Frist: No More Bolton Votes

The AP reports that after last night's Bolton debacle, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist has ruled out holding another Senate vote on the disputed nomination (hence no vote from him to allow the cloture motion to be reconsidered). Frist said Senate options "have been exhausted." "[A]t this juncture, we have to go back to the president and see what the decision he's going to make is ... Bringing up another vote's not going to change anything."

White House press secretary Scott McClellan responded to Frist's comments by saying "We'll continue to work with the Senate leadership," after issuing an earlier statement calling for another Senate vote.

The wire report notes "Frist's comments intensified pressure on President Bush to either withdraw Bolton's nomination, appoint him to the post without Senate approval when Congress is in recess, or give ground to Democrats."

Frist tosses the Bolton hot potato back to the White House.

[Update: Whoops. Frist does an about-face. More here. -- 2:19 p.m.]