Bolton chooses to leave UN office

Unable to win Senate confirmation, U.N. Ambassador John Bolton will step down when his temporary appointment expires within weeks, the White House said Monday.

Bolton's nomination has languished in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for more than a year, blocked by Democrats and several Republicans. Democrats view Bolton as too combative for international diplomacy.

With the Democrats taking control of both houses and some Republican Committee members balking at supporting him, Bolton's exit seemed a foregone conclusion.