As the dust settles and democrats from across the country prepare to climb Capitol Hill, a couple of things have caught my attention in the post-election glow. Not only has Donald Rumsfeld stepped down, which makes me want to do a nerdy happy dance, but also journalists and bloggers alike are buzzing about John Bolton’s trouble getting his spot back as the permanent United States representative to the United Nations.

This is pretty ironic considering he hates how corrupt the UN has become and constantly talks about how it needs to be reformed.

The South China Morning Post of June 24, 2006 calls him the “Terror of Turtle Bay,” and in the March 7, 2005 issue of The New Republic, the magazine provides some interesting quotes from representatives from Iran and North Korea. These include calling Bolton “rude,” “undiplomatic,” “human scum” and, my personal favorite, “an ugly fellow who cannot be regarded as a human being.” Ouch. Them’s fightin’ words.

Although, not surprising ones, considering he’s fighting nuclear proliferation in both countries. However, I have yet to hear another U.S. representative get called ugly and disregarded as a human being. If anyone knows of this happening, please let me know, mostly because I’ll get a giggle out of it. Mr. Bolton may be fighting the good fight, but he isn’t doing it in a way that is going to win the United States friends. But then you may say, “But, ReAnne, the United States doesn’t need more friends, we have Britain and Poland!” Well, Tony Blair is going to break up with President Bush when he is no longer the British Prime Minister. Just throwing that out there.

Diplomacy should take high priority when deciding whom to send to represent the United States and apparently that isn’t in Bolton’s vocabulary. I hope they consider his lack of tact when considering sending him back to the UN. Keep in mind, the Nov. 10 issue of U.S. News and World Report says, “In [Bolton’s] office, he proudly keeps a bronzed hand grenade…” Oh, my.