Bush installs Bolton as UN ambassador

President George W. Bush bypassed the Senate and installed John Bolton as US ambassador to the United Nations yesterday over protests by Democrats that the combative critic of the world body would hurt US credibility.

Five months after nominating Mr Bolton, Mr Bush appointed him in a subdued White House Roosevelt Room ceremony with the mustachioed Bolton beside him and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice standing nearby.

"This post is too important to leave vacant any longer, especially during a war and a vital debate about UN reform. So today I've used my constitutional authority to appoint John Bolton as America's ambassador to the United Nations," Mr Bush said.

Mr Bolton, 56, will be able to serve until January 2007, when a new Congress is sworn in. Mr Bush gave Mr Bolton a "recess appointment," taking advantage of a loophole that allows him to make such appointments when Congress is in recess. Recess appointments are by no means rare but it was believed to be the first time such an appointment had been made for the job of US ambassador to the United Nations.

Massachusetts Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy called it an abuse of power.

"It's a devious manoeuvre that evades the constitutional requirement of Senate consent and only further darkens the cloud over Mr Bolton's credibility at the UN," he said.

Mr Bush sidestepped the Senate confirmation process after it became clear he would not be able to overcome Democrats who held up the nomination of the outspoken conservative on charges he tried to manipulate intelligence and intimidated intelligence analysts to support his hawkish views as the top State Department diplomat for arms control.