Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Schumer and Clinton Pressed To Reappoint Bolton


One Jewish leader may have an idea why. The president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein, said yesterday that "important friends" of Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Clinton have confided to him that the senators are "seriously reconsidering" their position on Mr. Bolton.

Jewish leaders who support Mr. Bolton said they hope the war in the Middle East will take precedent over a stalemate between Democrats and the White House on the release of classified documents that led to a filibuster last year.

"Given the fact that we face a world today where every decision every day seems to count, we cannot allow any disruption in who plays the lead role in representing the United States," the chairman of the American Jewish Congress, Jack Rosen, said. "This is not a time for a void.It is not a time to take away someone who's represented us well at the United Nations, putting aside for the moment any squabbles or disagreements with the administration."

Mr. Rosen said he has written letters to members of the Foreign Relations Committee urging their support, and that he hopes the lack of a statement from Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Clinton is an indication that they are changing their position. "I think they would understand that the Jewish community is supporting Bolton and that when you represent a large Jewish community in New York, politics matters," he said.

No comments: