Democrats to Delay Rice Confirmation Vote

[wicket]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20050119/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/senate_rice

Senate Democrats intend to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation as secretary of state at least until next week rather than grant her Inauguration Day approval, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"There are a number of Democrats not on the committee that want to have a chance to debate her nomination a couple of hours," said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

He said Democrats would not seek to prevent Rice's confirmation as the nation's top diplomat, and he predicted her approval within a matter of days. Rice cleared the Foreign Relations Committee earlier in the day, 16-2, a lopsided vote that belied hours of skeptical questioning by Democrats critical of President Bush (news - web sites)'s foreign policy and his conduct of the war in Iraq (news - web sites).

By contrast, Manley said he expected that Democrats would assent to confirmation on Thursday just after the inauguration of two members of Bush's second-term Cabinet. They are Mike Johanns, nominated as secretary of agriculture, and Margaret Spellings, named to take over as education secretary.

[roguevalley]

1. good grief. they have a bit of a pulse. they are heading echoes

of the fricking discontent and want to go on the record looking like they are an opposition. we truly HAVE to keep the pressure on these bozos.

[Just Me]

22. WOW!!! You just stopped my pulse with your sincere support,...

,...of a favorable, positive action by these people.

:eyes:

If we're gonna adopt of strict "rule of force" policy ourselves,...might as well join the neoCONimperialists. :nuke:

People demonstrating the potential of contributing positive change should be acknowledged. Otherwise, there is NO incentive to sacrifice,...and these people are making a personal "sacrifice", risking their careers and futures.

If you MUST vent all your anger,...kindly direct it at the actual perpetrators. Otherwise, you are merely a RW asset.

[gratuitous]

2. Golly, I hate the dog-and-pony show

Just change the constitutional role of the Senate from "advise and consent" to "rubberstamp," okay? It's so frustrating waiting for these political hacks to step up and do their jobs.

If Rice isn't a fit subject for turndown by the Senate, who is? How incompetent do you have to be? What sort of demonstrated inability to do a job would be sufficient for the Senate to say "no"?

[progressiveBadger]

3. Not so much incompetence

as PUBLIC incompetence. Massively public incompetence. Even then... eh, it's a tossup.

[2Design]

8. exactly - I hate that the usa has people who support torture in high

places

and they let 911 happen

incredible

and right now my fm is broken in my car - I am amazed how many rw am stations there are - no music and even for two seconds you can hear their venom and downright hate monger of liberals and democrats who stand up to their evil machine - they really all have the same talking points - one liberal station said they are a rw cult - that fits the best of anything I have heard

and our 'liberal democrats' in congress are all wimps and unwilling to stop this torture and hatred and destruction being put on the world - they are allowing the rise of hitler supported by evil doers

[complain jane]

9. Rice couldn't be more fit for turndown if she lifted her skirt

and took a dump on the table.

[TheWraith]

12. You'd have to drool on stage.

Though I think Ashcroft actually did that once.

It's not impossible to see resistance from the Senate. Bush's approval is steadily going down, as is approval for the war. Once they (the Senate) are convinced that it's not going to shoot back up, you should see a lot more roadblocks. And once the proverbial second term rock hits the window, you'll probably see a bit of a pile-on.

[DBoon]

13. And change the name from "Senate" to "Politburo"

as we adopt yet more features of the old soviet system

[saskatoon]

16. advise and consent

Thanks for that post. You really hit the nail on the head!

[Just Me]

23. I AM SURE THE RW IS JUST LAPPING UP THIS REACTION TO ACTION.

We're eating our own even when they are doing the right thing.

The right-wing attack machine must be just lapping up this incredibly destructive thread: "Watch 'em (bwahahaha) destroy their own. Isn't it just fabulous having others serve as our vultures? BWAHAHAHAHAH

C'MON people!!! Get a firm hold of your senses and emotions!!!

For crying out loud *frustration*

[rawstory]

4. Names we're hearing at RAW STORY

boxer, byrd said to speak though their communications' staff silent; kennedy on fence. waiting for additional comments.

http://rawstory.com

[jayctravis]

34. Political Red Rover...

Kennedy would make three...

[central scrutinizer]

5. enough with the fucking symbolic dissent already

grow a goddam spine and go down fighting if you know you are going down anyway

[LSparkle]

10. Amen!

They should ALL vote against her -- make it a party line vote. Can't believe Ted Kennedy is still on the f***ing fence about this; it's a no-brainer.

[blondeatlast]

18. I've e-mailed every Dem, Independent, and 3rd party in the Senate.

I hope others will do the same.

