MAVOCKE -- The Federal Senate is not normally in session on a late Friday evening.
However, Senate Majority Leader Debbie Madronas (N-Damoign) called a special session of the chamber to vote on President Jim McCaren's nominee for Foreign Secretary.
Two weeks ago, McCaren made waves when he announced former POG Governor Donna Almone as his choice for Foreign Secretary, also called Secretary of State (the two terms are used interchangeably).
Almone is a Conservative, and was McCaren's chief rival in the 2016 presidential election.
McCaren's nomination of Almone was seen as a sort of extension of an olive branch to Almone and her Conservative supporters.
The former governor has strong credentials, but liberal senators opposed her nomination because she is too hawkish in their view.
Meanwhile, hardline Conservatives also opposed Almone, saying she is too weak and passive.
Both liberals and disaffected Conservatives joined in opposition to the former governor but it wasn't enough.
Ms. Almone passed by a vote of 52 to 44, with the tally being confirmed around 9:30 pm Eastern Time.
Collester immediately posted a tweet on the president's official Twitter account, thanking the senators for confirming Almone.
"Big thank you to Senate tonight for confirming a truly qualified & honorable candidate for Foreign Sec., Donna Almone," the tweet said.
Almone is expected to make an official media appearance with President Jim McCaren on Monday. Before that, she will spend much of the weekend at the president's official residence at Collester briefing he and his team on pressing diplomatic situations.
There were mixed feelings among the Senate's ranks following the confirmation.
"This is a solid pick, a solid choice," Sen. Chuck Danbury (C-Armana) told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper.
Onakiah NAT senator Deacon Busby, a leading liberal critic, expressed concern at Almone's confirmation.
"A lot of us are concerned that the president has added a Reagan-like, Thatcher-like conservative hawk to lead foreign policy team. People are wondering, 'Will this lead to another foreign policy blunder? Will it lead to another Iraq, another Vietnam?'"
Far-right Conservative opponents of Almone were equally vocal.
"As far as I'm concerned, this is the end of Donna Almone's career in the Conservative Party," said radio talk show host Bruce Gollum Friday evening following the vote.
The right-wing Conservative senators who voted against Almone included: Brad Bearns and Driscoll Sherber (Bie.), Nancy Lindselli (E. Desch.), Mark Eisinger (Remm.) and Bob Mellon (Wilk.).
Nationalists who crossed over to vote for her included: Ann Kocheni and Dan Sallovich (Carova), Donna Rae Cobb (E. Desch.), Parnell Scott (Kens.), Elizabeth Graham (N. Ceona), Jill Airn (Rodd.), Vic Chambers (S. Ceona), and Jan Van Ness (Wilk.).
Of the four senators from Almone's home state of POG, two voted for here (Conservative Dick Trau and moderate Nationalist George Mercott). The other two, Diane Coke (N) and John Paul Liffrey (N) voted against her confirmation.
However, Senate Majority Leader Debbie Madronas (N-Damoign) called a special session of the chamber to vote on President Jim McCaren's nominee for Foreign Secretary.
Two weeks ago, McCaren made waves when he announced former POG Governor Donna Almone as his choice for Foreign Secretary, also called Secretary of State (the two terms are used interchangeably).
Almone is a Conservative, and was McCaren's chief rival in the 2016 presidential election.
McCaren's nomination of Almone was seen as a sort of extension of an olive branch to Almone and her Conservative supporters.
The former governor has strong credentials, but liberal senators opposed her nomination because she is too hawkish in their view.
Meanwhile, hardline Conservatives also opposed Almone, saying she is too weak and passive.
Both liberals and disaffected Conservatives joined in opposition to the former governor but it wasn't enough.
Ms. Almone passed by a vote of 52 to 44, with the tally being confirmed around 9:30 pm Eastern Time.
Collester immediately posted a tweet on the president's official Twitter account, thanking the senators for confirming Almone.
"Big thank you to Senate tonight for confirming a truly qualified & honorable candidate for Foreign Sec., Donna Almone," the tweet said.
Almone is expected to make an official media appearance with President Jim McCaren on Monday. Before that, she will spend much of the weekend at the president's official residence at Collester briefing he and his team on pressing diplomatic situations.
There were mixed feelings among the Senate's ranks following the confirmation.
"This is a solid pick, a solid choice," Sen. Chuck Danbury (C-Armana) told the Mavocke Capitol newspaper.
Onakiah NAT senator Deacon Busby, a leading liberal critic, expressed concern at Almone's confirmation.
"A lot of us are concerned that the president has added a Reagan-like, Thatcher-like conservative hawk to lead foreign policy team. People are wondering, 'Will this lead to another foreign policy blunder? Will it lead to another Iraq, another Vietnam?'"
Far-right Conservative opponents of Almone were equally vocal.
"As far as I'm concerned, this is the end of Donna Almone's career in the Conservative Party," said radio talk show host Bruce Gollum Friday evening following the vote.
The right-wing Conservative senators who voted against Almone included: Brad Bearns and Driscoll Sherber (Bie.), Nancy Lindselli (E. Desch.), Mark Eisinger (Remm.) and Bob Mellon (Wilk.).
Nationalists who crossed over to vote for her included: Ann Kocheni and Dan Sallovich (Carova), Donna Rae Cobb (E. Desch.), Parnell Scott (Kens.), Elizabeth Graham (N. Ceona), Jill Airn (Rodd.), Vic Chambers (S. Ceona), and Jan Van Ness (Wilk.).
Of the four senators from Almone's home state of POG, two voted for here (Conservative Dick Trau and moderate Nationalist George Mercott). The other two, Diane Coke (N) and John Paul Liffrey (N) voted against her confirmation.
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