Former congressman wants ambassadorship

      WASHINGTON -- Former Rep. Jim Bilbray, D-Nev., is pursuing the post of U.S. ambassador to Malta and expects the White House to decide this summer if he gets the job.
      Bilbray, 58, represented Las Vegas in Congress from 1987 through 1994. He has been working as a Washington lobbyist since being defeated by Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev.
      "I'm interested in Malta because of its archaeology and inelastic culture," Bilbray said. "It's also a very Catholic country, and I'm Catholic."
      Malta is a three-island country in the Mediterranean Sea. Located 60 miles south of Sicily, it is considered strategically important because of its interaction with Europe and the Middle East.
      Bilbray said also he has expressed interest in ambassadorial posts in Pakistan, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. He added he considered Albania until the recent uprising.
      The terms of ambassadors appointed by the White House in 1993 will expire in June, Bilbray said, and he should know by July if President Clinton will nominate him.
      "The White House has contacted me on several occasions about different opportunities, but none interested me," Bilbray said. "I have no assurance that I will get this job, but I'm told I have an excellent chance."
      The former congressman acknowledged he has grown restless as a lobbyist specializing in Southern Nevada issues like transportation and nuclear waste.
      "I'm fighting the same issues all the time," he said. "It just seems like I would enjoy doing something more challenging. I'd like to become active in international politics."
      The Malta ambassador's post pays about $130,000 a year. That would be close to the pay Bilbray received as a congressman, but significantly less than his salary as a lobbyist at the Alexandria, Va., firm of Alcalde & Fay.
      "My employers think I'm crazy, but they fully support my decision, and so does my wife," Bilbray said.
      If Bilbray wins an ambassador's post, he would be following in the footsteps of former Sen. Chic Hecht, R-Nev. After being defeated by Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., in 1988, Hecht was appointed U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and served until early 1993.