· Bush's man attempts to overturn Senate rejection
· Ambassador accused of harming US interests

Julian Borger in Washington
Friday July 28, 2006
The Guardian

America's ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, went to the Senate yesterday to defend his record and attempt to keep his job in the face of criticism that his combative style is harming US interests.
Mr Bolton holds his post temporarily because opposition from the Democratic Party and a senior Republican blocked his confirmation at bitter hearings last year. President Bush subsequently exercised his power to give the outspoken hawk and unilateralist a provisional appointment that expires in January.

The Republican senator who opposed him last year, George Voinovich, has since changed his mind, but Democrats made it clear they would try to block confirmation again when it comes to a vote, expected in September. "Before being nominated to this position in 2005 Mr Bolton's own statements evidenced great scepticism and disdain for the United Nations and multilateral diplomacy generally," said Christopher Dodd, a Democratic senator from Connecticut.