Distinguished foreign policy and election law expert John Bolton, an occasional contributor to these pages, has been nominated by George W. Bush to be undersecretary of state for arms control and international security. A veteran of both the Reagan and Bush I administrations, Bolton is superbly qualified for the position. Some of his writings have provoked the Joe Conason Democrats. But our favorite response to his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week was this rant from the North Koreans' official news agency:
In his testimony, [Bolton] made arrogant remarks that he would adopt a more realistic and tough policy toward the nuclear weapon and ballistic missile issue of North Korea, thus slandering the political system of [North Korea] and putting pressure upon it.
His remarks prove again that the Bush administration is persistently seeking its criminal aim to escalate the tensions on the Korean peninsula and harass Asia-Pacific peace and stability, pursuant to a more hostile policy toward [North Korea].
The appointment of Bolton clearly indicates that the Bush administration's plan to revive the Cold War is taking concrete shape.
Coming as this does from the paranoid Communists of Pyongyang, for whom the Cold War has never ended, we can't think of a higher recommendation.