Senate Panel Gives Rice Confirmation Nod

[norml]

Senate Panel Gives Rice Confirmation Nod

20 minutes ago White House - AP Cabinet & State


By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON - The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to confirm Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) as secretary of state after two days of hearings in which she faced strenuous Democratic assaults on the Bush administration's handling of Iraq (news - web sites).


AP Photo


AFP
Slideshow: Condoleezza Rice

Rice Vows to Mend Frayed Diplomatic Ties
(AP Video)



Pending approval by the full Senate, Rice would be the first black woman to hold the job. She was confirmed by a 16-2 vote with Democrats John Kerry (news - web sites) of Massachusetts and Barbara Boxer of California voting no.


Other Democrats, including ranking member Joseph Biden of Delaware, had said they were reluctantly voting to elevate Rice to the nation's top diplomatic job. A vote by the full Senate was expected by Thursday.

snip http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050119/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/senate_rice

[WahooJunkie]

1. Grrrr.... n/t

[TolstoyAndy]

2. Of course they did

wimps and pink tutus.

It wouldn't be polite, don't you know;
and the pResident should always get whomever he wants.

How are other countries going to be able to look this
lying murderer in the eye and conduct business without
automatically assuming she's cheating?

[Massachusetts]

3. Rice A Roni

Out of the pot and into the FIRE. Good luck, your gonna need it!

Bu$hco is using you for chum now, the sharks are near.

[Moderator]

4. Kick

:kick:

[Sleepless In NY]

6. Nice inaugural gift for bush, don't you think?

2 out of 16 voting nay. Why don't the democrats just wear a sign saying "Kick Me" on their backs? It would save everyone alot time. Condi just got a free pass on 9/11 & Iraq. And bush got a nice inaugural gift from the democrats. How touching.

[Wisc Badger]

7. BROTHER!!!! - What did you expect them to do?????

Please tell me what a totally partisan vote would have accomplished???
If all the Democrats on Foreign Affairs voted nay on Rice she still would have passed out of committee due to a straight party vote.

And Democrats who have a large amount of respect would have suffered such as Biden for example.

You would be slitting you throat in a figurative manner and for what gain???

Like it or not the Democrats are in the minority and they need to pick and choose their fights wisely. Trying to torpedo Rice would not have been a good move and it would have been completely futile.

Might have felt good, but that good feeling would come with a large political price tag.

Better to get ready for the coming fights on Iraq money appropriations, Social Security and Taxes (to say nothing about Judges, Supreme Court and other wise).

I admit to being a recent convert (3 years) to the Democratic Party (recovering Republican) but I want the Dems to prosper and this would not have worked, either politically or media wise.

Try explaining a negative vote against a African-American woman, the pundits of the right would have a field day.

I want a good fight (forcing a 2 hour debate on voting issues when the electoral votes were authenticated was one) but not tilting at windmills.
:toast: :dem: :hi:

[Dr Fate]

9. Excuses. The media & GOP will be mean to us if we fight.

So sick of the excuses.

Your post could have just have well been written in the days after the 2000 election, the days after 9/11, doring the Iraq vote or in the days after the 2002 mid-terms.

ALWAYS an excuse for why we can stand up against the liars & criminals.

I guess the media will now give us favorable coverage and the GOP wont "Swiftboat" any of our candidates now, right?

[pberq]

10. Suffered? of course!

"And Democrats who have a large amount of respect would have suffered such as Biden for example."

Of course if people stand up to these fascists, they are going to suffer, but the alternative is to acquiesce and let them continue ruining the coutry.

Have you seen the movie "Iron Jawed Angels"? It was nominated for the Golden Globes. Those women had to endure prison and plenty of other suffering. Suppose they had wanted to avoid suffering? Then women would not have gotten the right to vote.

[Wisc Badger]

12. It has nothing to do with suffering

or the avoidance thereof. Biden to me is a thoughtful statesman of the Democrat approach to foreign policy.

