Condoleezza Rice received her confirmation endorsement from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this afternoon on a vote of 16-2. The two voting against?

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 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.

My first reaction is shock -- that John Kerry actually attended Senate business. After missing most of the last two-year session of Congress, he's now up to one in a row.

No one should be terribly surprised at either vote, or by either Senator. After an incredibly condescending introduction where Kerry expressed gooey admiration for Rice's "personal story," he joined Boxer in impugning her character by suggesting that she was nothing more than a puppet for George Bush and his policies, never giving her any credit for actually believing in the same goals and strategies. Boxer did much the same by calling Rice everything just short of a liar.

There was a time when confirmation hearings were about the candidate's credentials for the job and the work they had previously done, not a sideshow for empty posturing by demanding answers about troop levels from someone not serving in a military position. Unfortunately, that time seems to have passed, thanks to the firm of Kerry, Boxer, and Associates. If this is what passes for Democratic leadership, we're going to have a fine 2006 election cycle.

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» Sour Grapes from Head's Bunker
Capt. Ed informs us of the two losers who voted against Condoleezza Rice's confirmation endorsement today. Guess who? Yep. John Kerry and Babs Boxer. The Captain is quite amused, as am I, that Kerry actually showed up for work for a change. Sucks ... [Read More]

Tracked on January 19, 2005 1:08 PM

» Condi Nomination Approved by Senate Panel from OKIE on the LAM - In LA
The Condoleezza Rice nomination to be our next Sec. of State was approved by the Senate investigative panel today, 16-2. As you might have guessed, Babara Boxer and John Kerry were the two dissenting votes. Figures. Doesn't matter, either! Captian ... [Read More]

Tracked on January 19, 2005 5:21 PM

» Senate Foreign Relations Committee Endorses Condoleezza Rice from bLogicus
Condoleezza Rice was overwhelmingly endorsed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today to be the next secretary of state, but only after some spirited exchanges signaled that Iraq will be a divisive issue in President Bush's second term. The 16-t... [Read More]

Tracked on January 19, 2005 6:19 PM

» Not a matter of color or sex from sheepdog.blog-city.com
The Captain speaks here (with additional comments from Head) on the assault on Condi from Kerry/Boxer. Heres my take:I like Condi. I like here alot actually. Not because she?s black or a women nor the combination of the two. I like her because she [Read More]

Tracked on January 19, 2005 9:48 PM