secretary of state; Condaleeza Rice

[caesar]

What do you think of the possibility of Condaleeza Rice for the position of Secretary of State to replace Powell. I don't like the woman; I think she is a cold heart witch. I think Powell kept a lid on things as much as he was able to. I liked him; sorry to see him go.

[Slavik44]

What do you think of the possibility of Condaleeza Rice for the position of Secretary of State to replace Powell. I don't like the woman; I think she is a cold heart witch. I think Powell kept a lid on things as much as he was able to. I liked him; sorry to see him go.

yeah, from what I understand it was comming, as alot of powells reports and comments before Bush took office, were that Saddam was not a threat, makes me wonder if he really belived in what he was saying? I can't say I have a good opinion of rice, as all I know of her is what I see in the news.

[caesar]

Well, Powell spoke the truth. Saddam was an aggravating loud mouth and probably a very vile dictator but he did not pose any real threat to the USA

[Guest eureka]

The appointment of Rice would be a disturbing indicator of things to come. She is closely tied to the Bush inner circle and would not be a force for the posing of alternate views as Powell tried to be. She has been an apologist for Bush covering up his mistakes in more the manner of a PR adviser than anything else.

Rice actively campaigned for Bush in the election and spoke many times in many places in aid of Bush. She is the forst occupant of her office to do so and the first cabinet member to do that. Traditionally, in US politics, the appointees do not campaign - Rice has broken that tradition of American democracy.

We could expect US policy to be even more directed in total be the wishes of the inner circle. There would be no voice opposed to new adventures.

[Tawasakm]

Just an update for anyone who may not have heard yet. She has the post of Secretary of State. Or, rather, will have after Colin Powell officially steps down.

I heard on the news today that she made it to univeristy at age 15. Also that she grew up in an area of Alabama that was still so racist that her fathers church was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. I never knew of those two things before.

[maplesyrup]

Leaders don't usually surround themselves with independent thinkers. It is more often "yes" people.

Loyalty overrides just about anything else in politics.

[caesar]

heard on the news today that she made it to univeristy at age 15. Also that she grew up in an area of Alabama that was still so racist that her fathers church was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. I never knew of those two things before

I would imagine she is intellectually smart; just don't think she has any heart. Hard cold aggressive politician.

[Guest eureka]

Two of my classmates made it to university at the age of 15. Both developed into decent productive university professors. Neither has any of the blood of scores of thousands on his hands. Neither puts loyalty to their homeland butchers above their loyalty to humanity.

[August1991]

Leaders don't usually surround themselves with independent thinkers. It is more often "yes" people.

In my experience, that is false.

Loyalty overrides just about anything else in politics.

That is true. It is impossible to run a political shop without loyalty. (Alliances are based on concurrent interests - politics makes for strange bedfellows.)

The appointment of Rice would be a disturbing indicator of things to come. She is closely tied to the Bush inner circle and would not be a force for the posing of alternate views as Powell tried to be.

Powell was a member of the team as much as Rice. I think Powell was "too military". (I was always surprised how the left painted Powell as a "friend". I suppose part of this comes from being at State.)

Rice actively campaigned for Bush in the election and spoke many times in many places in aid of Bush. She is the forst occupant of her office to do so and the first cabinet member to do that. Traditionally, in US politics, the appointees do not campaign - Rice has broken that tradition of American democracy.

WTF? Kissinger certainly blabbed when he headed the NSA.

Just an update for anyone who may not have heard yet. She has the post of Secretary of State. Or, rather, will have after Colin Powell officially steps down.

She must appear before a Senate subcommittee and be confirmed by the Senate.

----

For the Left, she's a black woman and her predecessor was a black man. Bush Jnr couldn't give a damn about that at all. More power to him.

Confused by symbols and style, the Left misses content and reality.

My favourite Condi Rice phrase: "Punish France, Ignore Germany, Forgive Russia".

[theloniusfleabag]

Here's an interesting quote, one which may come to pass...It is from "The Commanders" by Bob Woodward, 1991. Page 39. (Not sure if it was released in August, lol) A conversation between outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, William J. Crowe, and incoming Chairman, Gen. Colin Powell.

"I've been thinking," Crowe said, "it takes two things to be a great President and I ought to tell you because you may be President some day."

"No, no," Powell said insistently, dismissing the reference to his political prospects--a subject of endless forecasting in the media.

"Yes, you may, and I want to tell you," Crowe said. "First, to be a great President, you have to have a war.  All great Presidents have had their wars."

Laughing, Powell acknowledged the truth of the statement.

"Two, you have to find a war where you are attacked."

Powell nodded in agreement.

[maplesyrup]

For the Left, she's a black woman and her predecessor was a black man. Bush Jnr couldn't give a damn about that at all. More power to him.

Not too sure where you are headed with this comment.

It seems a bit strange.

[takeanumber]

Condi will have to resign once Bush is impeached.

(I'm predicting that Bush will be impeached, if not in 2006, then 2007 fer sure.)

Good luck to them with that.

[caesar]

I would prefer 2004 or 2005. I want my nice peaceful world back. It will not make a fast recovery from the damage he has done but the sooner it gets started the better. Let's hope the world survives his reign.

[August1991]

I would prefer 2004 or 2005. I want my nice peaceful world back.

Of course, caesar.

Your peaceful world of 1997 was good. There was no longer a threat of nuclear war. No Soviet Union, no Iraq and no terrorism. We had multiculturalism, John Lennon idealism. It was better then. Of course, caesar, you want to return to that world.

But those damn Saudis flew the planes into the World Trade Center. Then Bush started these wars.

Why did they do that?

----

In August 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev flew back to Moscow after a failed coup. The Soviet Union was still intact but in fact it wasn't.

