Senate Debates Bolton's Nomination

The Senate began debate Wednesday on John Bolton's nomination to be United Nations ambassador, and Republicans say they are confident he will be confirmed before lawmakers leave Washington for the Memorial Day weekend.

A Senate vote on Bolton's nomination would end weeks of wrangling over whether Bolton mistreated co-workers or took liberties with government intelligence.

Republicans believe they will prevail in a chamber they control 55-44, with a Democratic-leaning independent. Democrats, meanwhile, say they have not ruled out a procedural tactic to postpone a vote, but several say it is unlikely.

"There is no desire for a filibuster," Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., said Tuesday.

Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio, the maverick Republican who denied President Bush's U.N. nominee a smooth sail through the GOP-led Senate, asked colleagues Tuesday to vote against a "controversial and ineffective ambassador."

"In these dangerous times, we cannot afford to put at risk our nation's ability to successfully wage and win the war on terror with a controversial and ineffective ambassador to the United Nations," Voinovich wrote to all 99 other senators. "I worry that Mr. Bolton could make it more difficult for us to achieve the important U.N. reforms needed to restore the strength of the institution."

Voinovich first forced a delay in Bolton's confirmation last month and then brokered an unusual compromise that sent Bolton's nomination to the full Senate without the customary recommendation from a Senate committee.

Voinovich echoed Democratic objections to Bolton, saying his conduct and temperament make him ill-suited for a sensitive diplomatic post. Voinovich planned to make a lengthy case against Bolton on the Senate floor.

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., is undecided, spokesman Alex Conant said. It was the first time Thune's name was mentioned along with about five other Republicans as a possible no vote.