US News
Senate panel backs Clinton as secretary of state (Roundup)
By Mike McCarthy Jan 15, 2009, 16:11 GMT
Washington - A Senate committee voted Thursday to confirm Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, sending her nomination to the full chamber for final approval.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 16-1 to make Clinton the next top US diplomat.
The vote in the full Senate could come before president-elect Barack Obama is sworn into office on Tuesday, part of a busy week in Congress as it lays the groundwork for Obama's administration.
Later Thursday, the legislature could consider the second bailout measure for the finance industry, with Obama facing some resistance against the measure.
Obama tapped Clinton, his formal rival for the Democratic presidential nomination to head foreign policy, bringing in a face familiar to the rest of the world and someone who has built strong foreign policy credentials during her time in the Senate.
The Senate began confirmation hearings on Monday on Obama's cabinet nominees. None so far has come to a full vote as the clock ticks toward Obama's move into the White House.
Meanwhile, Clinton and vice president-elect Joe Biden bid farewell to the Senate. They are giving up their seats to move into the Obama administration.
'I've been a United States senator considerably longer than I was alive before I was a United States senator,' said Biden, who was elected by Delaware voters to the Senate in 1972.
The former first lady recalled her eight years in the upper chamber of Congress but called on her counterparts to focus on the future.
'There's a lot of work ahead of us but I know the people in this chamber are up to it,' she said.
During her confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Clinton vowed to employ 'smart power' to pursue US objectives in the world like resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and curtailing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Clinton said the United States must use its diplomatic, economic and military power to promote international security and tackle challenges abroad.
Republican Louisiana Senator David Vitter was the only vote against Clinton on the committee.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday was holding a hearing for Eric Holder, Obama's choice to become attorney general, the top US law enforcement officer. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was also expected to take up the nomination of Susan Rice to become US ambassador to the United Nations.
Holder told senators he will bring independent leadership to the Justice Department and not allow it to be overly influenced by the White House - a key criticism of the department during the Bush administration.
The Justice Department was scrutinized for cowering to the White House on rules for interrogating suspects in the war on terrorism and allowing the government to run a secret domestic wiretapping programme.
In a clear break with the Bush administration, Holder said he defined waterboarding as torture. His successors, including the current Attorney General Michael Mukasey would dodge questions about whether using the technique that simulates drowning on terrorism suspects amounted to torture.
Holder also said he would move quickly to review the cases at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to keep in line with Obama's plans to close the prison.
Also on the agenda on Thursday was a potential vote on releasing the 350 billion dollars in funds the second half of the 700-billion- dollar bailout package for the financial industry.
Bush asked Congress earlier this week to provide the money at Obama's request. Obama's economic advisors have since been meeting with members of Congress to lobby for their approval.
COMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
'Senator Clinton...we are concerned that your husband's business will impede on the office of the Seceratary of State....this is the opinion of the committee as a whole.' - Sen. John Kerry and Richard Luger.
By the way, he may be buying a prostitute, but the new seceratary's husband had a woman brought to a hotel room by the state police and then fondled her against her will.
Wag the Dog
To get her ass out of the Senate.
have a Sec. of State who can handle the job. Adios Condoleezza Rice, Hello Mrs. Clinton.
..it must be all of her extensive experience holding up legislation until her husband gets a check. (NYT Jan 4th)
...hiring Sandy Berg(l)ar to extort money out of the kazak's and chinese for influence.
...extorting money out of the Columbians for free trade legislation.
You know, she DOES have a lot of experience that Condi never got.
'By the way, he may be buying a prostitute, but the new seceratary's husband had a woman brought to a hotel room by the state police and then fondled her against her will.'
Even as stupid as you are, what does this stupid comment have to do with what was said? God you are mindless wit!
Idiot stick lives in the past and will always have a major hang-up on anything that remotely reminds him of a Democrat - take pity........
has the honed skills of a person who can handle the job and make things happen. Right now, she's our best bet in the entire cabinet. I think Barack didn't bring her on as VP because he might feel like a sitting duck but he had to do something with her so he did the next best thing, Sec. of State. She's going to do a great job!
Still, Mrs ClintonJan 15th, 2009 - 21:38:07
has the honed skills of a person who can handle the job and make things happen.
SP4: by what calculation do you arrive at this conclusion? She has never worked for the DS, never been in any diplomatic cpacity, never negotiated with a foreign power other than holding Columbia hostage on free trade legislation
Right now, she's our best bet in the entire cabinet.
SP4: By what logic? You have a sec def who has never served, a CIA leader who is just a lawyer, an AG designate who sold pardons...the only guy with Gravitas' is the Bush sec def.
I think Barack didn't bring her on as VP because he might feel like a sitting duck but he had to do something with her so he did the next best thing, Sec. of State.
SP4 - wake up: the sec state has far more power than the VP. They sit over a huge bureaucracy, and history shows presidents can hardly control them.
She's going to do a great job!
SP4 - again, by what logic does noe arrive at this?
treat 'Idiod Stick' SP4 like the dumb-dumb he is:
'SP4: by what calculation do you arrive at this conclusion? She has never worked for the DS, never been in any diplomatic cpacity, never negotiated with a foreign power other than holding Columbia hostage on free trade legislation'
5 spelling and gramical errors---to stupid to comment on.
'SP4: By what logic? You have a sec def who has never served, a CIA leader who is just a lawyer, an AG designate who sold pardons...the only guy with Gravitas' is the Bush sec def.'
Eiher we have a Secretary of Defense that has 'never served' or we have 'the only guy with Gravitas' is the Bush sec def'''---god you are stupid, does anyone listen to you in real life or does everyone around you completely ignore you and your stupidity? When was the last time you did/said/completed anything that was right? Again full of gramical and spelling errors.
'SP4 - wake up: the sec state has far more power than the VP. They sit over a huge bureaucracy, and history shows presidents can hardly control them.'
You need to 'wake up' idiot stick! The lat Secretary of State did absolutely nothing, just like her boss. Please tell me one thing that gapped toothed auntie Tom negotiated , completed and signed, except of course he charge slips for new shoes??? By the way, what 'history', god you are an idiot.
'SP4 - again, by what logic does noe arrive at this?'
Spelling and grammer so bad, your comment makes no sense. Idiot stick! As usual, so wrong even a 5th grader could debate and defeat you.
page: 1
YesJan 15th, 2009 - 16:43:57
The lone 'no' vote was by David Vitter of Louisiana. He was in a hurry to get out of there he had an appointment with a prostitute and did not want to miss the appointment....
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