One of new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's more puzzling appointments has been former United Nations Deputy Secretary General Mark Malloch Brown to hold the Asia, Africa, and United Nation's portfolios. You may recall Mr. Malloch Brown's stirring defense of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's administration during the Oil For Food bribery scandal - made all the more ridiculous when revelation after revelation surfaced of Annan's spectacular mismanagemnet of the secretariat and the complicity of UN officials in the scheme right under Annan's nose.

But Malloch Brown's most visible moment in America came when he basically called flyover America a bunch of slack jawed yahoos for not being cheerleaders for the UN. This proved too much for former UN Ambassador John Bolton who called Malloch Brown out in some extraordinary remarks to the press. He referred to the speech as "anti-American" and that Malloch Brown's remarks were "condescending and patronizing." In diplomatic language, them's almost fightin' words. In this Telegraph interview, the arrogant Malloch Brown barely disguises his hatred of the United States while teasing America with the idea that the Brits are now going to pretty much go their own way in foreign policy. A few choice excerpts:

"What I really hate is the effort to paint me as anti-American, but I am happy to be described as anti-neo-con. If they see me as a villain, I will wear that as a badge of honour." [Translation: Unless you're to the left of Tony Benn, I've got no use for you.]

"My hope is that foreign policy will become much more impartial. We have a whole set of emerging countries. There will be lots of exciting things to do with Sarkozy and Merkel and other European leaders as well as strengthening our transatlantic relations. "There is this global hub where there is the opportunity to connect Britain to a new way of doing things, when you think again about the partnerships to get things done - how you bring in an India or a China, how you can bring in civil society, Oxfam and Save The Children." [Translation: Let us adults run the world, yanks. And my former employer George Soros, of course.] (Note: Malloch Brown ran one of Soros' numerous hedge funds not to mention living in one of his spacious flats in New York while he was with the UN. And Oxfam is one of Soros' favorite charities.)

"When last year there was an attempt to put together a new partnership for Iraq, I was the one who was called. Condi Rice came to Kofi Annan and said, 'the only person we want to run this is Malloch Brown. It is too serious to have anyone else do it' ." [Translation: No words can possibly do justice to that kind of cloying, even weird self-importance.]

There's much more. But I suggest an empty stomach while reading. (Hat Tip: Ed Lasky)