John R. Bolton as U.N. ambassador: to be or not to be?

Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee prepared a list of about 20 questions Tuesday for &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/08/28433.html ' target=_blank>John R. Bolton, including requests for e-mails and telephone logs relating to confrontations he has had with intelligence analysts, according to Senate staff.

Bolton, President Bush's embattled pick to be &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2003/08/29/49639.html ' target=_blank>U.N. ambassador, spent part of his day in meetings on Capitol Hill. Several GOP senators on the committee whose support for him has wavered said they did not see him. Bolton did meet with Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., who is not on the committee.

The Senate panel is also setting up interviews over the next few days with up to 19 people, including former intelligence officers, subordinates who reported problems with Bolton, and Bolton's former chief assistant, according to a Senate committee aide who spoke on condition of anonymity, reports ABC News.

The eight Democrats on the committee plan to vote against Bolton. Opposition from just one of the 10 Republicans would result in a tie that could prevent the nomination from going forward for a vote in the full Senate.

After Republican Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio said he was not prepared to support Bolton at last week's committee meeting, Republicans were forced to postpone the vote until May 12. If it clears the committee, the nomination should have a good chance in the full Senate which Republicans control with 55 out of 100 seats.

Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska also said they wanted more time for review and were weighing their decisions on Bolton.