US President George W. Bush prodded the Senate to confirm John Bolton as U.N. ambassador and blamed politics for holding up the vote. Bush's 2004 presidential challenger said Bolton, if approved, would be weakened by the allegations against him.
Two days after the Republican-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee abruptly postponed plans to vote on the nomination, Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Republican, said he strongly supports Bolton, but "I can't speak for all of leadership" of the Senate Republicans.
No top Senate Republican has voiced opposition to Bolton. But cracks in support by some Republican senators have put the nomination in question. The White House is lobbying three Republicans on the committee whose concern about Bolton's nomination derailed Tuesday's planned vote. Their worries has set in motion three more weeks of investigation into how Bolton treated subordinates who disagreed with his views.
Before speaking to a meeting of insurance agents about Social Security, Bush on Thursday described Washington as a place where "sometimes politics gets in the way of doing the people's business."
"John's distinguished career and service to our nation demonstrates that he is the right man at the right time for this important assignment," Bush said.
As it resumed research Bolton, the Senate committee received a new accusation of abusive behavior by the nominee, according to a Democratic committee staff member who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The latest allegation dates to the Reagan administration, when Bolton was general counsel for the US Agency for International Development, and concerns reports that Bolton berated another agency employee and tried to get the person fired, said the aide, who would provide no further detail.
In addition, Thomas Hubbard, a former US ambassador to South Korea who served under Bush, challenged Bolton's testimony to the committee that he had praised Bolton for a 2003 speech denouncing Kim Jong-il, the leader of North Korea, as a "tyrannical dictator."
In an interview Hubbard said he advised Bolton against making the speech. The comments led North Korea to denounce Bolton as a "bloodsucker" and roiled already difficult talks over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
"I asked Bolton to tone the speech down," Hubbard said.
Bolton agreed to some factual changes but went ahead with his denunciation of Kim.
Separately, former secretary of state Colin Powell returned calls on Thursday to senators who wanted to discuss questions that have been raised about Bolton, said Powell's spokeswoman, Peggy Cifrino. She gave no additional details.
Powell was the only former Republican secretary of state who did not sign a recent letter endorsing Bolton for the job.
Senator John Kerry, a Democrat, said a hiatus is prudent while the committee explores allegations and questions about Bolton's fitness for the job.
If Bolton has not been candid about accusations against him, Kerry said in the Senate, "that is a serious problem, it's not politics."
Kerry also said if Bolton were to get the job "with proof that there is in fact a retribution system for not providing the intelligence according to what that person wanted ... that's a problem, it's a serious problem."
Republicans tried to shore up the nomination on the Senate floor, where both moderate and conservative lawmakers came to Bolton's defense.
Republican Senator John McCain, who has sometimes been at odds with Bush, said Bolton's reputation as having a volatile temper should not disqualify him from a job where he could help steer needed reform at the world body.
The Senate committee reached no consensus Thursday on whether to ask Bolton to return for more questioning. Bolton testified for eight hours last week and answered more questions in writing, but has been unable to stem a stream of allegations that he mistreated people he worked with and let his temper get away from him.
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