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Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) voted against her appointment. Sen. John McCain had called for confirmation without the roll-call vote. “I think the message that the American people are sending us now is they want us to work together and get to work,” McCain said.
In other Cabinet confirmation news, Eric Holder's nomination to be attorney general is on hold for up to a week. According to Politico, "Holder was grilled last week by Republicans on his views about interrogations, Guantanamo Bay and his involvement in the 2001 pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich." My guess is the biggest objection is that last one.
Learn more about the presidential cabinet and Obama's executive team.
Comments
why have another woman deal with the middle east. the middle east thinks of women as possession and disposable. certainly they dont respect women. Yet again we have decided to have a woman as sec of state who will negotiate and debate with the men in the middle east. I’m not sure if this is dangerous or simply insulting to them.
I think its great that we have a women in this role. but, I dont think a woman is the right person to interact with the culture of the middle east.
Hi, John:
I’ve not reviewed other western countries to see the gender of their Sec of State or their “Middle East” envoy (remember, the SecState isn’t the point person).
But I have one name for you: Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India.
And “Middle East” is a vague term without clear boundaries.
Wasn’t Golda Meir prime minister of Israel?
And, what about the woman who would have been elected prime minister of Pakistan if she hadn’t been assassinated?
Yo, Sunshine — thank you! Yes! That’s what I get for commenting in the wee hours of the morning (with a cold, no less) when I should be sleeping.
Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel on 17 March 1969. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golda_Meir
Benazir Bhutto chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party. Bhutto was the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state, and she Pakistan’s only female prime minister (1988–1990; 1993–1996). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhutto
And India has the world’s second largest Muslim population, about 150 million. (Indonesia has the largest.)