Red carpet treatment for Condoleezza Rice

Published January 14, 2005 7:59PM (EST)

For anyone who is still thinking that the Democrats might try to stand in the way of Condoleezza Rice's ascension to the job of Secretary of State, there's a sobering message this morning from Capitol Hill. When the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee holds its confirmation hearing Tuesday, Rice's introduction -- traditionally, a highly flattering bit of testimony about the nominee's strengths -- will come from a Democrat, Calif. Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Update: Don't let any of the above make you think that Feinstein isn't serious about investigating what ails this nation. Feinstein's office just anounced that the senator is worried that Major League Baseball's plan for steroid testing doesn't go far enough. "There simply is no room for steroids in our national pastime," Feinstein says, "especially when professional baseballs integrity and credibility are at stake.

One might make a similar argument about the "integrity and credibility" of a nominee who dissembled on the warnings the president received before 9/11 and misled the country about Saddam Hussein's alleged nuclear program. One might make such an argument, but it appears that Dianne Feinstein will not.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

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