Sunday, May 01, 2005
More on John Bolton
The controversy surrounding John Bolton's nomination as ambassador to the United Nations makes for riveting reading. I happen to subscribe to the notion that attention should be paid to his manipulation of intelligence data, his attempts to undercut the State Department as Dick Cheney's inside man, and his public position that the United Nations should be dismantled and everyone sent home. The Washington Note is the turn-to site to follow this drama.
But it's real difficult to tear my eyes away from Steve Clemons' post this morning regarding Bolton's personal life.
In the "INFO BOX" in the Los Angeles Times bio-sketch of Bolton, this is noted:Compelling stuff. If true, this would kill his nomination and put egg on the faces of his supporters that claim to know the "real" Bolton.
Personal:
Born in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 20, 1948.
Married to the former Gretchen Brainerd; one daughter.
What happened to the first wife, Christine Bolton?
I have not spoken to Christine, but she seems to be a non-entity in the many proliferating Bolton profiles, but at the same time she is clearly a well-thought of person and friend to some of Washington's most distinguished personalities. I have dozens of messages from people noting what a wonderful person she is, and in sort of a hush-hush, you-know-what-I-mean, kind of tone, these friends of the first Mrs. Bolton imply a brutal, complicated, abusive marriage.
I want to know more of the facts because if Mr. Bolton has had a hard time controlling himself over the years, the evidence might reveal itself in his first marriage to a woman who was also a professional and who apparently worked at the Department of Commerce.
... But at this time when the hyper-conservative John Bolton was developing his political base, he was also allegedly involved in somewhat risque private behavior -- that I hesitate to say more about here. Those close to his former wife have alluded to it, and I believe that the Morally Intolerant Right Wing of the Republican circuit that is now pushing hard for John Bolton would back off if details of Bolton's off-line behavior that involved his then wife were known.
... The media should investigate questions about his first wife, their marriage, and what some of their friends consider to be quite cruel treatment by him of their relationship.
