the video up because they think it is just grand.  These crazies want some one representing the United States at the UN who is just as nuts as they are.  I think the fact that this is a right-wing site that is pro-Bolton and thinks the video enhances his stature says it all.  What better context than that for this strident display of lunacy.

    by jpol on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:01:43 PM PDT

    •  Reformers don't work for demolition co's (4.00 / 4)

      The euphemism Bushies are using for Bolton is that he and Bush wish to "reform" the UN.

      I don't know about you, but on my house I won't use a demolitions expert as a contractor to reform my kitchen...

      To REFORM one musts respect the institution being reformed. Clearly not Bolton's case.

      The Permanent Republican Majority lasted about as long as The Thousand Year Reich

      by lawnorder on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:08:16 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  Great line... (none / 0)

        I don't know about you, but on my house I won't use a demolitions expert as a contractor to reform my kitchen...

        Folksy, homespun kitchen table language.  It should be put to good use...

        Our... constitutional heritage rebels at the thought of giving government the power to control men's minds. Thurgood Marshall

        by bronte17 on Mon May 16, 2005 at 10:14:56 AM PDT

        [ Parent ]

    •  What are you talking about?? (none / 0)

      The site hosting the video is about as big an anti-Bolton site as you can find. The site with the title card at the top of the video clip is also rabidly anti-Bolton.

      Am I missing something here?

      Democrats: For the health, prosperity and security of every single American.

      by alysheba on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:25:46 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  rabidly anti-Bolton. (none / 0)

        Perhaps I am missing something.  I first heard this tape on Air America when when Al Franken played it several times and also described the body language.  He described the site as a rabidly pro-neocon, pro-Bolton site. I never actually went there to see for myself.

        So either the link here is to another site or Franken mischaracterized it.  Based on what you say I could well be mistaken.  If so I am sorry.

        by jpol on Sun May 15, 2005 at 05:04:32 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

        •  Hmmm... (none / 0)

          What is the "original" link? It could indeed be from a neocon website. Just not either of the two links I showed in my comment above.

          Democrats: For the health, prosperity and security of every single American.

          by alysheba on Sun May 15, 2005 at 05:07:41 PM PDT

          [ Parent ]

          •  Hmmmm (none / 0)

            I don't know but I remember Franken was linking to it on his web site.  I had meant to visit, but after seeing it during Boxer's questioning of Bolton I never saw a need.  Perhaps Franken is still linking to it.

            by jpol on Sun May 15, 2005 at 07:30:42 PM PDT

            [ Parent ]

  •  I'm proud to be European (3.66 / 3)

    Mr. Bolton,
    last November less than 1 percent of the world's population voted for Bush.

    by heinrich on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:14:01 PM PDT

  •  ah! the magic of movies! (none / 1)

    n/t

    Viva Obama

    by Errol on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:15:06 PM PDT

  •  Nothing here a Bush Voter wouldn't love (none / 0)

    REJECT FEAR!

    by David in Burbank on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:15:23 PM PDT

    •  True (none / 0)

      I fail to see how this video could hurt Bolton.  If anything, it'll help him.  Americans in general like this kind of talk and Republicans love it. So how does it help us defeat Bolton?

      by MattBellamy on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:23:19 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      •  I'm afraid you could be right... (none / 0)

        The separation between left and right in this country is becoming a chasm, and I fear for the future of our democracy.

        As hard as it may seem for us to believe, there are  many people out there who will think this is just the kind of guy we need, and the video may help to mobilize support.

        A couple of months ago, I found myself following a race car on a trailer headed for the track (think Bush's NASCAR voters), with an anti-UN bumper sticker on the back, I wish I could remember exactly what it said, but it was right up Bolton's alley.

        by Gary in NY on Sun May 15, 2005 at 06:41:43 PM PDT

        [ Parent ]

  •  yikes (4.00 / 2)

    it's one thing as tasteless red meat for "the base," but there is no way even an honest  conservative Republican should consider sending this guy to the UN.

    But you know, this diatribe and others like it are probably THE REASON why this individual was nominated.

    by Elizabeth D on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:17:24 PM PDT

  •  Bolton should be ambassador to (3.50 / 2)

    Fox News. Or, maybe CNN gives him a show opposite his look/act alike Big Bill O'Reilly. Duelling assholes cable hour.

    The whole world is watching.

