Meet your new Secretary of State
It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that Hillary Clinton would be confirmed as the nation's 67th Secretary of State, but it was made official today with a near-unanimous 94-2 vote.
AP:
The Senate has confirmed Hillary Rodham Clinton to become secretary of state.
The Senate vote was overwhelmingly in favor of the former first lady despite lingering concerns by some Republicans that her husband's charitable fundraising overseas could pose a conflict of interest.
Republicans and Democrat alike say her swift confirmation was necessary so that President Barack Obama could begin tackling the major foreign policy issues at hand, including two wars, increased violence in the Middle East and the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Immediately after the vote, Clinton was to be sworn in during a private ceremony at the Capitol.
UPDATE: John Amato, who is reporting in DC:
Cornyn looks like a fool by blocking her for a day and Diaper David Vitter voted against her. The Republicans are starting their obstructionism and are acting goofy in the process. Specter delayed Holder's confirmation for a week which enraged Leahy.
not change legislative procedure rules with a simple majority vote?
For example, could they not vote to take away the filibuster from these goons and render them more useless than they already are?
As tempting as that might be, there is a reason for the filibuster and that is to give voice to the minority, which the Senate was created for in the first place.
Remember, the Republicans thought to use the "nuclear" option as a means of robbing the then Democratic minority of their voice when it came to judicial nominations, why would be so hypocritical and attempt to do the same?
No, the easiest thing to do would be to require a true filibuster and not just the threat of one. That would cause the Republicans to back down a bit more often.
Election 2012: Be Educated! Be Active! Vote!
www.PhoenixJustice.com
And you owe Sen. Vitter a thank you card. That vile nasty freak voting against your confirmation is an enormous compliment.
to say the least.
Or, as his friends call him, Diaper Davey.
Or just "Pampers."
Kisses Hillary!
Is that the same Hillary who said she would "obliterate" Iran?
Oops. She speaks English and so do we. I guess she did say "obliterate".
She will be fired in the first year.
She openly contradict Obama on policy.
Please tell me why you love her? Is it the "coercive diplomacy" she
harps about? Is it her support of NAFTA or her service on the board
of Walmart at the peak of it's union busting days? Maybe it's her
ablity to accept SHAME in massive doses from her swordsman husband.
Are you serious?
If you're going to question her ability to serve, then ask about her ability to put aside international coziness with her husband's foundation.
Her position on NAFTA and her friendliness (or lack of which) with unions is entirely irrelevant to her position at State. If she were nominated for Labor, Commerce, or USTR, then perhaps you have a beef, but as it is, those issues are moot.
The point is she is part of the machine. A manufactured entity
with an agenda that does not include your wants, needs and
desires, unless of course you are part of the "overclass".
NAFTA is a treaty between nations. Walmart is the largest
retailer in the world tied directly to China.
This is a wonderful position for her. She's gonna do great.
That said, I DO think that Hillary is a very able and deserving choice.
I also look forward to the mass explosion of wingnut heads.
Congrats, Hillary!
The concerns I have about Hillary Clinton at State has little to do with the charitable donations, but her capacity to manage and lead the State Department. It's a monster bureacracy that has chewed, swallowed and then spit out many more talented and capable individuals.
I hope she takes good lessons from the Obama team, who managed a nearly flawless campaign and transition. I'll wish her well.
A post from yesterday worth reading.
http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/h...
Raising assholelyness to ever increasing levels.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
...buying light cotton dresses and sunscreen. She's going to need them.
Congrats, Hillary!
"Your lips move but I can't hear what you're saying..."-------Roger Waters, "Comfortably Numb"
The republicans better watch this obstruction shit. The people said in Nov of last year they wanted change and they wanted something to get done in DC. Specter is trying to make this all about him, as usual. He has never seen a spotlight or a camera he didn't swarm to like moths to a flame. He knows damned well that Holder will be confirmed, but he wants to drag it out as long as possible so he can hear himself and see himself as much as possible.
Oh and good for Hillary. Hope she is able to accomplish more than Condi ever did. By the way, besides shopping, did Condi ever do anything?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
the big food fight today was hosted by Rep Obey in the appropriations committee hearing led by Rep. Wilson and the Cash Party. I hope more stuff like this gets on the air so people can see what wipes the obstructionists are. WATB.