[Just Me]

27. There are no "3rd" parties. However, I am sending my support for

and support of this movement.

I only "beat up" on obvious bullies.

I lend total support for individual "actions" which serve our common cause and reserve "character assassination" for the right-wing assholes.

[stray cat]

11. They should all commit mass suicide to protest.

(Some people may not pick this up as sarcasm - it is.)

[PaganPreacher]

14. Like the Judean People's Front....

or the People's Front of Judea (I get them confused).


The Judean People's Front Crack Suicide Squad.

The Pagan Preacher
I don't turn the other cheek.

[Demeter]

20. I Don't Know...It Might Be Effective

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

21. That's a worthy idea

(Some people may pick this up as sarcasm - it is not.)

[Just Me]

30. Soooo, you wanna watch Democrats commit mass suicide?

Whose side are you on?

What a strange post clarifying NO SARCASM INTENDED.

Do you prefer the neoCONimperialists?

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

33. I prefer to clean house and start out again with people who will

STAND UP AND KICK REPUBLICAN ASS. The current lineup is, imho, almost completely DINO- except for a few notable exceptions who are amazingly in a miniscule minority.

[saskatoon]

17. Right On!

Tell it like it is.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

6. Sounds like the Repuke-lite Leadership Dems are scared they might lose us.

Personally, the deciding factor for me whether I remain a registered Dem or not is who becomes the next Dem Chairperson in the Roemer vs. Dean fight.

If it goes to Roemer, we know all is lost and Dems at the upper eschelons of power have COMPLETELY SOLD OUT.

If it goes to Dean, then we know they have some commonsense and realize that it is people like DUers that are at the HEART of the party.

JB

[Orangepeel]

7. What if it is Frost?

Personally, I hope that Dean gets it and I'm happy that my own state has endorsed him. But I don't think that Roemer is really much competition.

[sweetheart]

15. So DeLay IS involved.

Well that's good that he opposes the asshole. :-)

[Whoa_Nelly]

19. Margaret Spellings

Has been with the chimp since the Texas gov. days. yeah..am sure she will be ORIGINAL in covering the boy king's ass when it comes to NCLB.

[osaMABUSh]

24. A little FW for the 'Inaguration'

Nothing wrong with that to rain on Shrub's parade.

[Just Me]

25. Yup. That neoCONimperialist regime HATES anyone who's not,...

,..."with 'em".

What a buncha' tyrants!

Did I mention how much I loathe and oppose this regime?

In case I didn't,...I want to make my opposition quite clear.

In my world, my world of democracy and "freedom" and equality and hope,...the neoCONimperialist regime is my enemy! Anyone willing to fight them,...is my friend.

[cal04]

26. Democrats expect a nine-hour debate

Democrats expect a nine-hour debate on Condoleezza Rice’s nomination
The Democratic Senate leadership expects to reach an agreement with Senate Republicans for a nine-hour debate on the confirmation of Condoleezza Rice next Tuesday, a senior Democratic Senate source told RAW STORY Wednesday evening.

The agreement, which must be reached by unanimous consent, but which is very much expected, will allow Democratic senators not on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to voice their thoughts about Rice on the Senate floor.Senate Republicans can derail the discussion with a cloture vote of 60 senators–which would have to include some Democrats–but that is not expected, the high-level official said.

Ranking Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) office disclosed Wednesday afternoon that several members planned to debate Rice’s nomination on the Senate floor next week, but Senate offices are mum on this chilly inaugural eve on who exactly will speak. Reid’s office declined to name any of the members who have expressed interest in speaking, saying it is traditional for the minority leader’s office to allow the senators to come forward on their own time. The spokesman asserted that it was “not a filibuster.”“There are a number of Democrats not on the committee that want to have a chance to debate her nomination,” another Reid spokesman told the Associated Press.
http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=565


The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Wednesday to approve Condoleezza Rice’s nomination to be secretary of state, but after two days of strenuous questioning on the Bush administration’s handling of Iraq, Democrats planned to delay her widely expected confirmation by the full Senate, NBC News reported.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6842774/

[stepnw1f]

28. I See The Pressure Is Working Again

...that's Democracy folks. We have to keep this up for four years.

[Just Me]

29. And we must exercise a cunning wisdom against tyranny.

We can no longer afford to be distracted from our real enemies.

They will defeat us if we relent to division.

[stepnw1f]

35. Absolutely...

We must be Unified from here on out.

[Robert Oak]

31. Dems find their backbone? What's this? n/t

[Massachusetts]

32. Ho Hum

There are still some Democrats with SPINE left on the Hill?:wtf: