Wednesday, January 19, 2005

Dems to filibuster?

From a kos diary

Senate Democrats will filibuster Rice's confirmation in the Senate on Thursday by reading "one hour speeches" according to CNN.

Here's a news article courtesy of IN-FORUM:


Senate Democrats intend to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation as secretary of state at least until next week rather than grant her Inauguration Day approval, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"There are a number of Democrats not on the committee that want to have a chance to debate her nomination a couple of hours," said Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

He said Democrats would not seek to prevent Rice's confirmation as the nation's top diplomat, and he predicted her approval within a matter of days. Rice cleared the Foreign Relations Committee earlier in the day, 16-2, a lopsided vote that belied hours of skeptical questioning by Democrats critical of President Bush's foreign policy and his conduct of the war in Iraq.

By contrast, Manley said he expected that Democrats would assent to confirmation on Thursday just after the inauguration of two members of Bush's second-term Cabinet. They are Mike Johans, nominated as secretary of agriculture, and Margaret Spellings, named to take over as education secretary.

The Senate developments unfolded as the nation's outgoing top diplomat, Secretary of State Colin Powell, bid farewell to the workers he called his "family" at the State Department. Powell has not yet formally resigned his post, and isn't expected to do so until Rice is formally sworn in.

"You were my troops, you were America's troops," the former Army general told the workers. "You are the carriers of America's values."

He called Rice "a dear friend" and said she would bring "gifted leadership" to the department.

Rice surmounted two days of sometimes contentious questioning - mostly by Democrats - on the administration's prosecution of the war.



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