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John Bolton Suggests He Could Consider 2012 Presidential Bid
(Credit:
AP)
John Bolton, ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush, suggested in an interview he could run for president with the intention of bringing more attention to national security.
When asked in an interview with the Daily Caller whether he would consider a presidential bid, Bolton suggested he could be interested, "In the sense that I want to make sure that not only in the Republican Party, but in the body politic as a whole, people are aware of threats that remain to the United States."
He continued, "You know, as somebody who writes op-eds and appears on the television, I appreciate as well as anybody that...there is a limit to what that accomplishes. Whereas, some governor from some state in the middle of the country announces for president they get enormous coverage even if their views are utterly uninformed on major issues."
Bolton, who was highly controversial during his 16-month tenure as U.N. ambassador, pointed out that he is not a politician and has never run for any federal elective office. He now serves as a senior fellow for the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute.
Bolton said with respect to the question of a presidential bid, "I see how the media works," suggesting such a decision -- or even discussion of it -- would stimulate more national security discussions.
"I understand the economy is in a ditch and people are concerned about it, but our adversaries overseas are not going to wait for us to get our economic house in order," he said.
The former Bush official also used the interview to blast the Obama administration's foreign policy, as he has on a number of other occasions.
"He doesn't see himself effectively as a real advocate for America's interest," Bolton said about President Obama. "He doesn't see the world as a particularly challenging place. And, frankly, I just don't think he cares that much about foreign policy."
After Bolton was given a recess appointment to serve as U.N. ambassador in 2005, he aggressively pursued President Bush's foreign policy agenda and called for an overhaul of the U.N. while antagonizing many members of the international body. After his temporary appointment expired, Democrats blocked his nomination to continue serving in 2006.
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Stephanie Condon Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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