This week, President Bush selected John Bolton to be the next Ambassador to the United Nations. Many in Washington have been troubled by the pick due to Bolton's frequent and strident attacks on the UN (like this one, for example). The trepidation over the Bush choice is not relegated to Democrats, though. As Emily Pierce reports in Roll Call today, a number of extremely important Republican Senators have shown a reluctance to support Bolton.

The top three Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee offered tepid reactions Tuesday to President Bush's pick for ambassador to the United Nations, and two of them held out the possibility that they would vote against the confirmation of current Undersecretary of State John Bolton.

Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), the second and third ranking Republicans on the panel, respectively, declined to endorse Bolton's nomination, saying they were troubled by statements the nominee has made that appear hostile to or disrespectful of the world body.

"I do have concerns, because the United Nations is a very important institution," Hagel said. "We need to send someone to the U.N. that has the skills to work with the secretary-general."

Chafee said he would make "no commitments" to vote for Bolton, adding that Bush's pick was "a surprising appointment, there's no doubt about that."

Even Chairman Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) appeared conflicted about Bush choosing a man regarded as a brusque U.N. foe to replace the immediate past U.N. ambassador, former Missouri Republican Sen. John Danforth, a centrist.

The only way Bolton will be stopped is in committee, and if even one Republican Senator defects on the nomination, Bolton won't be heading to the UN. At this point, it looks like this just might happen.