Republicans were ground down by the Democratic juggernaut.

Outlook for Bolton nomination grim

The White House and Republican Senate leaders have a little betterthan two weeks to save John Bolton as ambassador to the UnitedNations after last Tuesday's fiasco in the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee. All that can be promised is that their efforts on Bolton'sbehalf will be tougher and better organized than they have been sofar. That should not be difficult because they could hardly be worse.

Republicans, weak and disorganized, were ground down by theDemocratic juggernaut. Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was so impressedby Democratic demagoguery that he impulsively dropped his support ofBolton, ending the narrow 10-8 committee tally for sending thenomination to the Senate floor. But since Voinovich is notoriouslyquirky and prone to break his Republican leash, the question ariseswhy the White House was not more attuned to making sure he was safelyon board.

Presidential aides have met with Voinovich since he jumpedoverboard, beginning the difficult task of reeling him in -- as wellas Senators Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Chuck Hagel ofNebraska, Republicans who followed Voinovich away from Bolton. Evenif the committee majority somehow is restored, Chairman Richard Lugarwill have to defeat efforts by Democrats to bring in Bolton for anauto-da-fe.

The grim outlook for Bolton constitutes a major victory for theadversarial style practiced by Senate Democrats, with Sen.Christopher Dodd of Connecticut taking the lead. Bolton's undeniableconservative ideology has antagonized the State Department's liberalcadre and its senatorial defenders. His hard line on Fidel Castro hasalienated Dodd, whose long-term goal has been normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations. Yet, Dodd on Tuesday made the astounding statementthat his opposition to Bolton "has nothing to do with substantivedisagreements," only his personal characteristics.

Dodd, in demanding a postponement of a vote on Bolton, claimed itwas "rare indeed for me to express objection to a nominee." In truth,Dodd has been a serial objector to GOP nominees over the years. Hehas voted against Martin Feldstein (Council of Economic Advisers),James Watt (interior secretary), James Edwards (energy secretary),Raymond Donovan (labor secretary), William Clark (deputy secretary ofstate and interior secretary), Rex Lee (solicitor general), C.Everett Koop (surgeon general), Kenneth Adelman (arms controldirector), Edwin Meese (attorney general), Robert Gates (CIAdirector), Ted Olson (solicitor general), Porter Goss (CIA director),Alberto Gonzales (attorney general), and Supreme Court nomineesWilliam Rehnquist, Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. He also opposedBolton for his current undersecretary of state position and kept thenomination of anti-Castroite Otto Reich as assistant secretary ofstate from reaching the Senate floor.

The only new element in Dodd's case against Bolton was the claimby Melody Townsel (self-described as a "vocal" outspoken Democrat)that she was mistreated by Bolton in a 1994 dispute in Moscow whenBolton worked in the private sector. Her claims were buttressed byWashington consultant Kirby Jones, and here again the Cubanconnection emerges. Jones is described by Newsweek as having "bettercontacts in Cuba than any other American" and by the New York Timesas "the man to see about business in Cuba."

Voinovich admitted he had not attended previous committee hearingson Bolton and what he knew was based only on what he had heardTuesday from Democrats. Chafee, indicating that he, too, wasswitching on Bolton, gushed about how thrilled he was to hear asenator change his mind after listening to another senator. Thosecomments could invite future demagoguery from Democrats.

Republicans always expect the worse from Chafee. But Voinovichtook the party by surprise. That surprise validates the opinion ofsenior Republican senators who consider this administration'scongressional outreach the worst they have seen.

The only serious Republican defense of Bolton on Tuesday was byfirst-term Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota. This passivity not onlyleads Democrats to believe they will prevent Bolton from going to theUnited Nations but also shows them the way to replicate this triumph.