DU'ers: Has a Secretary of State Nominee Ever Been So Challenged?

[David Zephyr]

Today as I sit here listening to these speeches I don't recall ever hearing such scathing indictments on the Senate floor of a prospective nominee for the office of Secretary of State.

When the votes are finally counted, will Condi Rice's "victory" be one that will forever have an asterisk by it?

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Interesting that you post this.

I was just wondering the same myself. I personally can't think of another SoS who has been so directly challenged during confirmation hearings, but although I am old, I am not old enough to have been witness to every confirmation.

Thanks for posting this. I would be interested in your responses.

[anarchy1999]

2. Not in my memory, and no, I think probably never.

History, dear friend, unlike anything we've ever known in our lifetimes is being made.

Ahh, what is it they (the Chinese) say, "may you live in interesting times"?, or something to that effect?

[alittlelark]

6. 'May you live in interesting times'

Chinese curse.

[Last Lemming]

3. Fox called her

"damaged goods" and murmered something like she may not get that high profile CEO spot that one would assume would be her reward after servicing the chimp

[Mr.Green93]

4. John Tower

[tx_dem41]

7. Close but no cigar...

Tower was nominated to be Sec. of Defense.

http://museum.lamarpa.edu/jtower.html

[David Zephyr]

8. That was for Secretary of Defense, but this is similar, Mr. Green93

however in that case the U.S was fortunately spared John Tower at the helm of the nation's defense...even though his favorite defense contractors had practically purchased the position for him.

[blm]

5. No. Not to this degree.

But, then, who has led as disastrous a national security position as Condiliar?

[wuushew]

9. Only 9 cabinet level positions have ever been voted down

Cabinet Nominations Rejected

Name: Roger B. Taney

Nominated by: Andrew Jackson

Nomination Position: Treasury

Date Nominated: June 23, 1834

Date Rejected: June 24, 1834

Vote: 18-28

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Caleb Cushing

Nominated by: John Tyler

Nomination Position: Treasury

Date Nominated: March 2, 1843

Date Rejected: March 3, 1843

Vote: 19-27

Note: President Tyler responded to the rejection by renominating Cushing twice on the same day, March 3, 1843. Both times, the Senate rejected the nomination, first by a vote of 10-27, and later by a vote of 2-29.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: David Henshaw

Nominated by: John Tyler

Nomination Position: Navy

Date Nominated: December 6, 1843

Date Rejected: January 15, 1844

Vote: 8-34

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: James M. Porter

Nominated by: John Tyler

Nomination Position: War

Date Nominated: December 6, 1843

Date Rejected: January 30, 1844

Vote: 3-38

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: James S. Green

Nominated by: John Tyler

Nomination Position: Treasury

Date Nominated: June 14, 1844

Date Rejected: June 15, 1844

Vote: not recorded

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Henry Stanbery

Nominated by: Andrew Johnson

Nomination Position: Justice

Date Nominated: May 27, 1868

Date Rejected: June 2, 1868

Vote: 11-29

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Charles B. Warren

Nominated by: Calvin Coolidge

Nomination Position: Justice

Date Nominated: January 10, 1925; renominated March 5, 1925

Date Rejected: March 10, 1925

Vote: 39-41

Note: After the Senate rejected Warren, Coolidge renominated him on March 12, 1925. The Senate again rejected the nomination on March 16, 1925, by a vote of 39-46.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Lewis L. Strauss

Nominated by: Dwight Eisenhower

Nomination Position: Commerce

Date Nominated: January 17, 1959

Date Rejected: June 18, 1959

Vote: 46-49

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: John G. Tower

Nominated by: George Bush

Nomination Position: Defense

Date Nominated: January 20, 1989

Date Rejected: March 9, 1989

Vote: 47-53

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cabinet Nominations Withdrawn or No Action Taken

Name: Lucius Stockton

Nominated by: John Adams

Nomination Position: War

Date Nominated: January 13, 1801

Date Withdrawn: January 16, 1801

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Henry Dearborn

Nominated by: James Madison

Nomination Position: War

Date Nominated: March 1, 1815

Date Withdrawn: March 2, 1815

Note: In Dearborn's case, the Senate voted to reject, but then allowed the nomination to be withdrawn.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Edwin D. Morgan

Nominated by: Abraham Lincoln

Nomination Position: Treasury

Date Nominated: February 13, 1865

Date Withdrawn: February 13, 1865

Note: Edwin Morgan declined the appointment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Thomas Ewing, Sr.

Nominated by: Andrew Johnson

Nomination Position: War

Date Nominated: February 22, 1868

Date Withdrawn: Not reported from committee.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Benjamin Bristow

Nominated by: Ulysses S. Grant

Nomination Position: Justice

Date Nominated: December 1, 1873

Date Withdrawn: January 8, 1874

Note: Benjamin Bristow declined the appointment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Robert C. Wood

Nominated by: Lyndon Johnson

Nomination Position: Housing and Urban Development

Date Nominated: January 9, 1969

Date Withdrawn: Not reported from committee.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Zoe E. Baird

Nominated by: William J. Clinton

Nomination Position: Attorney General

Date Nominated: January 21, 1993

Date Withdrawn: January 26, 1993

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Anthony Lake

Nominated by: William J. Clinton

Nomination Position: Director, CIA

Date Nominated: January 9, 1997

Date Withdrawn: April 18, 1997

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Hershel W. Gober

Nominated by: William J. Clinton

Nomination Position: Veterans Affairs

Date Nominated: July 31, 1997

Date Withdrawn: October 27, 1997






http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Nominations.htm

[barb162]

11. ah, Zoe Baird and wasn't it something like she had an illegal for a

housekeeper or she wasn't paying Social Security on the person? Like it was a real scandal. Well, if that was the case, then how can anyone vote yes for LIAR CONDI?

[David Zephyr]

12. Thanks.

And you provided the votes.

[indepat]

10. Has a Secretary of State nominee ever had so many reasons to be

challanged? Has she ever been right on a single issue? Yes, far right on every issue, but in her favor is the irrefutable fact that absolutely no one could have ever imagined that airplanes could possibly be used as missles against tall buildings/national landmarks. So Dems, get over it.

[doodadem]

13. Alexander Haig

A little before my time, but I understand Alexander Haig went thru the wringer, and didn't make it.

[David Zephyr]

14. Unfortunately, he did make it.

He was Reagan's Secretary of State and caused Ronnie a lot of grief.