MSNBC Front Page Now: "Rice, Kerry Duel"

[liberalpragmatist]

WASHINGTON - Testifying before senators at her confirmation hearing, Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice was grilled Tuesday by Sen. John Kerry about what he said was a failure to adequately train Iraqis to defend themselves.

Kerry, in his first appearance at the Foreign Relations Committee since his unsuccessful presidential bid, was withering in his criticism. And unlike his colleagues, he said he was reserving a decision on whether to vote for Rice.

Kerry was particularly critical about Rice's earlier answers to Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., about the number of trained Iraqi forces and the U.S. exit strategy in Iraq.

...

Kerry said every Arab leader he's talked to expressed a willingness to train more Iraqi military but have been rebuffed by the United States.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek, he said, has trained only 147 officers and doesn't understand why his training offers are not being accepted.

Current U.S. policy is "growing the insurgency, not diminishing it," Kerry claimed, adding that he met last week with Iraqis in Kirkuk, Mosul and elsewhere who said they are eager to help make democracy work but are not getting the support they need from Baghdad.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6837779/

ALSO: Video - Watch him call Condie on her bullshit - http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?t=1&p=News_NBC%20News&i=f4920d23-f5d4-4569-9798-1f384e10a803&rf=

[tjdee]

1. So THAT'S what he was doing in the Middle East.

Crafty, smart...but he still pisses me off.

If he were the PRESIDENT he wouldn't have to grill the stupid NSA advisor.

[Jacobin]

2. How dare Kerry question the Empire about the number

of Iraqified Troops?!?!?!?

Honestly though, this will look a little silly, since he' whacking away at Condi the Idiot, a hired underling to Smirk, when he should have been bashing Smirk during the campaign.

What timing........:eyes:

[blm]

7. He did. It was a major point of his, but, hey didja hear what the Swift

vets said? The media has its priorities, ya know. Letting the Democratic nominee be heard on the issues was NOT a priority.

[Bouncy Ball]

3. Yep, THAT'S why he was in the ME.

Good. I hope he votes no.

[LisaM]

4. I like what Kerry's doing

He's acting presidential. It's interesting. I saw him quoted at least twice yesterday on the local news - which is more face time than they gave him during the campaign, I might add. You can complain that he didn't do this during the campaign - but I think that he did do this, and was just routinely ignored by the press.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

9. Very good point

Or if he got face time, they cut away as soon as something important like Scott Peterson or Robert Blake came up.

[sniffa]

5. why can't we have a president Like kerry!!?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

6. Uh oh...they're using the Zell Miller word...LOOK OUT! HE'S HERE!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

8. I like this picture better.

[Sparkle]

10. I don't mean to be rude but

Zell Miller in that pic looks evil. If I were his family member, I'd be ashamed to admit we were related.