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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