Senate Confirms Rice As Secretary of State

AP ^ | Jan 26, 12:17 PM | BARRY SCHWEID

[Jay777]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Condoleezza Rice won easy confirmation Wednesday to be President Bush'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.

The Senate voted 85 to 13 to confirm Rice, who succeeds Colin Powell 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 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, who was the party's presidential candidate in last year's election. Thirty Democrats voted for her...

[zbigreddogz]

I can't believe Bayh voted against her, it seems really stupid for him to do so. If he's running for President in '08, his main selling point is that he's a red-state moderate with crossover appeal who can win. I guess this helps his appeal in Iowa a little, but it hurts him nationally.

[Jay777]

The general public doesn't pay that much attention, and its another four years before 2008. You can see by my tag line what I'm holding out hope for. Probably won't happen though.

[JLAGRAYFOX]

Senator Bayh made a major error in voting against Condi Rice. It was a stupid move IMHO. The way the Democrats are going right now is veering radically to the left to keep their crazies happy. The Dems are going to get their butts plastered in 2006 and Senator Bayh would have been in a great position to pick up the pieces after the lefties self-destruct. Now, with this vote he has become a bonafide left-wing lunatic. You will note, that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama voted to confirm Ms, Rice. Neither was as stupid as Senator Bayh. Folks, watch that Hillary, she is evil, but is very smart when it comes to reading the tea leaves. Don't underestimate her for one second. I actually believe that Condi Rice will one day be a candidate for POTUS, maybe as early as 2008.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

The hold-up on the confirmation and Boxer's attack had one purpose, it was to send this message to Karl Rove: Don't think that because she's African American and female that we won't destroy her if you run her against Hillary in 2008, even if she's only on the VP ticket. We will do all it takes to ensure she doesn't take votes from Hillary.

[zbigreddogz]

People keep saying this, but I just don't see how she can make the jump so early. She'd have to start campaigning in 2 years, which basically means she'd have to quit her job, which isn't going to happen, and it would hurt her chances if she did.

I think she's a more likely VP pick in '08, but even then I think it would be a little awkward for her to miss that much work, given the position she is in.

[FeeinTennessee]

I knew she would be confirmed...regardless of what the democrat iditos say. Glad for her.

[FeeinTennessee]

Jay,
What about Bill Frist for Prez in '08?

[wartman]

The thing is, the talk about Bayh being a moderate are lies...he votes against Bush on almost every issue. For example:

- He is Pro-Choice (except PBA)
- Against tax cuts
- FAVORS affirmative action
- FAVORS gay marriage
- FAVORS Federally funded healthcare
- FAVORS gun control
- FAVORS UN approval of US internation actions
- FAVORS decriminalizing drugs

How is that moderate?

Bayh is not a moderate, he just plays one on TV

[sittnick]

His pop, Birch Bayh, who was defeated in the Reagan Landslide of 1980 was known to be one of the most liberal members of the 1970's Senate. Why should we expect his son to be much different?

[katieanna]

You didn't ask me (smile!), but, I like Jeb myself!

[RasterMaster]

Akaka (D-HI), Nay
Alexander (R-TN), Yea
Allard (R-CO), Yea
Allen (R-VA), Yea
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Nay
Bennett (R-UT), Yea
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Bond (R-MO), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brownback (R-KS), Yea
Bunning (R-KY), Yea
Burns (R-MT), Not Voting
Burr (R-NC), Yea
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Chafee (R-RI), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Yea
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Coburn (R-OK), Yea
Cochran (R-MS), Yea
Coleman (R-MN), Yea
Collins (R-ME), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Cornyn (R-TX), Yea
Corzine (D-NJ), Yea
Craig (R-ID), Yea
Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Dayton (D-MN), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Yea
DeWine (R-OH), Yea
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Yea
Domenici (R-NM), Yea
Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Nay
Ensign (R-NV), Yea
Enzi (R-WY), Yea
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Frist (R-TN), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Yea
Gregg (R-NH), Not Voting
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Jeffords (I-VT), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Kennedy (D-MA), Nay
Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Nay
Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Yea
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Nay
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Santorum (R-PA), Yea
Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Yea
Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Smith (R-OR), Yea
Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Sununu (R-NH), Yea
Talent (R-MO), Yea
Thomas (R-WY), Yea
Thune (R-SD), Yea
Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

[River_Wrangler]

She'd have to start campaigning in 2 years, which basically means she'd have to quit her job, which isn't going to happen, and it would hurt her chances if she did.

It didn't seem to bother Senator Lurch to take 2 years off to run.;-)

[HenryLeeII]

The Dems are going to get their butts plastered in 2006 and Senator Bayh would have been in a great position to pick up the pieces after the lefties self-destruct. Now, with this vote he has become a bonafide left-wing lunatic. You will note, that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama voted to confirm Ms, Rice. Neither was as stupid as Senator Bayh. Folks, watch that Hillary, she is evil, but is very smart when it comes to reading the tea leaves. Don't underestimate her for one second. I actually believe that Condi Rice will one day be a candidate for POTUS, maybe as early as 2008.

My initial reaction was the same as your's regarding Sen. Bayh. I considered him to be about the most rational and honest Democrat during the build-up to the war and after. However, I wonder if he feels he has to veer left in order to have a shot at getting the party nomination? Up until today, he would have probably been "too conservative" for the 'Rats to nominate.

Hitlery! and Obamanation are setting themselves up as the ticket in '08. He'll be glued to the hip of The Beast on every vote and issue that comes along.

[right wing]

I see Jeffords, former RINO turned Rat lover voted Nay. B@stard...

[guinnessman]

Once again, that great open-minded liberal, Dick Durbin, has voted against another minority Bush appointment.

Just another reason I'm ashamed to be a constituent of his.

[zbigreddogz]

First off, I'm not sure you are right on all these things, but even if so, it doesn't matter. Perception is everything, and this is a very high profile vote, so it really doesn't make sense.

[7.62 x 51mm]

"I actually believe that Condi Rice will one day be a candidate for POTUS, maybe as early as 2008."

She's un-electable, as much as I respect and like her; therefore she's un-nominatable as the GOP candidate. Why? She doesn't have the requisite experience of *governing*, as do most modern-day president-elects. IKE, JFK and RMN were the exceptions, IIRC.

That said, I'd vote for her, in a heartbeat.

[RockAgainsttheLeft04]

RE: "Twelve Democrats and independent James Jeffords of Vermont voted against Rice."


Uh-huh. "Independant" James Jeffords. And Who exactly does he think he's fooling with that stuff? Jumpin' Jim was always a big government, socialistic Senator, even when he was masquerading around with a "R" in front of his name, and his alignment today with the kookiest of the kooks in the Democratic party isn't at all out of character for him.

But the cup is more than half full here: At least I can finally call Rice by her well-deserved new title, Madame Secretary. Try as the might, Mental Midgets like Jeffords, Kennedy, Bayh, Boxer, etc. just can't keep a good woman down.

[loveliberty2]

As I posted on another thread on this subject: "Perhaps this group of "thirteen" may wish to review the 2004 USA popular vote by county. Their stand may endear them to the Radical Left, but it may make their unlucky number shrink in power in the next election.

"See Peach's reproduction of this map at

http://www.freerepublic.com/~peach/