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US Ambassador to UN Resigns

The White House reported Monday that US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, will resign from his position in the next few days, once his special presidential appointment expires. Bolton was forced to announce his resignation once it became certain that there was no chance the Senate would grant him a permanent position. Bolton gave in his letter of resignation to the White House on Friday, catching the President by surprise.

Bolton has been ambassador to the UN since August 2005. He was appointed temporarily by the President under emergency procedure while Congress was in recess after failing to appoint him through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Even though the Senate was then Republican, moderate some Republicans apposed his appointment. Democrats found Bolton even more disagreeable, viewing him as to tough and undiplomatic. After the midterm-elections, and the Democratic take over of both houses of Congress, Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, said he saw "no point in considering Mr. Bolton`s nomination again."

Meanwhile, the White House attempted to hold a vote on Bolton`s appointment before the swearing in of the new Congress, in January. But Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee, who lost his seat in the Senate, refused to play along, and intends to appose the action, so that it was clear that this will not work. White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino said: "Ambassador Bolton served his country with distinction and he achieve a great deal at the United Nations."