WASHINGTON — In an unforeseen setback for the Bush administration, a Senate committee delayed a key vote on John R. Bolton's nomination to be U.N. ambassador after a Republican senator announced Tuesday that he was not prepared to vote for Bolton.
Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) surprised Republicans and Democrats by saying he would not vote to confirm Bolton, based on evidence laid out by angry Democrats that Bolton had bullied and intimidated intelligence analysts and subordinates.
Bolton now must withstand at least three more weeks of investigation by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which could subpoena new witnesses or require him to appear again to answer fresh questions.
Senators and aides from both parties said they could not predict the outcome of the battle over Bolton, whose blunt and tough personal style as much as his ideology had made him the most controversial of President Bush's nominees.
The delay, a victory for Senate Democrats, was the latest sign that Republican moderates in Congress might be starting to bridle at their party leadership's strong tilt to the right and insistence on party discipline.
Before Tuesday's committee meeting, two moderate Republicans, Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, had said they were concerned about the allegations against Bolton, but remained inclined to support him.
That led the committee chairman, Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), to conclude that the 10 Republicans on the committee would rebuff pleas from the eight committee Democrats for more time. Lugar expressed irritation at parliamentary moves earlier Tuesday by Democrats seeking to delay the vote, and insisted a committee vote be held Tuesday.
"We were not born yesterday," Lugar told the Democrats. "The Republicans want to vote for John Bolton, and there are 10 Republicans here."
Democrats complained that Lugar was trying to ram the nomination through the committee and that they had not had time to substantiate or refute allegations against Bolton that began when a fellow State Department official testified that Bolton was a bully and a "serial abuser" of underlings.
Lugar attempted to cut off the debate. "We have indulged, I believe, in a lot of give," he said. "So, the give is over."
Then, however, Voinovich spoke up, saying that the treatment of subordinates was an important issue to him, and that if forced to vote Tuesday, he would oppose Bolton. "I've heard enough today that I don't feel comfortable about voting for Mr. Bolton," Voinovich said.
