GOP revives push for Senate approval of Bolton as UN envoy
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration and GOP leaders renewed their push yesterday to win Senate approval of John Bolton as UN ambassador. Democrats maintained he is too brash and ineffective to be confirmed.
The sharp division all but guaranteed lawmakers were headed toward another partisan showdown on the Senate floor, although Democrats would not say whether their opposition would result in a filibuster as it did last year.
A Senate vote on Bolton could occur as early as September, just as the election season heats up with Bush's foreign policy a major issue for voters. The United Nations has been at the forefront of international discussions on North Korea's missile tests, Iran's nuclear program, and the crisis in the Middle East.
``I do believe, without any reservation whatsoever, that the Senate will and should give that advice and consent to this nominee," said Senator John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia.
After repeated failed attempts by GOP leaders to grant Bolton Senate approval, Bush on Aug. 1 of last year used his executive power to sidestep Congress and temporarily assign Bolton to the job.
Republicans decided to revive the matter this week after Senator George V. Voinovich, Republican of Ohio, who last year sided with Democrats in opposing the president's nomination, announced he would support Bolton this time.
Several Democrats said during the nomination hearing yesterday that their views remained unchanged, citing reports that Bolton has alienated other ambassadors and failed to make progress on UN reform efforts.
``My concern is that at the moment of the greatest need for diplomacy in our recent history, we are not particularly effective at it," said Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, the Foreign Relations Committee's top Democrat.
But Biden and others did not say whether they would try to block an up-or-down floor vote as they did last year.
Since Voinovich is now siding with his party on Bolton, Republicans would need only five votes to shut off debate.
Senate minority leader Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, has ``not made a decision either way" on calling for a filibuster, his spokesman said.
Political specialists said choosing not to filibuster Bolton could be a political tactic in an election year, when Democrats plan to contend that the Bush administration has failed to bring peace to the Middle East and to return US troops home.
``To turn the issue to a Democratic filibuster, rather than Bush's foreign policy is a mistake," said Julian Zelizer, a history professor at Boston University.
Bolton said he had established ``good working relationships" with other members of the UN and was making progress, telling the senators, ``I have done my best to work with others to advance our national interests."
Shrugging off the criticism of Bolton, Republicans predicted he would be confirmed soon for the position on a permanent basis. Bolton said the United States remains committed to bringing peace to Darfur and that ``modest progress" has been made in UN reform. 