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Monday, January 31, 2005 2:31 PM
Rice answers tough questions
WASHINGTON
— Condoleezza Rice is expected to face some tough questions at her confirmation
hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but Capitol Hill observers
say she will ultimately be confirmed as secretary of state.
Rice stressed the importance of diplomacy, democracy and freedom Tuesday morning
in her opening remarks to the panel.
“September 11, 2001, was a defining moment for our nation and the world,”
she said. “Under the vision and leadership of President Bush, our nation
has risen to meet the challenges of our time: fighting tyranny and terror,
and securing the blessings of freedom and prosperity for a new generation.
“Now is the time to build on these achievements to make the world safer,
and to make the world more free. We must use American diplomacy to help create
a balance of power in the world that favors freedom. And the time for diplomacy
is now.”
In a show of bipartisanship, California Democrat Diane Feinstein introduced
Rice before she was sworn in to testify.
Committee chairman Richard Lugar opened the hearing by praising Rice for her
accomplishments and public service.
“The enormously complex job before Dr. Rice will require all of her
talents and experience,” he said. “American credibility in the
world, progress in the war on terrorism, our relationships with our allies
will be greatly affected by the secretary of state’s actions and the
effectiveness of the State Department in the coming years.”
Lugar listed a string of issues the next secretary of state would face, including
the Middle East peace process, the threat of nuclear proliferation, the human
rights situation in Sudan and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Sen. Joseph Biden, the top Democrat on the committee also praised Rice, and
expressed support for her nomination, but said that he had concerns about
the Bush administration’s international policies.
“We inspire as much envy and resentment as we do admiration and gratitude,
even if we do everything correctly, in my view,” Biden said. “But
the fact is relations with many of our oldest friends are, quite frankly,
scraping the bottom right now and we need to heed the advice of the president
of the United States just before his first inaugural when he talked about
acting with humility as well as force.”
Democrats grilled Rice about her role in the handling of faulty intelligence
reports leading to the invasion of Iraq and her handling of terror warnings
before the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
Some also say Rice may be too close to President Bush to be an effective Cabinet
secretary -- unlike outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell, who has been
seen as a moderating influence.
| Oscars Nominations just in:
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