BLUNT BOLTON – AT 7:44 P.M. ET:  John Bolton is one of our heroes here at Urgent Agenda, a man of great public integrity who sacrifices career points to tell us exactly what he thinks.  And, unlike most placeholders in the foreign-policy establishment, he is indeed capable of thinking.

You may recall that Bolton was appointed our ambassador to the UN by President George W. Bush, but the Senate, including some emotionally challenged Republicans, refused to confirm him, apparently fearing that he told the truth.  He served as ambassador for a year on a recess appointment, and distinguished himself.

Now, true to form, John Bolton is not holding back on President Obama's Iran fantasies, as the Washington Times reports:

Former United Nations Ambassador John R. Bolton said Thursday that President Obama is "naive" in thinking more sanctions against Iran will stop the country from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

Bolton is being uncharacteristically polite.  I would have preferred that "naive" been replaced by "cynical" or even "dishonest."  Obama knows the score, but doesn't seem to care who wins the game.

"This additional round of sanctions will have no material impact," Mr. Bolton told The Washington Times's "America's Morning News" radio show. "The test is, can you pass a sanctions resolution that will stop Iran from continuing to pursue nuclear weapons, and the unambiguous answer is no. This continued talk about sanctions is counterproductive because it gives people the kind of a warm and fuzzy and comfortable feeling that we're doing something when in reality we're not."

And our inaction has allowed the Iranians to forge ahead with their nuclear program, unafraid that the deity in the White House would actually do something.

The United Nations Security Council imposed a round of sanctions two years ago. On Wednesday, China announced it would begin to negotiate with the United States and other world leaders on new sanctions.

But the Chinese are making it clear, in every statement, that they "prefer" talking with Iran.  Translated:  Weak, ineffective sanctions are the only thing we'll get.

"We're way, way behind the curve. Iran is much further along in getting nuclear weapons," he said. "We had 14 months of a naive and inexperience president. I just worry that the administration at bottom thinks it can deal with Iran. That's a fantasy."

COMMENT:  I don't recall John Bolton ever being wrong on any major issue.  He became estranged from the Bush administration during Bush's second term when he warned that we were becoming too soft – a warning, in effect, that Bush was being captured by his father's crowd.  That warning was accurate.

The fantasies are growing again in Washington.  Most of the reports we read here indicate that Washington, privately, has given up on preventing an Iranian nuclear bomb, and is turning its attention to deterrence. 

And, just today, John Kerry, his hair as beautiful and rigid as ever, pronounced in the Mideast that Syria was serious about peace – just a few days after Syria publicly advised the Palestinians to give up the peace process and return to violence.  I guess Kerry just doesn't want to spoil his perfect foreign-policy track record – wrong on everything. 

To think that John Bolton is sidelined, like Churchill in the 1930s, and that we have to go with the fourth string.

April 1, 2010