In this vote, the Senate voted 85 to 13 to confirm Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, the nation's top diplomat. Her confirmation followed a lengthy debate forced by Progressives, who questioned Rice's and the Bush Administration's various justifications for going to war in Iraq. Progressives, led by Barbara Boxer (D-CA), expressed concern that Rice had not adequately explained the Administration's "missteps" with regard to the events leading up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and that in fact Rice and others in the Administration misled the public about the reasons for going to war, especially with regard to the Administration's claims that Iraq harbored "weapons of mass destruction." Democrats-including some who ultimately voted to support Rice's confirmation-expressed particular concern over the nature of Rice's role as National Security Advisor in creating the Administration's Iraq policy. Republicans emphasized Rice's qualifications for the position and accused Democrats of using Rice's nomination merely to vent dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq. Though she was confirmed and thus became U.S. Secretary of State, Rice received 13 votes against her confirmation, more than any Secretary of State since World War II.