Post by Moses on Jun 20, 2005 14:45:14 GMT -5
W.House does not rule out Bolton recess appointment
Mon Jun 20, 2005 12:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Monday did not rule out the possibility of sidestepping the Senate by naming John Bolton as U.N. ambassador in a recess appointment, as it urged an up-or-down Senate vote on the nomination.
"It is critical that we get him in place," [For what?] White House spokesman Scott McClellan said of Bush's controversial nominee.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hinted on Sunday that President Bush could install Bolton to the U.N. post through a temporary recess appointment. "We'll see what happens this week," she told "Fox News Sunday."
Pressed on the possibility of a recess appointment, McClellan said only, "We continue to urge the Senate to let him have an up-or-down vote on the floor."
Senate Republicans have scheduled a procedural vote on Monday to try to break the deadlock over Bolton. But Democrats said they had enough votes to stall the nomination until the White House turns over information they have demanded about the nominee.
Many Democrats have criticized Bolton, the top U.S. diplomat for arms control and an outspoken critic of the United Nations, as a hard-line conservative ideologue. Bush has described him as the right man to press for U.N. reforms.
Bush has on occasion issued recess appointments to sidestep Senate opposition to his nominees. He could do so for Bolton during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday recess or during Congress' monthlong August break. A recess appointment for Bolton would allow him to serve as ambassador through January 2007.
"We're focused on getting him an up-or-down vote on the floor of the Senate. And hopefully some Democrats will recognize that there is a reasonable effort to reach a compromise and will break with the ranks of their leadership," McClellan said.
"It's unfortunate that the Democratic leadership continues to block his nomination, particularly when he has majority support," he said. "It's very clear now that the Democratic leadership is not interested in the information. They're only interested in blocking this nomination."