WASHINGTON — The State Department's former intelligence chief testified Tuesday that John R. Bolton was a "serial abuser" of underlings who tried to remove an intelligence analyst who disagreed with him and was "a quintessential kiss-up, kick-down sort of guy."
But it appeared that the testimony of Carl W. Ford Jr., former assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had not changed any votes on Bolton's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Republicans control the panel 10 to 8 and were seen as likely to approve him.
President Bush's choice of Bolton has alarmed Senate Democrats, who view the nominee as a foe of the U.N. and as a symbol of failed U.S. intelligence practices.
An outspoken conservative who has been a harsh critic of the U.N., Bolton testified Monday that if confirmed he would carry out the president's policies and work closely with allies at the U.N. while trying to reform the world body.
The testimony by Ford, who said he was a conservative Republican, was solicited by Democrats to impeach Bolton's character.
Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, the only committee Republican known to be wavering, was still inclined to vote in favor of Bolton, Chafee spokesman Stephen Hourahan said Tuesday. Chafee had "not made up his mind" and was "going to spend some time reading written testimony" from other witnesses, Hourahan said.
Democrats signaled that they might try to subpoena more witnesses -- who are still in the administration and may not testify voluntarily -- to buttress their arguments that Bolton retaliated against analysts who would not change their assessments.
A committee vote could come Thursday or by early next week, possibly sending the nomination to the Senate floor, where Bolton is likely to win confirmation on a party-line vote. Democrats could mount a filibuster to block Bolton's nomination, but they did not indicate Tuesday that they planned to do so.
Ford testified on the second day of hearings on the nomination of Bolton, 56, who has served since 2001 as undersecretary of State for arms control and international security. Ford retired in October 2003 after more than 30 years in the Army, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the CIA, the Pentagon and the State Department's intelligence bureau.
