You Beast
When editorial cartoonists consider John Bolton, President Bush’s nominee as ambassador to the United Nations, animal instinct takes over.
His unruly hair and Yosemite Sam mustache don’t fully explain the rash of reverse anthropomorphism. Bolton’s controversial rhetorical flourishes about the U.N. and his reputation for bullying subordinates gave us whatever permission we needed for our beastly attacks. Truth is, it’s easy to vilify a lightning-rod personality but much tougher to inform readers about what’s at stake. My liberal colleagues’ cartoons made me laugh, but Chip Bok’s reminder of the U.N.’s past failings made me think.
Last week’s delay in Bolton’s confirmation hearings gives the Senate, and cartoonists, a little more time to consider. Hmm . Bull, porcupine, walrus, it’s all so yesterday. What about Bolton as platypus? Okapi? Dik-dik?
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