Free Republic

WASHINGTON - Orders to U.S. factories for durable goods, helped by strong demand for communications equipment, rose a solid 0.6 percent in December, capping off a year in which demand for big-ticket manufactured goods rose at the fastest clip in a decade.

(all times tenative since there is 1:22 of Democratic debate time left) 10:30 AM Eastern: Senate will Proceed from morning business to Executive Session resuming consideration of the nomination for Dr. Condoleeza Rice to be Secretary of State.11:30 AM Eastern: Proceed to roll call vote on Rice nominationThereafter, consideration will begin on the nominations of Jim Nicholson to be Secretary of Veternas Affairs and Mike Levitt for Secretary of Health and Human Service

Despite strong dissent from a small group of Democrats, Condoleezza Rice appears headed to overwhelming Senate approval as the next secretary of state. Rice, 50, is President Bush's trusted national security aide and a main architect of his policies on Iraq and the war on terror. Once approved, she will replace Colin Powell and become the first black woman to serve as the nation's top diplomat. Plans were made for her to be sworn in at the White House Wednesday night and to take her place at the State Department Thursday morning. "Dr. Rice is an honorable, fine public servant...