I again point out that it would have been a futile stand. Nothing of any purpose would have been accomplished by a no vote.

[Bozvotros]

16. Disagree

A no vote would simply say that this candidate is not qualified or suitable for this position. The basis for a no vote is her absolutely incompetence as National Security Advisor and her far too chummy relationship with *. Neither * or Rice has credibility among allies and other nations now. To promote this liar to Secretary of State is to further the diplomatic damage. Democrats could defend this easily and it would serve to remind folks just what a liar Condi has been.

[Wisc Badger]

19. Okay then who should be SOS??

You know it will not be a Democrat, Bush would never do that.

So you are going to get some one who has a least a partial neo-con outlook.

I also think that Rice is as least as qualified as Albright ever was.

The only difference between the two is political outlook.

I think we descend a slippery slope if we engage in total war on any and every issue. Can the enthusiasm be kept up for the duration?

Bush is president, I don't like it and you don't like it but it is not going to change.

As such he is going to appoint some one who shares his views to positions of high office, that is a fact of life.

I do not think a total opposition approach on every matter is a constructive one, and do not forget that the GOP will not hold all the levers of power for ever and when they do not do you want them to be as recalcitrant as we have/may been/be?

:dem:

[Bozvotros]

24. Not total opposition..

This is an extremely important position. Powell humiliated the US with his outpouring of BS and total lies at the UN. He choked on it before he gave it, but he gave it anyway, sealing his reputation as a soulless shill for Bush. Rice was part of that total disinformation campaign. She failed miserably as NSA and she contributed much to our poor relations with our allies. She was unqualified to be NSA and she has done nothing to show competence at diplomacy. Her "mistakes were made" forced out of her with no specifics attached, four years later doesn't cut it.

Gonzales and Rice are lines in the stand. Let Bush find a person with some independence and credibility, not one of his toadies. Appointing Rice is proof that there is some heavy shit in the State Department they want no one out of their little club to see.

I don't expect to see many Congressional Dems show some spine here, but by God they are going to hear from me about it....

[JerseygirlCT]

14. I want to believe you, I really do

Seriously. I'm looking for a "why" here.

Since the Republicans have made it abundantly clear that their idea of bipartisanship is putting their plans out there and having the Democrats agree to all of them -- and no back talk, mind you -- I don't know what we have to lose by fighting them tooth and nail.

Is there truly anything to be gained by diplomacy here? Where is the fight they're avoiding this time -- in the Senate? In the press? I'm a little confused. We're going to pay that political price tag should we opt for anything than complete capitulation. I just don't see that we have much to lose by fighting.

Help me see this as a positive thing, please!

[Wisc Badger]

20. JerseygirlCT - Put that way you make a very

good point!!

"Since the Republicans have made it abundantly clear that their idea of bipartisanship is putting their plans out there and having the Democrats agree to all of them -- and no back talk, mind you"

Maybe their is nothing more to lose.
:think: :dem:

[JerseygirlCT]

21. Rats!

I really was hoping you had something hopeful and strategic to make me feel better!

It's not in my nature to be confrontational or obstructionist. But it sure seems like that's the only language they speak.

[JerseygirlCT]

22. Oops. Sorry. This should go under Wisc Badger's post.

[Wrinkle_In_Time]

26. "BROTHER!!!!" --- I'm not your brother and go easy on the ! key

Pardon the snap judgement, but I disagree with everything that you have posted here and I will disregard any future posts of yours. If the other Democratic members of this committee can't summon up enough intestinal fortitude to challenge the appointment of this shallow, sycophantic, neo-con cheerleader to the position of Secretary of State -- then they are worthy of contempt.

I challenge you to provide more explanation of the vague terms you used: "large political price tag", "suffered such as Biden for example", "Better to get ready for the coming fights", etc. Try using more words to present your point, rather than trite bullet points.

When the future battles that you list come around, I predict that you will be encouraging people to hold off for the next battle.

