U.S. President George W. Bush demanded on Monday an immediate up-or-down Senate vote on John Bolton's nomination as U.N. ambassador, and top aides would not rule out Bush bypassing the Senate by issuing a "recess appointment" giving Bolton the post for 18 months. "It's time for the Senate to give an up-or-down vote now," Bush said at a news conference with European Union leaders. "Well, put him in. If they're interested in reforming the United Nations, they ought to approve John Bolton." Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hinted on Sunday that Bush could install Bolton to the U.N. post by appointing him during a congressional recess, which would allow him to serve through January 2007 without confirmation. "We'll see what happens this week," she told "Fox News Sunday." Pressed on the possibility of a recess appointment, White House spokesman Scott McClellan did not rule it out, but said: "We continue to urge the Senate to let him have an up-or-down vote on the floor." "The American people know why I nominated him: because the U.N. needs reform. And I thought it made sense to send a reformer to the United Nations," Bush said, according to Reuters. --More 2338 Local Time 2038 GMT
