Senate set to take up U.N. nomination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) May 24, 2005 -- Senate set to take up U.N. nomination

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After weeks of heated debate over President Bush's nomination of John Bolton to become the next U.N. ambassador, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday the full Senate will take up the matter Wednesday.

"We plan on completing action this week," said Frist, a Republican from Tennessee.

But a key Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, sent letters to all his Senate colleagues this week advising against tapping Bolton.

Democrats have said Bolton lacks the diplomatic skills for the job.

At his confirmation hearings last month, the Foreign Relations Committee heard testimony that Bolton bullied subordinates and tried to get intelligence analysts who disagreed with him fired or reassigned.

He also was accused of manipulating intelligence to fit his preconceived notions and misleading the committee.

Bolton's supporters, including the White House, argue he is a seasoned government official who can spearhead changes they say are needed at the United Nations.

The nomination needs 51 votes to pass. Republicans hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate.

Voinovich called Bolton a "controversial and ineffective" pick and said the United States "can do much better."

"I strongly feel that the importance of this nomination to our foreign policy requires us to set aside our partisan agenda and let our consciences and our shared commitment to our nation's best interests guide us," Voinovich wrote.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/24/bolton/index.html