Inside Politics

Change of heart

The Republican senator who upset the White House last year by opposing President Bush’s choice for U.N. ambassador now says John R. Bolton is “a changed man” whom he might support should Mr. Bush renew the appointment.

Ohio Sen. George V. Voinovich said yesterday he has been watching Mr. Bolton closely since he became ambassador on Aug. 1. Mr. Bush temporarily installed Mr. Bolton while Congress was in recess after Mr. Voinovich joined most Democrats in blocking a Senate vote on the nomination in May.

At the time, Mr. Voinovich called him a bully who would make critical U.N. reforms harder to achieve.

“John Bolton at this point is a changed man,” Mr. Voinovich told reporters. “I want reform of the United Nations, so I’ve worked with John and stayed on top of John to make sure he takes this wonderful opportunity.”

Mr. Bolton’s appointment expires in January. If Bush renominates him, Mr. Voinovich said he “might not take the same position as last time.”

Mr. Voinovich said he has been impressed with Mr. Bolton’s flair for diplomacy since he got to the United Nations, especially when the United States ran into opposition to some of its proposals for overhauling the international body, the Associated Press reports.

“The old Bolton would have said this is terrible, but instead he said we don’t agree, but we’re going to stick with it,” Mr. Voinovich said. “It’s a whole different attitude from the old attitude when John would have given them the back of his hand and walked out.”

Pressing their case

A group of pro-life lawmakers and groups today will turn up the heat on their leaders and demand a House vote on a bill that would ban from the U.S. market the drug some refer to as the abortion pill, RU-486, or mifepristone.

Republican Reps. Mike Pence of Indiana, Christopher H. Smith of New Jersey, Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania and other lawmakers, will join Concerned Women for America, National Right to Life Committee, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and other pro-life groups today in demanding House action.

This coalition is particularly upset because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a few weeks ago learned that two women died after taking mifepristone. The news came after a warning by the FDA about the dangers of RU-486. And they point out that the government is still looking into the role of the drug in the death of four California women.

The bill that pro-lifers are demanding would withdraw FDA approval of RU-486 and subject it to a thorough review.

“In the meantime, this drug that endangers women’s lives … remains available despite ongoing investigations and continued warnings that have made it clear that the drug is not safe and should not remain available,” read a release that Mr. Pence’s office circulated.

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