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Impugning Integrity

Condescending Rice's nomination as Secretary of State has given Democrats the opportunity to highlight her record. Some of the better lines:

• "I don't like impugning anyone's integrity, but I really don't like being lied to," Sen. Mark Dayton said. "Repeatedly, flagrantly, intentionally."
• "My vote against this nominee is my statement that this administration's lies must stop now," Dayton said in opposing Rice's nomination on the Senate floor.
• "Dr. Rice is responsible for some of the most overblown rhetoric that the administration used to scare the American people," Sen. Robert Byrd

And Barbara Boxer's grilling of her last week was priceless.

SEN. BOXER: Well, you should read what we voted on when we voted to support the war, which I did not, but most of my colleagues did. It was WMD, period. That was the reason and the causation for that, you know, particular vote.

But, again, I just feel you quote President Bush when it suits you but you contradicted him when he said, "Yes, Saddam could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year." You go on television nine months later and said, "Nobody ever said it was" --

MS. RICE: Senator, that was just a question of pointing out to people that there was an uncertainty. No one was saying that he would have to have a weapon within a year for it to be worth it to go to war.

SEN. BOXER: Well, if you can't admit to this mistake, I hope that you'll --

MS. RICE: Senator, we can have this discussion in any way that you would like. But I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity. Thank you very much.

SEN. BOXER: I'm not. I'm just quoting what you said. You contradicted the president and you contradicted yourself.

MS. RICE: Senator, I'm happy to continue the discussion, but I really hope that you will not imply that I take the truth lightly.

I love the fact that Rice felt her integrity was being questioned when all Sen. Boxer was doing was quoting Rice's own contradictory words over the course of the Iraq war. She doesn't deserve to be Secretary of State.

posted by Dave @ 2:13 PM