As Condoleezza Rice finally won her confirmation for Secretary of State despite the hijacking of the process for Democrats to extend their failed 2004 presidential campaign on the Senate floor, John McCain delivered the scolding that perhaps only he had the stature and the spine to dole out:

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., suggested Democrats are sore losers. Rice had enough votes to win confirmation, as even her Democratic critics acknowledge, McCain said.

"So I wonder why we are starting this new Congress with a protracted debate about a foregone conclusion," McCain said. Since Rice is qualified for the job, he said, "I can only conclude that we are doing this for no other reason than because of lingering bitterness over the outcome of the election."

Rice eventually received 85 votes to confirm, with 13 votes against, the highest number ever for a Secretary of State. Those who voted against Rice's confirmation include the chief Sore Loser, John Kerry, as well as Ted Kennedy, Evan Bayh (IN), Babs "Crybaby" Boxer (CA), Robert Byrd (WV), Brave Sir Mark Dayton (MN), Richard Durbin (IL), Tom Harkin (IA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Carl Levin (MI), Daniel Akaka (HI), and Jack Reed (RI). "Independent" Jim Jeffords (VT) tossed in his usual wasted vote for a dying cause as well.

All Americans can thank these Senators for wasting a full day of the taxpayer's time and money to continue their griping about the same issues that lost them the last presidential election and four seats in the upper chamber. I'd discourage them from doing it again, but I'm curious if the GOP can actually reach a 60-vote majority in the Senate in 2006. If the Democrats keep up the stupid and pointless gestures, that possibility will continue to grow.

UPDATE: For those, like CQ reader TG Harris, who wonder about the red-state Democrats up for re-election in 2006, only Robert Byrd voted against Rice's confirmation -- and he's likely to retire in 2006. If not, his egregious attack on a black female nominee (to add to his opposition to the only two black nominees to the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas) will not play well in the hills of West Virginia.

However, one name not on the red-state list that voted no was Brave Sir Dayton, the ever-retreating Senator from my state. Even though Minnesota went to Kerry, Dayton appears to be very vulnerable -- and his hysterical screeching on this nomination will not help him look any better.

Otherwise, all the rest of the red-staters managed to keep their skirts clean on Rice. I suspect that they understand how vulnerable they've become, especially after spectacles such as this. I expect Reid will not be able to sustain filibusters in this session on any nominations, when even newly-elected Democrats like Ken Salazar publicly calling for up-or-down votes on all nominees.

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