Obama votes yes, Durbin votes no on Rice confirmation

[Tweed]

http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2005/01/28/top/doc41fa3ba46425e733224819.txt

"Condoleezza Rice took over Thursday as the 66th U.S. secretary of state, replacing Colin Powell to hold the nation's top diplomatic post. While she received the confirmation, Illinois senators were split on their support for Rice.

Sen. Dick Durbin voted against Rice, while Sen. Barack Obama voted for her. Rice was approved 85-13. She was the first secretary of state nominee to garner "no" votes in 24 years.

Durbin said although he respects Rice, he was unable to overlook her pervious actions.

"I was troubled and continued to be troubled with statements that she made before the invasion of Iraq," Durbin said. "She was the national security advisor and she said things about the treats in Iraq that were just wrong. I think as national security advisor she should had demanded better evidence before building this case for the invasion that lead to the situation we are in today. I think she used poor judgment, and that's the reason I voted no."

Oh dear, Obama's name is in the mud in GD now.

[wtmusic]

1. Obama is a wuss

Not an auspicious start. :eyes:

[seventythree]

7. agree

What got me about Condi was not that she relied on specious evidence to run up the war, many did -- but that after 911, she looked at the camera and said "Who would have thought that airplanes could be used as missiles." Give me a break!!! Was she asleep at the wheel with all those incidences of terrorists saying they were going to do that? -- from Yousef to the Eiffel tower threat? She was at the G8 summit with Bush just a few months before and from what I read they believed there was a possibility that a plane could be flown into the meeting site, and I even read where the Pres was housed on a floating barge or something because of that threat.

[wtmusic]

11. a wider trend of

failing to make any acknowledgement whatsoever of errors. She deserves no slack.

[cenflrd]

2. Obama says

NO to Ohio electoral challenge and YES to Condi Rice. He's certainly not trying to win friends and influence people, is he?

[Benhurst]

3. I'm beginning to think Ryan might have been better. His

voting record would have been the same; but we at lest would have had Seven of Nine to look at.

Obama is turning out to be a disappointment -- BIG TIME.

[Withywindle]

9. *snerk*

Well, Obama himself is a lot more enjoyable for me to look at. (Have had my head turned by the occasional woman, but usually not the interchangeable-blonde type.) But I will grant you that Jack Ryan's much easier on the eyes than Alan Keyes. :)

That vote's pretty difficult to defend so I'm not gonna try very hard, but I also suspect he was counseled to do so. You think he and Durbin didn't confer on it? With Durbin being Whip and all? I'll bet he knew exactly who was voting what and why. I'm also waiting to see what happens with Gonzales.

[renaissanceguy]

17. People only like him because of his character.

I have yet to be impressed by his record. I didn't like him during the senatorial primaries, but supported him during the general election because...well...Alan Keyes.

I hope he will step up to the plate, because we won't be that forgiving when he's up for re-election, after all the hype he has created.

[madrchsod]

4. doesn`t really matter

she was going to get confirmed no matter how he voted. politically he has no weight so i`m sure durbin and others consoled him to vote yes. there is no way in hell he would have ever voted for her in the real world. i`m sure he`s more in line with this article from the black commentator-- <http://www.blackcommentator.com/index.html>----
his vote really meant very little in the grand scheme of things

[RaRa]

5. That's true

and he has a reputation of being pretty diplomatic; working with Repukes in the state legislatures. Still, I'm pissed, and I emailed him my extreme dissapointment. He's NOT representing his constituency. There will be no future for the Democratic Party if this kind of crap continues.

[seventythree]

6. so you don't stand on principle?

even if you are a light weight? His vote has the exact same power as any other Senator's vote -- The Hispanic caucus is not backing Gonzalas,so I don't see the race thing as a reason. If we take the attitude that one vote doesn't matter because it is all going to happen anyway, then we might as well pack the democratic congresspeople's suitcases because we are out voted in both chambers. I,too, am disappointed -- and he didn't vote for the discussion of the Ohio electors, either, did he? Double disappointment.

[RaRa]

8. I completely agree with you

I was (perhaps poorly) trying to say that I'm not that surprised at his vote. Still disgusted, though.

[seventythree]

10. actually meant to reply to mad...

must have hit the wrong button, but glad we agree, and no, you didn't do a poor job.

[grace0418]

12. I'm pretty mad at him too, and I'm a big Obama fan

I'm not trying to defend him at all, because I am very disappointed at his decision, but I am wondering what would lead him to it. He's a very smart guy and seems to reason out things very well. So why yes on Condoleeza?

One theory I had is that he is thinking about running in 2008 (despite what he says to the contrary) and he doesn't want to piss off any black voters right now. He'll definitely need the black vote in the red states or he won't stand a chance. I personally think that KKKarl Rove and Dick Cheney somehow created a frankenstein monster by implanting the brain of a good ole boy in the body of a black woman and came up with Condi, but in the eyes of many she's revered simply by being a black female in a very high position. And maybe it would be considered a bad idea for a black senator to vote against a black woman even if she is evil to the core.

Again, I'm not saying I agree with him here, I'm just trying to come up with a logical explanation.

[grace0418]

13. I just sent him this email

Dear Senator Obama

November 2, 2004 was a very difficult day for me. I work so hard for so long to remove our national nightmare from the White House only to find I'd have to endure four more years of tyranny. The only bright spot, my only celebration that whole night, was your victory.

Not that there was really any contest. I would've voted for an old shoe before I would've voted for Alan Keyes. But it was more than that. In you, Mr. Obama, I saw hope. I saw an intelligent, honest man who would not be afraid to stand up for what is right. You and I don't see eye to eye on every issue (For example, I believe that consenting adults should be allowed to marry, full stop. And Iraq was always about oil, full stop.), but I felt very strongly that you would always make a fair decision based on an honest evaluation of the issues at hand.

But now even the small ray of hope I had on November 2 seems to be fading. I am so disappointed in your brief but shocking voting record so far I feel I have to tell you so. I do not think you are representing your constituents, which is what you promised to do. I know you know that Condoleeza Rice is not fit to be in such a position of power. I know you know that far too much went far too wrong in Ohio on November 2 to be ignored. So why didn't you stand up for what is right? The people of Illinois need you to fight for us. Please Senator Obama, give us some hope back. Thank you.

Grace Amandes Gaceta

[seventythree]

14. love to know what you get back

good letter

[renaissanceguy]

18. I think that's one of the pitfalls

of ideas like affirmative action, when it is explooited. When you have qualified people out there who can do the job well, but you hire an incompetent nutjob just because she's black...that's a problem.

At the same time, I don't think the Repugs "hired" her because she is black. They like her nutjob policies, but wanted to back politically correct people into a corner.

Either way, if the person is not qualified for the job, she should not get it.

[Southsideirish]

15. He has one of the safest seats in the Senate and he doesn't have the

cajones to vote against her? L O S E R !!!!

[barb162]

16. Obama got a really nasty email from me that day he voted

for that LIAR.