Blog Roundup #35

A sampling of United Nations related blog commentary

Coalition for Darfur: “Maine Man Witness to Struggles in Sudan – From the Bangor Daily News: “Stan Stalla can watch lobster fishermen tend their traps from his coastal home, but his job takes him across an ocean to a world where he sees starvation. A veteran aid worker, Stalla, 54, spent four months earlier this year in the Darfur region of Sudan … Through the United Nations World Food Programme, Stalla has seen firsthand the suffering and starving in the displaced-persons camps of Darfur.”

Democracy Arsenal: “Lee Feinstein has a nice roundup over at America Abroad of what Secretary Rice has been doing to improve the US position at the UN before John Bolton gets there. When you put it all together, Lee, it does sound like a coherent policy. Before Ambassador Bolton rides off to the wilds of Manhattan, I’d like to propose three lessons the Affair of the Thrown Stapler can teach us. Two of them are even optimistic…”

Redstate: “We’ve all been told by reporters that the world’s U.N. ambassadors would loathe “damaged goods” John Bolton, who would lack the authority of Senate confirmation required to allow him to be taken seriously by global diplomats. It looks like the reporters are wrong. For instance, Chinese Deputy Ambassador Zhang Yishan told Bloomberg.com: “Bush could name a reporter as representative and we would take him.” … They suggest that Bolton’s trouble, then, will come from Democrat lawmakers on Capitol Hill, as when he testifies in support of some U.N. reform measure.”