US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton will step down in the coming days, the White House announced today, unable to overcome Democratic Senate opposition.
Mr Bolton's attempt to hang on to his job, already tenuous, became even more problematic after Democrats who had blocked his nomination won control of the Senate in November elections.
President George W. Bush appointed Mr Bolton largely because of a commitment to reform the world body. But Mr Bolton's outspokenness and prickly manner often angered the diplomatic community and some of his fellow UN ambassadors at times found him difficult to work with.
Mr Bush said "it is with deep regret" that he accepted Mr Bolton's decision to leave the UN post when the current session of the US Congress ends, possibly at the end of the week.
"I am deeply disappointed that a handful of United States senators prevented Ambassador Bolton from receiving the up or down vote he deserved in the Senate," Bush said.
While there was much speculation in Washington that Bush might give Mr Bolton another position that did not require Senate confirmation, Mr Bolton's departure letter to the president appeared to close the door on that option.
"After careful consideration I have concluded that my service in your administration should end when the current recess appointment expires," Mr Bolton wrote.
"That's pretty unambiguous," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Mr Bush had bypassed the Senate in August 2005 by appointing Mr Bolton to the position when the lawmakers were in recess, avoiding the confirmation process and angering senators concerned that Mr Bolton had a temper and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views while at the State Department.
Mr Bolton and White House officials felt that if the full Senate had had the chance to vote on his nomination that he would be confirmed, but some senators in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee opposed him.
"Despite the support of a strong bipartisan majority of senators, Ambassador Bolton's confirmation was blocked by a Democrat filibuster, and this is a clear example of the breakdown in the Senate confirmation process," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
But there were some Republicans who opposed him as well. A key opponent was Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee, who refused to change his mind even though he was defeated in the November 7th elections.
Mr Bolton was active in diplomatic efforts to contain the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran and in pursuit of reforming the United Nations.