With much of the left in meltdown mode over President Bush's recess appointment of John Bolton as America's ambassador to the UN, Betsy Newmark offers some welcome perspective, linking to a Washington Post list of famous recess appointments by prior administrations. Betsy writes:

Note that such liberal icons as Earl Warren, Thurgood Marshall, and William Brennan as well as Potter Stewart were all originally recess appointments.

So, apparently, the earth won't open up and the Constitution fall in to be burned to a crisp at the earth's fiery core just because Bush appointed John Bolton to the United Nations.

Mr. Bolton is supposed to be too intemperate for the job, too rude.

People I know who know Bolton, however, pooh-pooh this as partisan slander, saying Bolton is actually a nice guy. But I hope they are wrong. If there is one thing that pseudo-idealistic kleptocracy the United Nations needs right now, it is some rudeness... a solid blast of bigtime rudeness that doesn't stop until all the Oil-for-Food swilling kleptocrats are blown out of their troughs at the Secretariat building.

Update: Meanwhile, Rich Lowry lists the numerous recess appointments made by Bill Clinton.