As the Senate continues confirmation hearings of John Bolton, President Bush's nominee for United Nations ambassador, the proceedings have taken a surprising turn. During the hearings Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, criticized Bolton for being a bully and described him as the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be. However, despite his objection to Bolton, Voinovich decided not to block his nomination in the confirmation hearings and allowed the full Senate to vote on the matter.
The events that have transpired during the hearing should be disheartening to the American public. It appears as if common sense and genuine concerns have been sacrificed simply to avoid contradicting an established party platform. With his decision not to halt the Bolton nomination, Voinovich has performed a disservice to the public -and the nation -by letting the will of the president, and as an extension the Republican Party, override the well-established system of checks and balances. Had Voinovich followed through on his scathing remarks he would have ended the debate about Bolton and forced the president to nominate a more acceptable candidate.
It is disappointing that elected officials are seemingly more concerned with supporting their allies than doing what they believe to be the right thing. Voinovich is not the first, nor will he be the last, politician to commit such an error and that fact is the most troubling part of these proceedings. Clearly Bolton does not carry the full support of the government -eight members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are Democrats and all have said they would vote against Bolton -and therefore should not ascend to such a prominent, high-ranking position.
Unfortunately for the American public, the political status quo has prevailed and an unacceptable candidate is now one step closer to being appointed to office. As the full Senate prepares to vote on Bolton's nomination, the public can only hope that other senators agree with Voinovich's assessment of Bolton -and his skills -and value making the right decision over maintaining party unity.
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Voinovich talks big but acts meek
