I’ve heard from some and read in commentary that the Democratic Senators who didn’t vote to confirm Rice were “closet racists.” Barbara Boxer, the 50-ish female senator from California, was accused of being “jealous” of her success, and John Kerry, who also voted against Rice’s confirmation, was written off as a sore loser.
At first I thought those kind of accusations were silly. You can’t prove any of that. But then I saw some of the comparison to previous Secretary of State confirmation votes. Rice got the highest proportion of negative votes for any Secretary of State since Henry Clay and the “Corrupt Bargain” in 1825! Compare with some other controversial Secretaries of State from the past decades: Henry Kissinger was approved 78-7, Dean Acheson 83-6, and Alexander Haig 93-6. Rice’s vote was 85-13.
I’m no big fan of Rice. I think she’s a little too intellectual and lacking in street smarts. (Anyone remember her analysis that “Afghanistan will make the Balkans look like a picnic”—sorry Conni, wrong century.) But Bush is going to pick a Secretary of State of his choosing—why waste time on nitpicking over Rice? At the very least, are you jealous it was a Republican who picked the first Black woman? Senator John McCain said it best: “I wonder why we are starting this new Congress with a protracted debate about a foregone conclusion… I can only conclude that we are doing this for no other reason than because of lingering bitterness over the outcome of the election.” Turns out the DNC was putting Barbara Boxer’s comments about Rice on postcards to contributors—so at least the primary motivation becomes clear.
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COMMENTS / 8 COMMENTS
proud 48-percenter added these pithy words on 27 Jan 05 at 5:46 pmThe motivations are clear: Bush and Rice refused to meet with Congressional Dems. The administration’s policy is that they only take questions from committee heads—Republicans. When Rice said, “We can have this debate any way you like” she lied. We need to make our voices heard. Republicans try to silence us, and this is the result.
Cheney’ summed up the Republican attitude towards bipartisamship in his remarks to Daschle.
Curzon added these pithy words on 27 Jan 05 at 5:53 pmThat an elected Republican would listen overwhelmingly/only to Republicans 1.) doesn’t surprise me, and 2.) should be expected. If it makes the Democrats some money through fundraising, great—but otherwise, it was just a waste of time debating a foregone conclusion, no?
Dan added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 12:42 amDo you have a link to where Rice said Afghanistan would make the Balkans look like a picnic? Sounds like interesting reading!
Curzon added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 3:16 amIn Bob Woodward’s first book on the Bush administration, post 9/11… BUSH AT WAR. If you go to the Amazon site and click the LOOK INSIDE section and search for BALKANS, you’ll see it on page 64.
At one point, someone said this was not likely to be like the Balkans, where ethnic hatreds had occupied the Clinton administration for nearly eight years. “We’re going to wish this was the Balkans,” Rice said, the problems of Afghanistan and the surrounding region were so complicated.”Not a “picnic,” but close—she said she we would wish it was the Balkans.
Adamu added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 5:56 pmJust an amateur question from an amateur person, but was Rice really the most opposed Secretary of State ever? There were a lot fewer states back then. Maybe proportionally more people were against him than Condy. Just a thought.
Adamu added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 5:57 pmOh, and all that about Democrats being bitter and racist over making Condy the Secretary.. I think that’s dead-on.
Curzon added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 5:59 pmYou really think that Boxer, Kerry, Bayh, and the rest are racists???
Mutantfrog added these pithy words on 28 Jan 05 at 6:54 pmIf it was racism, wouldn’t Colin Powell have been more bitterly opposed? I don’t think the makeup of the committee is very, if at all, different from 4 years ago. I think it’s more about the fact that Democrats considered Colin Powell to be someone who follows his own judgement to a degree and Rice as someone who’s nothing but Bush’s puppet.
I have no special hate for Rice, but don’t you think they could find someone better for the job? I actually didn’t mind Powell so much, especially for a member of this administration.
