BOLTON "SERIAL ABUSER." Former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research, Carl Ford, a Republican appointee, says "John Bolton went so far over the line in harrassing Christian Westermann that he has seen nothing like it in his entire career." From Steve Clemons, who reports, "Watch out. The currents of this nomination may have just changed." Go watch on C-SPAN3.

Update: Now Barack Obama's questioning of Ford has revealed that Bolton would seem to have lied in his testimony yesterday about whether he pushed to have INR analyst Westermann removed from his job.

Update II: Chafee has to vote against this bully. Chafee should take courage from the honorable example Ford himself set today: face the wrath of the GOP machine and do the right thing and vote his conscience against Bolton.

Update III: Ford: "Just don't give him [Bolton] any responsibility for people." ..."In my long experience, I have never seen anyone so abusive to a subordinate."

Update IV: Kerry's questioning of Ford: "How many years of government service" (do you have)? Ford: "Thirty years." Ford has never seen anyone so abusive to a subordinate as Bolton was to Westermann in thirty years. What does that genuinely say about Bolton's psychological fitness for the job? Ford: "No one has ever done what Sec. Bolton has done. It's different in the degree and in the details." Ford in questioning by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fl): "Analysts are supposed to have views, they are supposed to have strong views." Not if they work for Bolton. Bolton likes only 'yes' men, a sign of the deepest intellectual insecurity and irrationality and weakness. What's seriously wrong with this guy? Did his father beat him? Any political psychologists out there?

Update V: shorter Sen. Biden -- Bolton's treatment of Christian Westermann is no aberration..."I believe Mr. Bolton is a very bright man without a governor, who shaded the whole truth before us about what his motivations were relative to the INR analyst and the NIO analyst..."

Update VI: Sen. Lugar: "This may be the most controversial nomination President Bush has made..." ..."They [the Bush administration] will find another ambassador in the event this one is not satisfying." ...

12:30pm. Hearing adjourned.

Verdict? Ford's testimony was nothing less than devastating for Bolton. Bolton clearly mischaracterized under oath his campaign to retaliate against Westermann. Several other witnesses have testified to Committee staff that Bolton's bullying of and retaliation against Westermann were no aberration in his management practices either. Is Chafee as courageous as Ford to do the right thing on this one?

Post-Hearing Update here.

Posted by Laura at April 12, 2005 11:15 AM