President George Bush's decision to appoint John Bolton as his ambassador to the United Nations in the teeth of Congressional and political hostility reveals much about his political style. This is a recess appointment, valid only until the next US Senate takes office.
Mr Bush's determination to proceed with it indicates he is ready to override the disquiet of Republican as well as Democratic critics of Mr Bolton's opposition to the UN and endorse his calls for radical reform of the world body. But this comes at a time when several of the reforms sought by Mr Bolton are already under way. Ironically, his real role could be to convince diehard Republican supporters of the Bush administration to accept that this is so at a time when changing foreign policy priorities make the UN more, not less, necessary to achieve its overseas objectives.
Mr Bolton is a protege of the vice-president, Dick Cheney, and a key representative of the hard right-wing nationalist wing of this administration. He has rubbished the UN's right to intervene, its basis in international law, and famously remarked that were it to lose 10 floors of its 38-floor headquarters in New York, it would be organisationally improved. He has called for a radical programme of reform in the international organisation to make it more transparent and less intrusive.
His appointment was vehemently opposed on grounds that he manipulated intelligence to bolster his ideological positions as under-secretary of state for arms control, bullied subordinates, and systematically opposed engaging with North Korea and Iran on nuclear arms. Unusually for this administration his appointment reached a complete impasse over the summer. The pace of change in US foreign policy and on the UN reform agenda forced Mr Bush's hand - and he was not inclined to back off his nomination.
In fact several of the items on which Mr Bolton built his reputation as an anti-UN zealot have already become part of a wide-ranging programme of reform implemented or proposed by the UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. His own administration has been streamlined to take account of the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq. The UN Human Rights Commission, in which countries such as Libya, Cuba and Sudan judged others' records, is set to be abolished and replaced. Initiatives on democratisation, terrorism and peace-building are also in train. Next month a UN summit will consider Mr Annan's reform plan and endorse the Millennium Goals on eliminating primary poverty agreed five years ago for achievement by 2015.
In his second term Mr Bush needs to re-engage with the UN and forge closer relations with US allies to achieve his foreign policy objectives. It remains to be seen whether this is best accomplished by Mr Bolton, even if he has Mr Bush's full confidence. Diplomatic reaction in New York was cautious indeed. The onus is on both men to show they are willing to make this long journey.