Bolton Update: Is Vote Delay Harbinger of Defeat?

Item: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Richard Lugar abruptly pulls the plug on today's scheduled vote on John Bolton.

Speculation: Lincoln Chafee wouldn't play nice and was ready to vote no, meaning Bolton's nomination would have to be sent to the full Senate without the committee's endorsement, so the GOP opted for delay rather than defeat.

Story Behind the Story: I'm hearing that the White House put a lot of pressure on Lugar to put all the business of the Foreign Relations Committee on hold so that it didn't look like the only thing being delayed was the Bolton vote, but that Lugar, in one more illustration of the weakened state of the White House, refused to go along with the ruse.

Result: Today's postponement, coupled with Chris Dodd's promise of a Democratic filibuster, means Bolton's chances of getting another go-round at the UN are looking Nicole Richie slim.