Newt Gingrich Would Name John Bolton Secretary Of State If Elected

WASHINGTON -- Newt Gingrich said Wednesday that he would appoint John Bolton as secretary of state if he is elected in 2012.

The former speaker of the House got wild applause from the Republican Jewish Coalition when he said he would pick the neoconservative former U.N ambassador to be his top diplomat if he wins the GOP nomination and goes on to beat President Obama next November.

Despite Gingrich's comments, candidates can face fines and prison time for promising or pledging appointments. Mitt Romney also noted that he would consider nominating people for his Cabinet before the 2012 elections.

Gingrich's promised anointment of the hardline Bush administration veteran comes as Bolton and his fellow neocons are seeking a way back into the Republican Party's good graces after the invasion of Iraq and the insurgency that followed.

One of six GOP presidential contenders invited to address the RJC, Gingrich mentioned Bolton in broader criticism of the current State Department. In recent days, Gingrich has called on Obama to condemn comments by the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, for suggesting anti-semitism in the Middle East resulted from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has also urged Obama to denounce Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's comment that Israel needs to get back to the "damn table" in negotiations with Palestinians. He repeated his criticism to warm applause.

Gingrich also got the crowd excited by saying he would order the U.S. Embassy in Israel to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want for the capital of a future state.

Comments

[JohnBryansFontaine]

08:37 PM on 12/08/2011

Still ‘Old Newt’ — Gingrich denies his ethics problems
By Jennifer Rubin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/still-old-newt--gingrich-denies-his-ethics-problems/2011/12/08/gIQAlJtwfO_blog.html

[JohnBryansFontaine]

08:36 PM on 12/08/2011

Gingrich's Ethics

http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1997/gen/resources/infocus/gingrich/index3.html

[bassboatboy]

08:26 PM on 12/08/2011

Despite Gingrich's comments, candidates can face fines and prison time for promising or pledging appointments? Oh but NOT if your a WASHINGTON D.C. insider? What's wrong with this? GOP should be on the hook for these statements (again).

Grand Newt, just grand :)

[north of the boarder]

07:32 PM on 12/08/2011

and Donald Trump Treasury Secretary, Michelle Backman CIA Chief, Sean Hannity Press Secretary, and on and on . . . . .

[MtnGeek]

05:13 PM on 12/08/2011

Bolton? That's one way of making sure we are always at war in the middle east, choose the guy who spearheaded invading Iraq and make him Sec. of State ... there could not be a worse choice for the foreign policy face of the U.S.

[good4you]

12:48 PM on 12/08/2011

Why is Newt making picks for anything...he will be making picks for retirement homes next year !

[good4you]

12:46 PM on 12/08/2011

LOL...WOW....is he kidding? "Regressive" doesn't even begin to describe these guys like Gingrich(k). Americans cannot and will not allow this country to move in a backward retrograde motion ever again. There are too many young bright people looking to have a future. These old fossils need to go by the wayside and now not later. VOTE OUT ALL GOP/TP and let's move America forward !!!

[willowraven]

12:10 PM on 12/08/2011

Oh good grief, Newt wait till you get the GOP nod, then start appointing the idiots...Bolton??? Sure I always wanted to get nuked, Just pick a country any country and in 2 months they will nuke us with this team at the helm...

[sglahn817]

12:05 PM on 12/08/2011

Bolton was a neocon enabler for bush. tells a lot about newt for sure.

[widollar]

11:07 AM on 12/08/2011

John Bolton and Newt Gingrich are two strange peas in the same pod. This announcement will cement the deal making sure Gingrich never makes it to the Oval Office. Good show bulldog!

[motor48]

10:57 AM on 12/08/2011

No worrys Newt wont be picking a Sec Of State thats just more or the ear tickleing talk That all them canidates seem to do When speaking to the Romans Say what the Romans want to Hear LOL

[Ed Vermeulen]

10:28 AM on 12/08/2011

Well, I like Bolton at least.

[Vitaly Rozman]

09:48 AM on 12/08/2011

Awesome!

[gloriab]

09:44 AM on 12/08/2011

And they call this man 'the smart one'.

[scorpions5]

09:27 AM on 12/08/2011

Great choice! John Bolton will get things done instead of playing games. The State department has been comprised of a bunch of sissies for years. It would be nice to see it back to what it use to be, tough.