The U.N. Correspondents Association (UNCA), with few exceptions, is a lapdog of the world organization and its anti-American majority. But Warren Hoge's July 23 hit-piece on U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton represented a new low. Hoge, a member of UNCA who covers the U.N. for the New York Times, resorted to using anonymous sources to smear Bolton. The dubious piece was immediately cited by liberal Senator Chris Dodd at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing as evidence why Bolton should NOT be confirmed to his post. This is an extension of the smear campaign that was waged against him last year, when liberals filibustered and prevented an up-or-down vote on his nomination.That campaign ultimately forced President Bush to give him a recess or temporary appointment. But when Senator George Voinovich recently changed his position on Bolton, going from detractor to supporter, a new confirmation hearing was scheduled. A vote on his nomination is now scheduled in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on September 7.
In advance of the hearing, Hoge delivered his broadside, charging that "The Bush administration is not popular at the United Nations, where it is often perceived as disdainful of diplomacy, and its policies as heedless of the effects on others and single-minded in the willful assertion of American interests. By extension, then, many diplomats say they see Mr. Bolton as a stand-in for the arrogance of the administration itself."
Hoge said that "Â…over the past month, more than 30 ambassadors consulted in the preparation of this article, all of whom share the United States' goal of changing United Nations management practices, expressed misgivings over Mr. Bolton's leadership."
Of course, all of these diplomats "asked to speak anonymously in commenting on a fellow envoy."
But that didn't bother Dodd, who noted that "In a recent New York Times article, one colleague characterized him as 'intransigent.' Another suggested that 'Mr. Bolton's high ambition are cover-ups for less noble aims, and oriented not at improving United Nations, but at belittling and weakening it.'"
For all we know, these "diplomats" could represent Iran and Syria.
To carry matters to another extreme, a Salon.com article made fun of Bolton's appearance, saying he needed a haircut.
The major media have failed to point out that opposition to Bolton the last time around was led by a coalition of groups, including one funded by billionaire leftist George Soros, which hired a crook to organize the anti-Bolton campaign. This crook, a liberal operative named Robert W. Creamer, was later sentenced to five months in prison. He is married to liberal Rep. Janice Schakowsky.
One of the claims made against Bolton the last time was that he had yelled at somebody 20 years ago. The allegation was made by a specialist in "recovered memories." This time the favored tactic appears to be the use of anonymous sources. The media are the chosen vehicle.