By Arnold Cusmariu, AMERICAN THINKER
As everyone knows, a new administration usually means senior-level personnel changes in federal agencies across the board. President Trump needs, and is entitled to have, his own team in charge of policy implementation.
What is less obvious is that the Department of State is likely to experience greater turnover than many other agencies with a change of administration because it has two basic components: one at home in the Harry S. Truman Building at 2201 C St NW, Washington, DC and a much larger one abroad in embassies and related offices in countries with which we have diplomatic relations. An incoming secretary of state will be involved in both types of personnel decisions, directly or indirectly. A key question is who is most qualified to hit the ground running day one and do a great job of personnel management inside Foggy Bottom apart from the issue of managing foreign policy on behalf of the president.
My answer: Former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
The impact Secretary of State John Bolton would have inside Foggy Bottom would be dramatic and immediate, far more so than someone like Rudy Giuliani or even Newt Gingrich. This is what a President Trump should want.
As a quick look at State’s org chart shows, the department is a bloated mess, like many federal agencies. Unlike Giuliani and Gingrich, Bolton knows the building first-hand, understands how it works, and would be able to figure out what needs to be changed and how without the expensive and time-consuming services of an army of consultants. Moreover, a radically reorganized State Department would set an important precedent for top-down changes in other agencies of government, some (many?) even more bloated than State.
Once Bolton passed the word to the rank-and-file that he planned a major reorganization based on streamlining, an impressive pile of resignations would likely appear on his desk in a very short time. Such would probably materialize even if Bolton did not intend to carry out a massive reorganization. His reputation as a no-nonsense hardliner in foreign policy matters would convince career employees, at management and non-management levels, that it was time to, well, bolt. These folks might well succeed in co-opting newcomers like Giuliani and Gingrich but they know perfectly well that Bolton can’t be co-opted.
Getting rid of the old guard at State is something every president wants. Given how much he disagrees with his predecessor, I imagine President Trump would consider this a top priority. As the org chart indicates, the secretary of state does not actually run what goes on inside the Truman Building. The two deputies do that, at least on paper, and they have a host of under secretaries, assistant secretaries, and office directors under them to help out — or hinder, if decisions from above do not suit them. A clean sweep at State is badly needed and Bolton is the right man for the job. His efforts would put pressure on other agency heads to follow suit. Imagine if that happened throughout the government!
There’s no point belaboring the obvious on John Bolton’s foreign policy credentials, so a few quick points will do.
Reset with the Russians? The Iranian nuke deal? Two-state solution in the Middle East? The Cuba deal? Defeating ISIS with diplomacy? Letting China run wild in the Pacific?
A single answer will do: No way.
As to the matter of selecting ambassadors, Bolton’s reputation would likely discourage many ineffective or incompetent candidates — who are wealthy or well connected — from considering the job even if offered, which it shouldn’t be. The last thing Trump should want is to play the game many of his predecessors did of rewarding buddies or business associates with a plum diplomatic post abroad in places like London or Paris.
All the antisemites in the SD need to be kicked out. There is a need to remove and replace all these guys and to move the tenured guys to nowhere! It is full of private interests with little concern in making America great again.
The enemy Nb 1 is SuShi Islamofascism (Iran-SA-Qatar). 2. China/N Korea.
Putin can be made to understand where his interests lie!
Okay Teddy, you’ve given reasons for preferring Romney, now what are your feelings about Bolton?
Yeah, yah yah. Whoever it is will do as he or she is told. As far as the Petraeus and Matthis’s comments about Israel is concerned….forget it, The State Dept, Pentagon, CIA, DIA, and all the rest have a curious logic when the subject of Israel comes up. The rank and file of these organizations are not sympathetic to Israel, as a rule. They consider Israel a parasite and of very little or no actual value. It is Trump who will tell these stuffed shirts what the administration policies are, so, the important thing is picking those who are smart and know how to follow orders and get things done, perfectly. Perfect assholes. The only exception is SECRETARY OF State. It has to be Guliani and he has to purge the department of it’s necrotic tissue, 100%. Romney is one of them, stick him someplace he can do no harm….and the military guys should be in other jobs, IMO, if appropriate.
But Betrayus would be a disaster. Could a Republican Congress confirm a guy who pled down to a misdemeanor the exact crime that Crooked Hillary committed with the emails? (Or worse, he revealed secrets to his extramarital girlfriend.) And he hates Israel:
“Petraeus emerges as top Sec of State candidate
Former CIA Director, General David Petraeus, has emerged as a top candidate for the coveted post.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/220984
whoever becomes SOS needs to be dealing with this growing problem with China whereby we have built their economy on our purchasing dollars and now we are confronted militarily and on every other level with a hostile opponent. Just like we had to pay for the “free market” with the add ons of unemployment, welfare, lost capital, lost taxes, etc….. we now have massive military and technology costs to deal with “our most favored nation” opponent. I never can see a point of enriching or strengthening hostile opponents at any level. If china is an opponent then we should not have any trade with them as out trade pays for our military weakening and their strengthening. Its the old BS that you give them an economy and then they will like you, whereas I prefer the old one: keep them downtrodden until they cry uncle and change.
He’d be perfect, but even with a Republican congress he’d never get confirmed.
Bolton’s good too:
Bolton: Two-State Solution ‘Nonstarter’ for Israel, Palestine
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/John-Bolton-Israel-Palestine-peace/2014/04/29/id/568391/
Bolton warns Obama not to take action at UN that hurts Israel
By Pamela Geller – on November 20, 2016
http://pamelageller.com/2016/11/bolton-warns-obama-not-take-action-un-hurts-israel.html/
And it’s true, he has the diplomatic experience.
Poor President-elect Trump. I can’t tell him who to pick.