Rice wins confirmation after heated debate on war, terror

WASHINGTON - Condoleezza Rice won confirmation as secretary of state Wednesday despite blistering criticism from Senate Democrats who accused her of misleading statements and said she must share the blame for mistakes and war deaths in Iraq.

The tally, though one-sided at 85-13, was still the largest "no" vote against any secretary of state nominee since 1825.

Rice was sworn-in seven hours later by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card in his West Wing office. Her designated replacement as national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, held the Bible. Bush planned to attend a ceremonial swearing-in Friday at the State Department.

Separately, a Senate committee narrowly voted to send Alberto Gonzales' attorney general nomination to the full Senate. Jim Nicholson and Michael Leavitt won confirmation as the new secretaries of veterans affairs and health and human services respectively as President Bush's second-term Cabinet fills out.

Rice, Bush's national security adviser for four years and perhaps his closest adviser on the war and terrorism issues that dominated his first term, becomes the first black woman to be America's top diplomat. She succeeds Colin Powell, a former Army general who clashed privately with some of the strongest hawks in Bush's inner circle.

Although Rice's nomination was never in doubt, Democrats mounted a lengthy and biting protest that showed she will not immediately match Powell's collegial relationship with Capitol Hill.