Three Jewish members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee split 2-1 today (Jan. 19) when the committee voted 16-2 to recommend that Condoleezza Rice be confirmed as U.S. Secretary of State.

Sens. Russ Feingold (D-Wis) and Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) voted with the majority, while Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who led the at-times acrimonious questioning of Rice on Iraq (see previous story) voted in the minority.   The only other vote in opposition to Rice was that of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), last year's Democratic presidential nominee.

Dianne Feinstein, California's other United States Senator, in contrast to Boxer had introduced Rice to the Foreign Relations Committee, saying her close friendship with  President George W. Bush would make Rice an effective Secretary of State. (see previous story)

It was the second time in the short history of the 109th Congress that Boxer led symbolic opposition to the Bush administration.  Earlier this month, she led the skirmish on the Senate floor in opposition to certifying Ohio's electoral votes in the 2004 presidential contest (see previous story).

—Donald H. Harrison