A line must be drawn. Gonzales is one. Rice is two. The Democratic members must stand for their principles, even though (and despite of) the fact that the result will not change. It's not just the result, it's the process.

I don't care how many smilies you put in your posts, I do not consider you to be on my side.

[hansolsen]

27. And this is exactly why so many Dems voted for IWR which led directly to

losing the elections in 2002 and 2004.

We need to vote what we think, and any Dem who thinks Condi Rice deserves their vote for SOS is no friend of mine. I wouldn't vote for hair plug Biden for dog catcher.

[Spazito]

5. Wow, another 'fair and balenced' news report...

Using these words, "strenuous Democratic assaults", sure show where the writer of this article leans. Asking for honest answers is considered as assaults? Geez!

[dbt]

8. Secretary of State Olive Oyl.

The cartoon face of Caricature Nation. Green Acres, we are there.

:eyes:
dbt

[AspenRose]

11. Mad props to Kerry & Boxer

I just wanted to thank them for doing the right thing. They'll have a clear conscience later on down the road, once everyone's had a chance to see just how much she can REALLY screw things up.

And did I hear the voters correctly on the radio today? Is Senator Obama on the committee....(?) He doesn't have much leeway of choice but to follow Biden's lead, he's a newbie.

[imax2268]

13. I thought it was odd...

that the media pointed out that Kerry and Boxer were the only two to vote "nay" about Condasleaza's appointment...

But it doesn't surprise me that she is in now...our politicians have no backbones anymore...except for Kerry and Boxer...

[Divine Discontent]

15. hey Kerry bashers.........................

this was a HUGE act by Kerry today (along with Boxer).

He stood up for America's wounds after 9/11 and Iraq's "mission accomplished" bruhaha. Thousands of soldiers and tens of thousands of innocents have been murdered, for what? For WHAT? FOR WHAT BUSHCOCK!


We thank you Senators.


Keep fighting. PLEASE someone tell Kerry that we appreciate this action.

[Divine Discontent]

17. Rice

"Kerry and Boxer both lambasted Rice Tuesday over the administration's handling of postwar Iraq, with the former charging that “the current policy is growing the insurgency and not diminishing it.”

Boxer, going further, accused Rice of twisting the truth to build up a case for the U.S. invasion, which stirred Rice to counter that the senator was impugning her character."





AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW BAD MEAN AWFUL SENATORS MAKING DOCTOR RICE ANGRY, AND YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE HER ANGRY, SHE TURNS INTO THE INCREDIBLE SULK!!!!!!!!!! "DON'T YOU IMPUGN MY CHARACTER!! WAHHHHHH!"

[jayctravis]

29. And "nay" from someone who just returned from Iraq.

Kerry and Boxer '08.

[hansolsen]

28. Best decision Kerry has made since IWR. N/T

[Vidar]

18. Face with White House Nazis, I invoke the spirit of Andrew Jackson.

Doubtless damned to hell for his treatment of the Indians, Jackson could out-fight, out-duel and probably out-cheat Bush & company. Cowards, sycophant's & collaborators constitute the vast majority of the present democratic party. I except Conyers, Boxer & the Black Congressional Caucus.

[jazzjunkysue]

23. I'm shocked that the Dems gave in, AGAIN!!!

Way to get a backbone. Great. And the DNC asked me for money today. Kerry says I have to stop Rumsfeld. I'm getting sick of running this country.

[PROUDNWLIBERAL]

25. No Longer a Democrat

As a long time Democrat and a Union person I have now left the Democratic Party. Hell, I've left the country---moved to New Zealand---just watching Amerika die a slow death---hope it goes faster!

[pfitz59]

30. And the world laughs at us......

Condiesleaza and her "husband" Doofus have further eroded what little cred the US has left. Statesmen arounfd the world are snickering. We need a Thomas Jefferson or a Benjamin Franklin and what do we get?..... a blithering SYCHOPHANT!