She changed many minds on the left since the primary.
Now, she gets the respect she deserves.
Party Unity My Ass. I hope she covers for that unqualified man of color.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
who can afford to make comments like that? What, do you work on Wall Street and just watching the clock right now until you can spend some nice bailout bonus money?
the drunk lady at the DNC meeting. I'll have to work on my accent.
Don't get the PUMA-Wall St. connection, though.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
I hope Hillary's sense of foreign affairs has improved since she voted for this Country to go to war in Iraq. One of the first pre-emptively fought wars in this nations history as far as I know, where we attacked first without pretending to be attacked first ourselves. Scary thought for me.
She hasn't earned my respect in her abilities yet as a foreign secretary for this country. All she has is a famous name and experience. Hope she gets her wits or sense about her back.
...she is a vast improvement over that incompetent, dim-witted seat-filler Condi Rice.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
I completely agree with that. She has much more respect around the world than Condaleezza ever had.
We know her shoes suck.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
Is her complete lack of humility or remorse for getting us into this god damn mess in Iraq. She sucks in that regard.
She completely failed to foresee the dilemma that Iraq, now our longest and costliest war in our history as far as I know, has caused this country.
Ain't too bright of a bulb in that regard.
Yes it's all her fault. Just her. Nobody else voted for this. I wonder someday if you assh**les will ever stop blaming the Clintons.
Clinton knew the neocons wanted to start a war with Iraq. They were sending threatening letters to the White House back in the 90s demanding that her husband invade Iraq. Clinton also knew that her husband rejected the idea; becuase, he felt it would turn into a military debacle just like Poppy Bush's invasion of Somalia. Hillary knew that Bush would go to war; she also knew it would be a disaster. She voted for it anyways; simply becuase, it was not her boat to sink. In short; she didn't care; becuase, she knew it wouldn't end her political career. She does deserve criticism for being so self-serving when she should of been looking out for the interests of the American people.
Bush's co-defendant.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
I blame Obama for picking her. And that's hard because I love Obama. I'm just mad at anyone in this Country who helped us or led us into this War in Iraq. That's a valid criticism and one that she herself has yet to show any remorse for.
I hope she kicks ass as Secretary of State. I hope she surprises us all and helps Obama regain our respect in the world and win over more friends after all the enemies George W. Bush has created.
I hope she does well. But I'm not going to defend her, right or wrong. She hasn't deserved that level of support or respect yet.
He voted the same way as Clinton did. Or is your irrational hatred just directed at Her?
I'm mad at Biden for being a tool box in that instance. But I feel better about him as V.P. because he is under the wing of Obama and I feel he'll legitimately serve Obama. Clinton will have more responsibility I feel as S.O.S., and her loyalty to Obama is much much less evident to me. She seems like a smug self serving politician to put it nicely most times. But I hope her ambition is set aside for the next few years and she genuinely plans on serving her Country and our President.
Biden was a “tool box” and Clinton deserves you being “pissed off”, for the EXACT SAME THING. For some reason, I’ve got a feeling it doesn’t matter what SoS Clinton would do, you’d find some reason to have outrage.
There's hope. She has a lot of responsibility in foreign affairs now. I hope she's learned from past mistakes and history.
Yeah, it was Clinton that got us into it. Not Failure-in-Chief Bush, right? Do you have the same disdain for VP Biden? He voted the same way Clinton did too. Or was it just Clinton's fault an no one else?
Clinton rubs me the wrong way. I'll agree. But I hope she shows her loyalty to President Obama and this Country. I hope she serves her role as Secretary of State to the best of her ability. I hope she condemns Israel for their terrorism. I hope she is an instrument of peace. I hope she doesn't make any blunders or mistakes like supporting our disastrous invasion of Iraq.
longest and costliest war? vietnam?
the shoes (250 + pairs) and the piano (40+ years), Hillary can deal with the diplomacy.