    When a true genius appears in this world, you may know him by this sign, all the dunces will be in confederacy against him.

    by Latum on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:22:34 PM PDT

  •  video hosted on these sites too (none / 0)

    to save a bit of those good folks bandwidth, I've uploaded the video to
    here (http://homepage.mac.com/jonodrs/boltonun_300k.mov)
    and
    here (http://galleryofmallory.com/boltonun_300k.mov) look in the dictionary under 'cock on a stick'

    "Laugh while you can, monkey-boy" - Emilio Lizardo

    by jeno mules on Sun May 15, 2005 at 03:52:22 PM PDT

  •  alysheba: (none / 0)

    Email the file to me please so I can get it up on my site.

    Thanks.

    sam at raisingkaine dot com

    by PoliticalWebSolutions on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:14:41 PM PDT

  •  Totally awesome!! (none / 0)

    spread far and wide
    digitize, make a cartoon out of it, and rap-ify his folly!

    by jimpol on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:28:04 PM PDT

  •  This has got my blood boiling again (none / 1)

    Bolton avoided Vietnam duty

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/1/34417/73939

    Supported the Vietnam war, but he considered it "already lost" so he went into the Guard and law school instead.  This by his own admission.

    Disgraceful.  

    Bolton, go to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, and point to the name of the man that died in your place - who lacked your connections, your luck and your black, chicken-hawk hypocritical heart.

    "They blamed it on the Islamic fanatics, at the time. [...] That was when they suspended the Constitution. They said it would be temporary."-Handmaid's Tale

    by JLFinch on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:36:54 PM PDT

  •  another mirror (none / 1)

    another link to video
    Have uploaded .mov to my web space, so feel free to use the link in your emails

    http://hitgecko.com/boltonun_300k.mov

    Bush/Cheney04 Because it takes 8 years to Destroy the Country Download GeckosAgainstBS song

    by demnomore on Sun May 15, 2005 at 04:57:19 PM PDT

  •  Paging Dr. Frist! PAGING DR. FRIST! (4.00 / 3)

    Nurse: Dr. here's some guy, claims to be from the State Dept., but seems to be from St. Elisabeths. Take a look at the video.

    Dr.: Ah, that's Bolton. Republicans on committee say that he'll go to New York on a short leash. I guess we'll have to neuter him, too, and add a distemper shot.

    by CrawfordMan on Sun May 15, 2005 at 05:19:15 PM PDT

  •  Watching the Boltonpolooza (none / 0)

    Mr Bolton:
    Though I grant you your right to free speach as afforded to you by your constition, I feel that your opinion will lead to further isolotion of the US, and a view from other nations to look to other nations as opinion leaders.  Surely the United Nations must wonder how the US could have done worse than Mr. Negroponte.

    To summarize (and channel Maryscott) - you are free to your opinions.  However, fuck the plan of you as the US ambassador at the UN - and the horse (or is that whores) it rode in on.

    "now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." W. Churchill

    by Thor Heyerdahl on Sun May 15, 2005 at 05:54:30 PM PDT

  •  And Then... (none / 1)

    I'd like nothing more than to see 44 Democratic Senators roll a video projector into the Senate chamber and run this clip 44 consecutive times.

    On The Washington Note, Steve Clemons has listed close to a dozen Republicans who would be far better choices for U.N. Ambassador than Bolton. You know there have to be hundreds of good, experienced Republican diplomats who would jump at the job. Wouldn't it be great if, after running the clip, each Democratic Senator gave a short speech about why a specific Republican would be a better choice than Bolton? Let's see how fast the White House capitulates after the entire country watches Democrats lauding 44 Republicans, all of whom would get unanimous support. At this point, anyone other than Ledeen or Perle would be a much better alternative.

    by srbaxley on Sun May 15, 2005 at 06:06:04 PM PDT

  •  starts with "A" (none / 1)

    ...ends with "sshole."

    The man's looney-tunes.

    by hermes on Sun May 15, 2005 at 06:16:25 PM PDT

  •  ummmmmmmmmmmmmm (none / 0)

    he sucks.

    Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding both puppets!

    by mediaprisoner on Sun May 15, 2005 at 06:30:22 PM PDT

  •  Oh My Fucking God! (none / 1)

    I want this everywhere!  I'm sending this to everyone i know.

    Paging Doctor Dean.

    by ABBinMI on Sun May 15, 2005 at 07:03:08 PM PDT

  •  Another mirror (none / 0)

    http://www.americafree.tv/downloads/boltonun_300k.mov

    by Tharsis on Sun May 15, 2005 at 07:23:12 PM PDT

  •  Bolton Correct (don't shoot me before you read) (