On July 1 , 2004 , Danforth was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations , succeeding John Negroponte , who left the post after becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq in June . Danforth is best remembered for attempts to bring peace to the Sudan but stayed at the UN for just six months . Danforth was mentioned as a successor to Secretary of State Colin Powell . Six days after the announcement that Condoleezza Rice was going to take the position Danforth submitted his resignation on November 22 , 2004 , effective January 20 , 2005 . Danforth 's resignation letter said , " Forty-seven years ago , I married the girl of my dreams , and , at this point in my life , what is most important to me is to spend more time with her . " In 1999 , Democratic U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno appointed Danforth to lead an investigation into the FBI 's role in the 1993 Waco Siege . Danforth appointed Democratic U.S. Attorney Edward L. Dowd Jr. for the Eastern District of Missouri as his deputy special counsel for Waco . He also hired Bryan Cave law firm partner Thomas A. Schweich as his chief of staff . Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Martin served as Danforth 's director of investigative operations for what became known as the " Waco Investigation " or " Danforth Report . " In July 2000 , Danforth 's name was leaked as being on the short list of potential vice presidential nominees for Republican candidate George W. Bush , along with Michigan Governor John Engler , New York Governor George Pataki , Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge , and former American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole . Just one week before the 2000 Republican National Convention was to be held in Philadelphia , campaign sources said that Dick Cheney , the man charged with leading the selection process for the nominee , had recommended Danforth to Bush for the position . However , despite growing speculation that Danforth was Bush 's final pick , Bush selected Cheney himself for the position . Bush wrote in his autobiography '' Decision Points '' that Danforth would have been his choice if Cheney did not accept
2000 Republican National Convention
2000 Republican National Convention
John Danforth