I hope this is part of some "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer" kind of plan. We need to ditch these Likud policy loving assholes.
me-oww!
when was mrs arafat a member of aipac...for the life of me, i cant recall the dates
AIPAC needs to quit being our shadow gov't, along with those ex pat asshole Cubans who continue to control enough of American policy to maintain the blockade meant to starve THAT country out. There's no room in this tiny world for that shit. And if President Obama means what he says, no more room in OUR country for it.
And I DOUBT Mrs Arafat is or ever was a member of AIPAC, tube. I DO have a link about these alarmist murder-supporting terrorists getting the shrinky dinks over President Obama's remarks showing empathy for the Palestinians.
Fuck the haters who think that Israel uber alles. It's not. The very concept of Israel is sullied by those who bandy her name about as an excuse to murder men women and children, and to keep Palestinians down, out of their own country and to treat Palestinians worse than animals.
Then these fucks have the fucking balls to call anyone who disagrees with their idea of killing Palestinians and denying them right of return, setting up a different set of laws for Palestinians, haters. In the US, it's akin to Jim Crow. And in Germany...
AIPAC and the people running Israel are terrorists. And we're complicit in their dirty shit. It needs to end. Full Stop.
me-oww!
every fucking word of it!
(just had to say it, even tho i'm a day late and at least a dollar short.)
At least she will not be in the Senate protecting the HMOs when Obama tackles the healthcare issue.
I'm hoping she fucks up down the line and gets fired. Or asked to leave.
me-oww!
Really? You want her to fail in such important job? Wow
People have fucked up in their jobs without failing, or causing big catastrofucks. Wow yourself, for not figuring that out.
me-oww!
I respect that President Obama (yes yes yes....my first time typing that out) is pushing with apparent sincerity this whole bipartisanship, but he never said that the Dem majority couldn't bitch slap the occasional GOoPer now and again. I look forward to "Pampers" Vitter and Cornyn getting a little comeuppance somewhere down the road for their current bedwetter behavior.
Ahhhh...a very good start to the new year...
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Just a BTW, Cornyn held the vote but ultimately voted for her. Vitter and DeMinted were the holdouts.
But I am not giving Cornyn credit for 1) putting on a dog and pony show in some lame effort to assert his own relevance and 2) sticking a finger in the air and seeing which way the (hurricane force) wind was blowing. T'heck with that clown!
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
The voters may give them that comeuppance in the next election if they keep putting poop in the punch bowl. No one is in the mood for this contrariness right now.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
...whatever works! The Dems make sure that the public knows what kind of assholes these people are, and the voting process (in a perfect world) takes care of the rest. Set them up so that we can knock them down. I don't care how it happens, just so long as these people start coming correct or getting the hell out of politics.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
cornyn just won reelection, egads, by running the ridiculous Big John ad, which, interestingly enough did not mention that he is republican and a bush puppet. The other guy was good, I understand from a local, but didn't get enough votes obviously.
Big Jawn did jest fine down here. He's the handsomest cowpoke since Jawn B. Connally and you'll have to be sick of him for six more miserable years.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
So then we are stuck with him for awhile. Of course, your information just makes it even more obvious to me that Cornyn was clownin', playing for air time and attention. What a joker.
Thanks for the info, btw.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
aim to please ma'ams and sirs. Don't let Big jawn fool all'n ya'll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg6owwaFWoY&fe...
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
I want to feel about the Clintons the way I used to feel, but I just can't. So I will take a page from President Obama's book and look forward to what they will do and not backward at what they did. That's the best I can do right now.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Now it's time to get down to business. Israel has admitted they used fire bombs on woman and children and also used cluster bombs to kill as many citizens as possible. The plan set up by Bush/Israel/Abbas was to use the time to invade and kill as many Palestine people as possible before Obama was sworn in. It worked very well. Nice to see President Obama's first Foreign Leader was Abbas of Palestine. Hillary is respected all over the World and many if not all Foreign Leaders have congratuated her. Now we have a Secretary of State that does her job and not just play a piano for entertainment/ take messages from Bush/Cheney.
