Reply #9: Not wishful thinking

[karynnj]

My concern is that though she will obviously be confirmed, it will be with the price of all these conflicts and any other negative dredged up being thrown out in public. Obama has clearly determined the cost to be less than the benefit or he wouldn't have nominated her.

To say that having concerns puts anyone in the "Ken Starr" category is bullying. Ken Starr clearly was out of line - but, the Clintons were and are not paragons of virtue.

I would expect that the hearings will be interesting and the Republicans will try to show things in the worst light. I think that Kerry and Lugar will both be forces that will keep the hearing as well run as the Rice nomination was - where Lugar allowed Democrats, especially Kerry, to grill Rice intensely for hours. This was reasonable and Kerry should be as willing to allow an open hearing as Lugar was. That is what oversight is.