Clinton takes oath after confirmation

WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton became the nation’s 67th secretary of state Wednesday, taking the oath of office during a private ceremony in her Senate office an hour after the Senate confirmed her in an overwhelming 94-2 vote.

Using a Bible that belonged to her late father, Hugh Rodham, Clinton was sworn in by a childhood friend, Associate Judge Kathleen Oberly of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

The only opposition to Clinton’s confirmation came from Republican Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Jim DeMint of South Carolina, both of whom said they wanted more public disclosure from two nonprofits run by her husband, former President Bill Clinton – the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative.

But during the debate leading up to the vote, several Republican senators spoke in favor of Clinton’s nomination. The most notable: former Republican presidential candidate John McCain of Arizona.