"The plan set up by Bush/Israel/Abbas was to use the time to invade and kill as many Palestine people as possible before Obama was sworn in" I would love to see some links to that statement. And where's your outrage over the killings that are now taking place in Gaza by that humanitarian group Hamas who are now torturing and killing suspected Fatah and Palestinian Authority members.
if someone would ask Tim Geithner about Treasury's attempted rigging of the tax code for the Fat Cat bankers and the apparent $140 billion windfall end run around congress.
Why did they do it for Merrill but not Lehman, and thus let Lehman fail.
Instead of letting him finish his answer, Max Baucus cut him off. Here is Andrew Leonard.
Here is my last comment.
Government by the corporations, for the corporations… and their buddies.
statusquObama, change you can only pretend in
Colin Powell was also Secretary of State when he held up his child's vial of fake Anthrax to pretend that Iraq posed such a threat that we had to risk bankruptcy in order to pre-emptively attack their Country and occupy their People.
Would she do any different? She gave to Bush the power to declare war without restriction. That was a pretty bone headed move. Hope she has a better handle on her position of Sec. of State than she's shown in the past.
Crooks and Liars is full of good news today! Hurray! I was sick of my own rants...
Specter is an embarrassment to PA. I am embarrassed to have him representing me and the rest of Pennsylvania in the Senate. No wonder he is walking on thin ice with his re-election bid in 2010.
Here is one vote for the democratic challenger in 2010...
He makes me crazy the way he says he feels one way and then at the last minute goes the other. He likes to hear himself talk and more than that, he likes to talk about himself way too much. His opening statement at the hearing the other day was about 99% about himself and the other 1% about him too.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Who's gotten by because he was the one who protected this Country's power structure with his defense and creation of the Magic Bullet Theory. I guess he must be persuasive if he can make anyone believe in that bullshit.
I hope Al Franken can clear up that mess too in Minnesota soon with Norm Coleman. I'd also like to see Caroline Kennedy sworn in here soon. I saw Biden's replacement interviewed and he seems like a good guy.
good job guys
keep it up...the repugs love this stuff
for its back in the majority for them in 2012
Abbas? Or did he call Mc Cain's favorite Swedish group?
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
That group think thing works so well; just look at the Republicans.
Repugs back in 2012. That's a good one. What are they going to run on?
Dereuglation?
Trickle down economics?
Oh! I know; vote for me and make Jesus happy.
Completely agree with you. You want to find a bunch of cry babies who are never happy, visit the blogs. They whine and bitch 24/7. Innitially I thought they were just a bunch of trolls, but after reading a few bloggers bitching about BS I realize that they are liberal Limbaugh babies blogging. God forbid Hannity criticizes Obama, that's the job of the bloggers.
I think a lot of Senators voted to give bush the power to go to war for purely political reasons. The US was still in a state of fear after 9-11 and elections were coming up. Bush or Cheney used that fear and held it over the senators heads to get their vote. The Senators knew if there was another attack and they had voted against giving him the power, they were dead political meat. Bush and cheney set the trap and many of them willingly walked right in.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
She's a quinticessential politician.
She'll do well.
The real question is, where will the U.S. be four years from now?
on its plate somewhere in North America, shifting gradually to the north and east. Little hotter.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
this old fuck suggests you look for the exit.
... down the volcano.
Can you guys believe how fast things are happening just since noontime yesterday? We're all going to get mental whiplash over the next 100 days, right? A hold on all pending Bush era regulations, suspension of prosecutions on Gitmo detainees, a freeze on salaries, a new Sec. of State.
Didn't Obama tell us in his inaugural address that these take time, that they don't happen over night? Yeah, riiiiiiight!
No wonder I'm proud to be an American again.
JP
http://giveusthisdayourdailtydread.blogspot.com
There's a list over at Kos of a lot more wheels he set in motion today.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Is that lipstick on the teeth i see?
cant wait untill barrack sends her to palistine with buckets of blood money for the palistineans butcherd by israel and goes from there to israel with tons of white phosperous goodies for barrys avowed friends!
When will Obama and the democrats get tired of reaching their hand out to the republicans and getting it cut off..
Democrats will defeat themselves as before , by their arrogant and lack of a spine.
Where is the speech about the elitist and corporations giving their share to help the country in which they have destroy our nation by taking everything there was..
