ALEXANDRIA, VA - ACU Chairman David A. Keene called President Bush's nomination of Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations "a bold selection that will surely shake things up at UN headquarters."

In making the announcement, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: "The President and I have asked John to do this work because he knows how to get things done. He is a tough-minded diplomat, he has a strong record of success, and he has a proven track record of effective multilateralism."

"On behalf of our nearly one million members from across the country, I congratulate John on his appointment. President Bush couldn't have selected a more conservative and deserving candidate. He will take his seat in the Security Council at a particularly difficult time for the world body. Faced with mounting criticism for its ineffectiveness and scandal, the UN needs someone of Bolton's proven expertise in forging relationships that will not only help promote President Bush's policies but will also help restore much-needed credibility to the institution," said Keene.

"We extend our heartiest congratulations to a good friend and our wish for a speedy Senate confirmation for a well-deserved nominee," Keene concluded.

John Bolton received the Courage Under Fire award at the 2004 Conservative Political Action Conference - the country's largest annual gathering of conservatives - a project of the American Conservative Union Foundation in association with Human Events and Young America's Foundation. The conference is co-sponsored by over 70 of the nation's leading conservative organizations.