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US Senate Confirms Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State
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The Senate Wednesday approved Ms. Rice 85 to 13 to succeed Colin
Powell as the United States' chief diplomat





Condoleezza Rice

The Senate has confirmed by an 85-13 vote National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State. She succeeds Colin Powell as
the nation's top diplomat.

Ms. Rice's confirmation was never in doubt, as Republicans are the
majority party in the Senate.

Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, spoke for many when he strongly endorsed Ms.
Rice's nomination.

"She is a person of conviction, loyalty, integrity and ability," he
said.

But some Democrats accused Ms. Rice of misleading the American people
on the rationale for going to war with Iraq. She had cited Iraqi
weapons of mass destruction as the key justification for war, but no
such weapons have been found.

Senator Barbara Boxer of California has taken a leading role in
opposing Ms. Rice's nomination, and has come under fire from
Republicans, who believe she has gone too far in her criticism.

Moments before the vote, Senator Boxer defended her position.

"I have simply tried to say that holding people accountable is
important, that this war matters, that we need to look at the mistakes
of the past so we do not repeat them, so that we do not send our young
people into another war based on hyped-up rhetoric and half truths,"
she said.

Senate Republican leader Bill Frist of Tennessee took Democratic
critics to task, urging lawmakers to show a united front on foreign
policy during wartime.

"Partisanship has its time and place, but we are at this point in time
a nation at war," he said. "We need the strength of all our resources
to fight and win. I am disappointed that others on the other side of
the [political] aisle have taken this moment to wage a partisan
campaign."

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid offered a terse response.

"It is a matter of fairness that those who have concerns about Dr.
Rice be allowed to express them," he said. "Silence is not an
important part of American history, but debate is. Shut up and vote is
not democracy."







George BushAt the White House, President Bush was asked about the
Democrats' criticism of Ms. Rice during a news conference. He
responded by praising his close confidante.

"Condi Rice is a fine, fine public servant," he said. "Greatly admired
here in America and greatly admired around the world. And she will
make a great secretary of state and I look forward to working with
her."

After her swearing in, Ms. Rice will become the first African-American
woman to become Secretary of State.

 


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