Bolton nomination heads to Senate
But goes to the floor for a vote without an endorsement
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|  VIDEO |
 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks with CNN's Larry King.
 CNN's Andrea Koppel looks at Bolton's beginnings.
 CNN's John King speaks with Condoleezza Rice.
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• Panel digs for more information
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| JOHN R. BOLTON | AGE: 56; born November 20, 1948, in Baltimore, Maryland
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from Yale University, summa cum laude, 1970; law degree from Yale Law School, 1974
EXPERIENCE: Undersecretary of state for arms control and international security since May 11, 2001; assistant U.S. attorney general, 1985-1989; assistant administrator for program and policy coordination, U.S. Agency for International Development, 1982-1983; general counsel, U.S. Agency for International Development, 1981-1982; associate at the Washington office of Covington & Burlington, 1974-81; partner in the law firm of Lerner, Reed, Bolton & McManus, 1993-99
FAMILY: Married to the former Gretchen Brainerd; one daughter.
Source: AP
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a blow to the White House, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Thursday to send the nomination of John R. Bolton to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to the full Senate without a recommendation.
The vote was along party lines -- 10 to 8. An endorsement is customary when a nomination advances to the floor for consideration. It's rare to withhold a recommendation or to send a negative one, the committee's other option.
A spokesman for Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the Republican chairman of the committee, said the 10 majority members agreed to the procedural move Wednesday night after speaking with fellow member Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio.
Voinovich was outspoken Thursday in his opposition to Bolton's nomination, suggesting it might not pass the full Senate, where it needs a simple majority of 51 for approval.
He said he plans to vote against the undersecretary of state for arms control and would encourage other senators to do likewise.
"I have every faith in my colleagues," Voinovich said. "No one's really excited about him going to the United Nations."
"It is my opinion that John Bolton is the poster child of what someone in the diplomatic corps should not be," said Voinovich, a former Ohio governor.
Republicans have a 55-vote majority in the 100-member chamber. The vote will likely take place after next week and before May 30, Memorial Day, said the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.
Voinovich was one of four Republican committee members in recent weeks to voice concerns about Bolton's suitability.
He said in committee debate Thursday that sending Bolton to the United Nations would convey a contradictory message to the world about U.S. policy.
"I have great concerns with the current nominee and his ability to get the job done," Voinovich said.
He noted that the signature of Bolton's onetime boss, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, was conspicuously absent on a letter supporting the nomination from other previous secretaries of state, including James Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger, Alexander Haig, Henry Kissinger and George Shultz.
"The United States can do better than John Bolton," Voinovich said. "Our conversations have been cordial and candid, but I don't believe he's the best man we can send to the United Nations," he said.
In the end, however, Voinovich still joined his fellow Republicans in sending the nomination forward.
"I'm not so arrogant to think that I should impose my judgment on my colleagues. We owe it to the president to give Mr. Bolton an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate," Voinovich said.
White House support
The White House says Bolton, 56, a longtime U.N. critic, is needed at the United Nations to promote change within the world body.
"We respect Senator Voinovich's decision, but there are many people who agree with the president that John Bolton is the right person at the right time for this appointment," White House press secretary Scott McClellan told a briefing Thursday.
"Bolton is a strong voice for reform, exactly the kind of person we need at the United Nations. We are confident the Senate will move forward and approve his nomination."
At his confirmation hearings last month, senators 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.
The committee put off a vote on the nomination last month after Voinovich joined Democrats in asking for more time to investigate allegations about the Bolton's conduct. (Full story)
Lugar said that while Bolton's actions were "not always exemplary," evidence heard by the panel did not support a disqualification of the nominee.
"The end result is that many of the accusations have proven to be groundless or, at worst, overstated," Lugar said.
Lugar said that in addition to the former secretaries of state, dozens of officials have supported the pick -- including U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
"The picture is one of an aggressive policymaker who pressed his missions at every opportunity and argued vociferously for his point of view," Lugar said.
"In the process, his blunt style alienated some colleagues, but there is no evidence that he has broken laws or engaged in serious ethical misconduct."
Opponents to the nomination have charged that Bolton's "bull in the china shop" style would do nothing to improve the image of the United States worldwide.
Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the ranking committee Democrat, predicted "significant debate" in the Senate.
"Whether or not there's a filibuster is too early to tell," he said.
If Democrats do decide to filibuster the nomination, 60 votes would be needed to shut off debate, known as invoking cloture. Since the Democrats hold 44 seats, they could threaten to hold up the vote indefinitely.
"It's clear he did not have the support of the majority of members of the Foreign Relations Committee to be confirmed. ... That's really unusual," Biden said.
In addition, several major figures from the Bush administration came to the hearings to say he should not be confirmed, the senator said.
"That's incredible."
If confirmed, Bolton would replace John Danforth, who left the post in January after less than seven months on the job.
Voinovich said he "would plead to my colleagues in the Senate to consider the decision and its consequences carefully, and to ask themselves several questions:
"Will John Bolton do the best job possible representing a trans-Atlantic face of America at the U.N.? Will he be able to pursue the needed reforms at the U.N. despite his damaged credibility?"
CNN's Andrea Koppel, Ed Henry and Elise Labott contributed to this report.
