UNITED NATIONS: President's pick, John Bolton, is accused of bad diplomacy and management.
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was among the small number of Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who expressed serious reservations about John Bolton, the nominee for United Nations ambassador. Murkowski criticized Bolton's management style and diplomacy skills at a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations committee Thursday but still voted to send his nomination to the Senate floor.
Murkowski called remarks that Bolton made about North Korea "inflammatory" at a time when the United States needed diplomacy. And she was concerned about how Bolton, who is undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, treated people with whom he worked, both superiors and those beneath him. Murkowski said she was also troubled by how he dealt with people who disagreed with him, she said.
"I believe that there is a pattern of Mr. Bolton pushing that envelope ... and trying to push policy that was perhaps more ambitious than the administration might be willing to go," she said.
Murkowski also was concerned that Bolton might not adhere to the administration's decisions on policy, she said.
But President Bush chose Bolton, and he deserves to have the nominee he selected, she said.
"Ultimately, in a position assigned by the president, that conduct is going to reflect on the president and the head of the department," she said. "It is the president's responsibility to ensure that his nominee is part of the team and not a freelancer."
Murkowski joined Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., on Thursday as Bolton's harshest Republican critics. Democrats also vigorously attacked Bolton's nomination at the session, and Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., promised a battle on the floor.
In April, when Voinovich first stunned his Republican colleagues by saying he couldn't support Bolton at that time, Murkowski joined the moderates of her party in agreeing that further investigation was warranted.
Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who will now get to vote on Bolton when the nomination comes to the Senate floor, said Thursday through a spokeswoman that he backed Bolton's nomination.
"He's a straight-shooter, no-nonsense type of guy," said Stevens, and he expects Bolton will help Alaska with fisheries issues.
But Voinovich was scathing in his criticism of Bolton on Thursday, calling him the "poster child" for what someone in diplomacy should not be.
Murkowski said after the meeting that she felt Voinovich's comments were "thoughtful." But she would not say how she plans to vote once the full Senate considers the nomination.
"It was important to get the nominee out of committee," she said.
Daily News reporter Nicole Tsong can be reached at ntsong@adn.com or 1-202-383-0007.
