Amidst the chorus of calls for Bolton’s reappointment on the basis of the failsafe “If not him, then who?” argument, Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Congressman Jim Walsh (R-NY) have stepped forward to advocate a new nominee: former Congressman Jim Leech (R-IA). Steve Clemons has the full story.  

A summary of Leach’s principled public service profile by Jane Norman, staff writer for the Des Moines Register, is quite telling of his rich experience and consensus-building across the aisle—a staffer for Congressman Donald Rumsfeld (whom he still maintains a close relationship with), foreign service officer, 30 years as a member of Congress who was next in line to chair the House International Relations Committee (HIRC), extensive experience and leadership in dealing with US-North Korean relations, and committed opposition to the war in Iraq.

His work on Asian affairs, having chaired the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs within HIRC, will prove essential not only where the Korean Peninsula is at stake but in terms of crafting a forward-looking global outlook to fit the contours of a new landscape where China and India’s rise continues to tip the geo-strategic balance.

Having built relationships on both sides of the aisle with his brand of moderate realist internationalism, no doubt Jim Leach’s political dexterity would be a welcome contrast to current and likely outgoing Ambassador Bolton’s blunt tactics and combative nature that have yielded little by way of results. On a conference call with reporters, Congressman Walsh praised Leach, “He tends to look at things in subtle shades, he’s not a black and white kind of guy.” However both Congressman Blumenauer and Walsh denied this advocacy of Leach was intended to sideline Bolton but merely to put forth a viable and credible candidate should the position of ambassador to the UN be vacated.

Though a “Dear Colleague” letter has yet to be circulated by Blumenauer and Walsh, Congressmen Chris Shays (R-CT) and Jim Marshall (D-GA) were also reported to be in support of sending Leach to the UN as the US representative.