Posted on 01/26/2005 9:23:45 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) won easy confirmation Wednesday to be President Bush (news - web sites)'s new secretary of state, despite strong dissent from a small group of Democrats who said she shares blame for mistakes and war deaths in Iraq (news - web sites).
The Senate voted 85 to 13 to confirm Rice, who succeeds Colin Powell (news - web sites) as America's top diplomat and becomes the first black woman to hold the job.
Plans were made for her to be sworn in at the White House Wednesday night, take her place in the State Department Thursday morning and have a more elaborate swearing-in by Bush at the agency on Friday.
The Senate vote showed some of the partisanship that delayed Rice's confirmation vote by several days. Twelve Democrats and independent James Jeffords (news - web sites) of Vermont voted against Rice. The Democrats included some of the Senate's best-known members such as Massachusetts Democratic Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry (news - web sites), who was the party's presidential candidate in last year's election. Thirty Democrats voted for her.
Democratic foes of her appointment focused mostly on the way Bush and Rice took the United States to war in Iraq and how they have handled the war with insurgents since deposing Saddam Hussein (news - web sites).
They said mistakes had led to mounting American casualties. As the debate drew to a close, word came from Iraq of the crash of a U.S. military transport helicopter in bad weather, killing at least 30 people in the worst U.S. loss since the war.
Rice's nomination was never in doubt, however. Republicans had hoped to hold the vote last week, on the same day that Bush took the oath for his second term, but Democrats asked for more time. The GOP accused Democrats of inappropriately delaying Rice's confirmation to make political statements about Iraq policy.
Rice, 50, is Bush's trusted national security aide and a main architect of his policies on Iraq and the war on terror.
Although Rice was assured of confirmation, she got the most "no" votes since World War II. Seven senators voted against Henry Kissinger and six each against Dean Acheson and Alexander Haig.
"Dr. Rice is an honorable, fine public servant who needs to be confirmed," Bush said during a news conference Wednesday. "She will be a great secretary of state and Dr. Rice and I look forward to moving forward."
Bush rejected claims by Democrats that they had been lied to in the run-up to the war in Iraq.
On the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., suggested Democrats are sore losers. Rice had enough votes to win confirmation, as even her Democratic critics acknowledge, McCain said.
"So I wonder why we are starting this new Congress with a protracted debate about a foregone conclusion," McCain said. Since Rice is qualified for the job, he said, "I can only conclude that we are doing this for no other reason than because of lingering bitterness over the outcome of the election."
What had seemed at the outset to be a cinch turned into sometimes angry debate over Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, his struggle with a potent insurgency and Rice's role in helping him make a case for overthrowing Saddam.
An academic who specialized in the study of the now-defunct Soviet Union, she has been one of Bush's closest advisers as his national security adviser for four years. In testimony last week to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, she swore she has not been shy about disagreeing with him privately at times.
Now, she will be at his side trying to improve relations with European allies, pursuing a Middle East settlement between Israel and the Palestinians, seeking a way to stop North Korea (news - web sites) and Iran from developing nuclear weapons — and, above all, trying to pacify Iraq with limited additional U.S. casualties.
Akaka - I was thinking the same thing but thought it was just my trashy mind. :o) I think he has been more of a dino than the frothing leftists. Surprising that he joined into the stupidity but believe he is one of those who would like to see Rummy gone..
The Dims are divided, that's clear. They have to choose their battles, and they know their court filibuster is lost -- they've alienated the public, alienated their own, alienated their Republican colleagues, and pretty soon will be out of jobs, one way or the other. And in the future, in the school textbooks, they'll be listed as among the obstructionists, like the opponents of civil rights legislation. :')
oh well, similar, a bit older:
Condi Rice Nomination for Sec. of State: update: Confirmation by 85-13 vote
C-Span ^ | 1/26/04
Posted on 01/26/2005 7:01:23 AM PST by gopwinsin04
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1328891/posts
Bayh's vote shocked me, too. I have always thought that if I could ever stomach a Rat President again, it would be him. A surprising turn, but the good news is he has joined the cabal and now my disgust of all things in the Rat party is without exception.
"The Democratic Party is shredding, and we get to watch! :')"
Yes it certainly is and how beautiful it is to watch.
From this day forward, the below list will be remembered by me as ....
"The Byrd Bigot Brigade"
Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.
Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
John Kerry, D-Mass.
Carl Levin, D-Mich.
James Jeffords, I-Vt.
Jack Reed, D-R.I
Mark Dayton, D-Minn.
Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii
Evan Bayh, D-Ind.
Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J.
Tom Harkin, D-Iowa
Richard Durbin, D-Ill.
The problem is, of course, that some of the radicals blended in with the majority. They will also have to go.
Which doesn't explain these:
McCain: Same-sex marriage ban is un-Republican
Sen. McCain: We Conservatives Oppose Bush's Tax Cuts (BARF ALERT)
Push to Pass McCain-Lieberman Global Warming Bill: up next week - IT’S ALL BUNK
McCain is a liberal in anybodys book. And he called the SwiftVets ads "dishonest and dishonorable". He's a RINO.
-PJ
Heroes and Zeroes (Finally NOW weighs in on Condoleezza Rice as SOS)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1328727/posts
"Heroes and Zeroes"
Below the Belt: a Biweekly Column by NOW President Kim Gandy
January 21, 2005
well I guessy you are head strong but of course you are buffering your arguement with all the stuff YOU want and not all the facts......please plst McCain's full record and not just your facts and then it will be more detailed and honest......plus, hey, am I a RINO cause I think Bush is a spending fool.........he has spent more in his term (not including the war) than Clinton did for goodness sake. and Repubs are woefully inadequate on immigration. If you cherry pick you could call everyone a RINO......almost.
I didn't say you used the word "moderate". I used it and put it in quotes to denote my disdain for its application to him. I'm well aware of Bayh's reputation and history. I've listened to him in plenty of interviews and on the Senate Floor. I listen to all of these politicians.
He established himself with his comments yesterday and his declaration to vote no on Rice and his actual vote, not only as a partisan, but an extreme partisan.
Maybe this vote signals he IS in the running, and he's taken this vote to get kudos from the far left of the party.
Unless someone has already posed this question and I have not yet read it,who were the No's?
i know hari "KERRY" is an individual choice
i still volunteer to help. the bit*h
LOL!!!!
I gave you facts. I know a liberal when I see one. McCain consistently backs liberal agendas. Look at what McCain-Feingold did for the last election. I don't like McCain and it has NOTHING to do with Bush or Clinton. McCain isn't even a moderate Republican. And, what is McCains full record? I searched FRs archive and you saw what I found.
I don't remember hearing about him but his name certainly struck my funny (but trashy) bone. LOL. M
Focus your $$ on whomever runs against Mark Dayton in MN,and Jeffords in VT. Don't forget that Byrd will be 88 in '06 and Corzine will probably run for Guv in NJ.
Put me down for supporting whomever runs against these clowns!! add Stabenow and Cantwell to this list as well.
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