Condoleezza Rice

WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and other Democrats assailed President Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq today and declared they would oppose Condoleezza Rice's nomination as secretary of state as a principal architect of a failed policy.

Kennedy, of Massachusetts, keyed the Democratic attack with charges that Rice, as Bush's national security adviser, provided Congress with "false reasons" for going to war. Had she not, he said in a speech, "it might have changed the course of history."

Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., following up, accused the Bush administration of lying and said he was voting against Rice's confirmation as a way of trying to stop mistruths.

Still, Rice's confirmation as Colin Powell's replacement appeared not to be in doubt. Sens. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia and Barbara Boxer of California are among other Democrats lined up to get their licks in today, even though many Democrats may wind up in Rice's column when the vote is taken.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., spoke in Rice's favor.

Republicans rallied behind Rice - and President Bush - with briefer speeches. Nine hours have been set aside for the debate, divided equally between the two parties.

Byrd and Boxer, opponents of the war from the outset, had one-hour speeches scheduled. They consider the war a mistake and Bush's postwar strategy inadequate as determined insurgents take a rising toll of American casualties. They hold Rice at least partly responsible, since she was Bush's White House national security adviser during his first term.

On Wednesday, a brief series of statements by senators is expected, setting up the vote to put Rice in charge of U.S. diplomacy.

"We are talking about the safety and security of this country, so I very much and very quickly want to move with Secretary Rice," Senate Republican leader Bill Frist of Tennessee said today.

But Democratic critics insisted on an opportunity to air their views on the Senate floor.

The Republican statements probably will be briefer than those of the Democrats and may not consume the 41/2 hours allotted to the GOP side.

Last week, White House chief of staff Andrew Card said the Democrats' decision to have a day or more of debate on the nomination amounted to "petty politics."

During two days of sometimes testy hearings last week, Rice acknowledged some bad decisions on Iraq by the Bush administration and that desertions and poor leadership within Iraqi security forces were hampering the country's defense.