James M. Jeffords: “I take very seriously the United States Senate's responsibility to provide advice and consent for the President's…”

“I take very seriously the United States Senate's responsibility to provide advice and consent for the President's nominees. Generally, I believe that the President of the United States should be allowed to have the people he chooses in his cabinet to implement the policies he has been elected to put in place-- providing they are qualified to do the job. The vote should not be about the ideology of the nominee--that decision is up to the President--but rather about the nominee's ability to perform the job. Condoleezza Rice certainly has the academic training and the professional credentials to be Secretary of State. She is bright, articulate, and well versed in diplomatic procedures. She works extremely hard, is dedicated to her job, and is very close to the President. In many respects, she was the natural choice to succeed Secretary Colin Powell. But, I am afraid there is a showstopper here. As National Security Advisor, Ms. Rice has been one of the most public faces of this administration's policy in Iraq.”