Rice Prods Senate on Bolton:

At a press briefing yesterday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was asked if President Bush might use Congress's July 4 recess to grant a recess appointment to embattled UN ambassador nominee John Bolton if Democrats continue filibustering his confirmation. Rice dodged a direct answer, while pushing for Bolton's prompt confirmation. "Well, it's time to get an up-and-down vote on John Bolton. He has answered questions. They have debated it," she said. "I have enormous respect for the deliberative process of the Senate, but I think we're seeing the effect for us of a UN reform process that is moving ahead, and moving ahead rather rapidly, without the United States' having a permanent representative at the United Nations. And it's time for us to get him there so that he can shepherd this very important process."