Senate panel scrubs vote on Bolton as UN envoy

WASHINGTON, Sep 7 (Reuters) A US Senate committee scrubbed its planned vote today on keeping John Bolton as ambassador to the United Nations, as a key Republican remained undecided on the nomination by President George W Bush.

Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, the only Republican who has not publicly committed to supporting Bolton, sought more time, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said.

Chafee, locked in a tough re-election bid, faces a Republican primary election on Tuesday.

Committee Chairman Richard Lugar would only say a Republican member asked for the delay. He said the committee will meet on Bolton again, but did not say when.

''I'm not going to make any comments on time. It's going to require a lot of consultation with members on both sides of the aisle,'' the Indiana Republican said.

Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, a fierce opponent of Bolton, said, ''I think the nomination is in deep trouble again, as it should be.'' Given Democratic opposition to Bolton's nomination, all Republicans on the committee would have to back him in order to send his name to the Senate with a full endorsement.

Chafee voiced reservations on Bolton last year, but ended up sticking with committee Republicans. Chafee is a moderate Republican in a Democratic state, and he faces primary challenge from a conservative opponent.

Bolton is championed by foreign-policy conservatives, but Democrats contend Bolton bullied intelligence analysts to conform to his hawkish views in his last job as top US arms control negotiator.

Bolton's opponents also say his harsh criticisms of the United Nations make him unsuitable for the job.

After Senate Democrats blocked a floor vote on Bolton's nomination last year, Bush bypassed the Senate and appointed him during a congressional recess. But that appointment expires in January and the White House wants him confirmed for the rest of Bush's term which ends in January 2009.

Lugar said the Senate has adequate time to act on Bolton this year. While Congress will break in early October for the November congressional elections, a lame-duck session after the election is all but certain.

Dodd said he intended to try to block a full Senate vote on Bolton if the nomination does come out of the committee.

''I'm stunned that we're even considering this,'' Dodd said, noting that a number of retired US diplomats and sitting ambassadors at the United Nations have voiced opposition.

Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich -- who bucked the White House last year and was key in derailing Bolton's confirmation -- reversed his position in July, which Republicans had hoped would clear the way to confirm him.

Voinovich said Bolton has ''demonstrated his ability, especially in recent months, to work with others and follow the president's lead by working multilaterally.'' He said he could not ''imagine a worse message to send to those opposing democracy than to replace the person our president has entrusted to lead our nation at the United Nations.'' REUTERS KD PM2210