Our reaction to the nomination of John Bolton as U.S. ambassador to the U.N.? Two thumbs up. Way up.

Jon Henke at Q&O has some of Bolton’s notable quotables and observes:

One doesn’t appoint a hardliner to appease the Belgians, so realignment is obviously afoot. It will be interesting to see what reform measures this appointment presages. Very interesting, indeed.

Pejman Yousefzadeh is “quite happy to have him as the new Ambassador to the United Nations…Perhaps this kind of thing hurts sensitive ears, but many of Bolton’s comments should have been said by higher-ranking diplomats long ago.”

Some on the Left side of the blogosphere, however, are going nuts over Bolton. This guy likens him to Ted Bundy. David Corn writes that Bolton is “widely considered the leading hard-ass of the neocon clan.”

Beltway Buzz has dour reactions from John Kerry and Jon Corzine.

Meanwhile, the U.N. is trying to put on a happy face. The U.N. Dispatch quotes Kofi Annan oozing lovey-dovey enthusiasm. And from the Washington Post:

Asked if the United Nations had concerns about Bolton’s history of sharply criticizing the United Nations, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the institution would welcome a tough reformer. “We do want to be held accountable,” he said.

A jolt of Bolton is just what the doctor ordered.