Support for Bolton

It is disturbing when a cabinet official proclaims public support for someone up for a big job, but privately exhibits no confidence in that same person.

Bolton's time at the State Department under Rice has been brief. But authoritative officials said Bolton let her go on her first European trip without knowing about the growing opposition there to Bolton's campaign to oust the head of the U.N. nuclear agency. "She went off without knowing the details of what everybody else was saying about how they were not going to join the campaign," according to a senior official. Bolton has been trying to replace Mohamed ElBaradei, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who is perceived by some within the Bush administration as too soft on Iran.

Publicly, Rice has staunchly defended Bolton's credentials and urged the Senate to quickly confirm him. But privately, officials said, she has kept him out of key discussions on Iran since taking over in January.

It's increasingly clear that Bolton was viewed within the State Department as a loose cannon, a serial abuser of staff members, and, most relevant to the job he's up for now, an obvious impediment to U.S. national interests. Why, oh why, was he ever nominated for this job let alone defended by the very same people who he has repeatedly undermined?