Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has told some Republican senators that President George W. Bush's nominee to become ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, can be difficult to work with. Two Republican senators, who have raised concerns about Bolton's nomination, sought the advice of Powell, who described Bolton as challenging to work with on policy and personnel matters, the Washington Post repored Friday, citing two people familiar with the conversations. During Powell's tenure as secretary of state, he was often at odds with many in the administration. Bush and Powell's successor, Condoleezza Rice, have continued to support Bolton publicly. Democrats have strongly opposed Bolton's nomination, and have twice managed to delay votes in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to confirm Bolton to the post. Democrats initially objected to Bolton's harsh criticism of the United Nations, but have focused on emerging allegations that Bolton mistreated employees in the State Department, where he continues to serve as undersecretary, who disagreed with his views. ---SP 2326 Local Time 2026 GMT