What is the democratic leaders idea of Americans giving more to our country , when corporations and this "government" has stolen everything we own!!!
We need manufacturing plants and jobs which they have sent overseas. Our government needs more money from taxes , in which they have let the elite and corporations keep in the past 8 plus years ,, by their welfare tax breaks and their illegal off shore tax havens...
None
And by that, I mean that the vote WAS near-unanimous. Sure two Republicans acted like doo schnozzles, but going from their normal united front...to TWO? After one full Obama Administration day? In something that not only benefits the Democratic party...but a CLINTON? This is kinda huge, akin to a shut-in venturing outdoors for the first time in 10 years.
I'm not about to start kissing major Republican ass, so don't adopt any wide stances yet, fellas. But just as Dems don't want to necessarily be judged by the actions by the fringe element, so too should we not condemn all Republicans by the actions of Vitter and Cornyn. I suspect they were setting up trial balloons, hoping to see if all this talk of bipartisanship stopped after Inauguration Day. And their balloons were shot down. Fingers crossed, this could be the start of a cowed, docile, submissive Republican Party, desperate to prove they can play with others or risk obsolescence. Good dogs.
Obviously has issues with powerful women. How can he be expected to represent 51% of the people in his state when he can't deal with women normally?
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Southern Yankee
Shirley Partridge???? Wow. Whoda thunk it?
wouldnta thunk it when shes was sobbing her eyes out in the debates, now shes sos , sob!sniffel!
Madame Secretary.
NOBODY 2012
Let the petty and relentless republicans paint themselves into a corner. Rubberstamp this, mofos.
Why is Vitter still a senator? When are the elections in Louisiana? Why didn't the "Moral values" Republicans throw him out? Or is it okay when a Republican does it and not when a Democrat does it?
I think she'll do fine. I am concerned with her connections to Israel.
I'm going to give her a chance before I pass judgment.
After all, we have the internet. We can make our voices be heard.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
until I look at your pic in this thread, how large Hillary's mouth is. No really. It is an oral fixation, but I'm male. She still looks like Shirley Jones from the Partridge Family. Guess the delay in her appointment meant she wasn't ready to lead, from Day 1. Ha! Oh well, Obama can send her to the MidEast so she can dodge sniper fire, when she answers that phone at 3 AM.
Who said he doesn't hold a grudge? War in Israel again, "go get 'em Hill!"...Priceless.
well i think she will be great as long as she stays away from iran , afganistan , packistan , palistine and just roosts in isreal!
This could work to their advantage. She could take Bill with her on these trips, and all the natives will be too preoccupied trying to keep their women folk away from him, to fight!
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oh i forgot iraq! very importent hillary must stay away from iraq!
God help us all.
Let's quit bashing Hillary. What's the use?
The real topic here is David Diapers Vitters partisan hackitude. Good Lord, he's just one step left of Hitler. Instead of bickering about Clinton, we should be giving money to whoever will run against this schmuck in the future. Or digging up more dirt to shovel into his diapers.
The guy's confused, repressed, xenophobic, homophobic and racist. Where's the indignity for this tool? Hillary is mother effing Mother Theresa compared to this guy. Sheesh. Lay off.
differs. Vitter is an assclown, no doubt about it, but he is actually for once doing his job. You know, the reason why there is more the one party? Accountability? Etc? So, because the Dems blindly supported everything basically that the Reps did for 8 years, now they are supposed to return the favour? Sure sometimes it's going to be ugly and leave people scratching their heads, but that is how it was supposed to be, up until the last few decades. Opposing parties are supposed to have opposing views. Besides, just because a murderer only kills one person, it doesn't make them more innocent than a mass murderer. Still a murderer.
I could not agree more. Ya'll can stop with the Clinton hating now. The election is OVER. We won. Period. Everyone that posts on this website was so confident about Obama, why not trust his judgement? I believe Mrs. Clinton will do whatever Obama desires. Give the lady a chance for petes sake.
Vitter is an asshole.
I'm from Texas and Cornyn is a burr under my saddle. Every time I see his stupid face on TV I want to puke.
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