It takes time for people to understand reality.

[Guest eureka]

Kissinger did not campaign. Rice campaigning for Bush would be analogous to a Deputy Minister in Canada campaigning for a political party.

It is decidedly undemocratic.

As for Powell being a member of the team, that is not really relevant. The "team" does not exist to carry out the whims of the captain. It is a team to present views and ideas- as Eagleburger has just said, theremust be a tension between the departments. Loyaly is not the same thing as slavishly following the wishes of the leader.

With Rice, it is all too clear that there will not be alternative proposals or ideas. Who knows, the ideas may be hers but that would be no improvement on Bush and Cheney. She has yet to learn her lessons from international sophisticates.

[Black Dog]

My favourite Condi Rice phrase: "Punish France, Ignore Germany, Forgive Russia".

Favorite as in "best", or favorite as in "i can't believe how full of s**t Condi is."?

[Guest eureka]

War as in a "Wag the Dog" scenario!

[caesar]

Why did they do that?

Probably because the USA enables Israel to keep their land and keep the Palestinians people without a country. This was all Arab land.

Remember it was "Saudis" not Iraqis.

I do not condone any country or organization killing innocent citizens needlessly. This goes for the Palestinians, Israel, or the USA and all three are guilty.

However the USA and Israel have out done the Palestinians and certainly outdone the Iraqis who attack no one.

[MapleBear]

I think Colin Powell is a phony. I had him pegged years ago when he publicly suupported the late John Stanford. This is really a very interesting story.

I worked for the Seattle School District, which was and remains frighteningly corrupt. I was becoming a whistle blower just about the time Seattle's business interests recruited John Stanford to serve as the district's superintendnet. Stanford's real mission was to spearhead a corporate takeover of our schools.

Stanford was a tremendously charismatic retired general and African American who was toasted by corporate America, even as he wrecked school after school. You can read more about his bizarre adventures on my John Stanford website; I think it's at www.johnstanford.org

Anyway, one interesting thing is that billionaire Craig McCaw was grooming Stanford for a position as Secretary of Education, while presidential candidate Al Gore wrote the foreword to a really bizarre (and really bad) book Stanford wrote.

I believe that even Bush would have appointed Stanford, who claimed to be apolitical. Think about it - Stanford was a token black (an Uncle Tom), like Bush's pick, Rod Paige. He was also one of Colin Powell's friends and a retired GENERAL.

When Stanford was dying of leukemia, he was publicly supported by Powell and the Clintons, none of who had a clue about the enormous damage Stanford rained on Seattle.

Anyway, I was disgusted that Powell would support a man with Stanford's criminal background. It was clear that Powell didn't have a clue about education and really didn't care. Colin Powell cared about Colin Powell.

I suspect that Powell's role in Bush's administration was to play the role of a moderate, calming people who feared Bush's cabinet was too right wing. Now that Bush has a "mandate," he said "Screw it" and is replacing this phony moderate with a real chickenhawk, Condoleeza Rice.

I have no use for either one.

[KrustyKidd]

Remember it was "Saudis" not Iraqis.

And remember, Iraq was not a country with a government elected by the people but rather a hunk of land used as a torturous playground for one man. It was not the Iraqi people who were attacked but the regime which gave that man power. The amount of people killed to date have been far less than what Saddam killed in peacetime so already, the US has saved lives. Bush, a humanitarian and you never knew it. Imagine!

The Saudis have their own problems as their hold on stability is tenuous and will more than likely be challenged in the near future. Of course the US will have to come to their aid as they have a fifty year old agreement to do so but, sorry Ceasar, one thing at a time. Step by step, brick by brick, freedom will come to man.

[August1991]

Kissinger did not campaign. Rice campaigning for Bush would be analogous to a Deputy Minister in Canada campaigning for a political party.

First, we have a parliamentary system not an executive administration. (Your comparison would make more sense if you referred to the PM's PCO advisor). Second, the Liberal Party has thoroughly infiltrated our civil service. (So if you mean that our bureaucracy is apolitical, you're wrong.) Third, it makes more sense to compare Ottawa with Sacramento rather than Washington. Fourth, I heard PMO staffers campaigning on CBC in the past election.

But forget all that. Are you in any doubt whatsoever who Rice voted for in the election?

With Rice, it is all too clear that there will not be alternative proposals or ideas. Who knows, the ideas may be hers but that would be no improvement on Bush and Cheney. She has yet to learn her lessons from international sophisticates.

There is a whiff of sexism in those words. "She has yet to learn her lessons from international sophistices." WTF?

It is one thing to disagree with someone's opinions, it is quite another to imply the person is ignorant/incompetent.

You have every right to disagree with Rice. But you're the fool if you think she's a fool.

[caesar]

It was not the Iraqi people who were attacked but the regime which gave that man power.

iT SURE IN THE "h" was the Iraqi people who were attacked and died in the multi thousands because the USA did not like Saddam. Those cluster bombs dropped in residential areas are not targetting just one man .

Geeesh.

[KrustyKidd]

Iraqi troops use people as shields. Geesh. Can a doctor cut out a cancer without making an incision or operating? Duh.

[caesar]

The amount of people killed to date have been far less than what Saddam killed in peacetime so already, the US has saved lives. Bush, a humanitarian and you never knew it. Imagine!

Wrong again. Bush a humanitarian my a$$. Give us a break. Saddam was in the "bush leagues" compared to Bush.

[Guest eureka]

I meant exactly what I said. Civil Servants do not campaogn. The PMO's office is something quite different.

In America it is a tradition, possibly one that has become a legal convention, that appointed Cabinet officers do not campaign.

Rice quite blatantly did campaign.

There is no sexism in my comment. None at all. Why do you try to inflate your argument with false accusations?