No sooner was the Senate out of town than President Bush took the opportunity to give John Bolton a recess appointment as chief U.S. representative to the United Nations.

The irony is that, absent the confirmation that the Senate denied Mr. Bolton, his appointment will last only until the end of the current Congress, which is to say, the end of 2006. President Bush's term at that point will still have two years to run, so he'll then have to find someone else to represent the country at the United Nations until he leaves office.

The pity is that Mr. Bush was not able to find someone for the task who was not so objectionable that the Senate couldn't stomach him. Mr. Bolton, the former undersecretary of state for arms control, was a controversial pick because of a reputation of mistreating subordinates, distorting intelligence and showing contempt for the United Nations. This was not a Republican-Democratic battle per se; the most eloquent opponent of all was Sen. George Voinovich, the Ohio Republican who said he opposed John Bolton in the name of his children and grandchildren.

U.N. officials such as Secretary General Kofi Annan and other countries' ambassadors will work with Mr. Bolton, because he will be the representative of the United States of America, with all that means in terms of power on the world stage.

On the other hand, Mr. Bush's imposing on the United Nations a representative whom the Congress refused to endorse is the equivalent of letting your nephew bring his incontinent dog with him when he comes to visit because he is, after all, your nephew.

Bush's "love me, love my dog" approach reflects the fact that he can under the law make recess appointments, whether anyone likes it or not. The unfortunate part is that the United States is in this case rendered less effective in international circles, and shamed to a degree, to have a rejected official as the second most important foreign affairs representative of our country in an important forum.