I take it that it is obvious to one and all that if the U.S. Senate were to do its job, it would not advise and consent to the nomination of Condi Rice to be Secretary of State? That her performance over the past four years has given nobody any reason to believe that she is qualified for the job, and given a lot of reasons to believe that she is not qualified for the job?
The Talent Show writes:
Posted by DeLong at November 16, 2004 10:52 AM | TrackBackThe Talent Show: The Wrong Woman For The Job: Here's what David Frum has to say about Condoleezza Rice's upcoming promotion :
By shifting Condoleezza Rice to State, the president is gaining a loyalist and an appealing public face for US advocacy in the world. He is also shifting Rice to a job more suited to her talents. The NSC adviser is a policy coordinator and enforcer – a job at which Rice has obviously not succeeded.
...[Rice's] job as a high-ranking decision-maker is to strip away the blinders and maneuver around the constraints. This is especially so given that she is the one decision-maker who is supposed to coordinate the views of the various agencies and present them as a coherent picture to the president of the United States. Her testimony today provides disturbing evidence that she failed at this task—failed even to understand that it was part of her job description.
So here's the question I'd like to see pop up during the confirmation hearings : If the reason that Condi is a bad national security advisor is that she's unable to get people to put aside their differences and talk to each other, why the hell would she be a good pick for our nation's top diplomat?? Especially when her resume shows that she doesn't seem to have any diplomatic background at all.
James Wolcott has the best, most pungent commentary on this. At his blog, jameswolcott.com
Posted by: aunt deb at November 16, 2004 10:59 AMdon't you undestand, prof? george bush has a MANDATE....
Posted by: howard at November 16, 2004 10:59 AMDaily Howler is also worth a look on Darling Condi.
http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh111604.shtml
Posted by: P O'Neill at November 16, 2004 11:05 AMI agree with you. But since she's going to be confirmed, there are more important things to do in the hearings than question her ability to do the job or the admin's judgment in putting her forward. This is a rare opportunity for public discussion, given the way this admin is operating. The Dems should use the opportunity to ask hard questions about what the admin plans to do about Iraq, and specifically about its contingency plans if things don't go as expected.
Laugh? Cry?
Posted by: Steve at November 16, 2004 11:20 AMIt is difficult to advise someone who is on a mission from God. Only a true disaster would force Mr Bush to change course. Better get used to Falloojeh because we are staring at four more years.
BTW- Don't expect help from Lugar or McCain or any of the other GOP grownups. They are out of the loop and Bush does not listen to them. Lugar has been complaining about this for four years. Why should it change now? Complaints from senators will get the Arlen Specer treatment.
Posted by: bakho at November 16, 2004 11:23 AMI don't think the DNC people will be much help - as of yesterday they were still e-mailing people to "Throw a House Party: Host a party at your home and help us spread the word about John Kerry, John Edwards, an the Democratic vision for a stronger America."
Maybe the media can finally . . . sorry, I forgot.
Posted by: Steve at November 16, 2004 11:25 AMSo I read that if Condi Rice departed the white house, there would be a provost job waiting for her at Stanford University. That's where she left off...as Political Science expert of Soviet Union.
I know that a President needs an ear, and good advice, yet what makes her so qualified for either job she held or may hold. I do believe she is competent and able to tackle any obstacle. However, her lack of 'real' political experience on a actual playing field is a question. As with most of Bush's staff- fealty is the way through the day. Especially during wartime, as she was hired during peace-time ( a detente/ Soviet Union expert)- what military experience does she have that can be expedient over Powell's career. It's all upside down!
Posted by: Dave S. at November 16, 2004 12:03 PMAt least she didn't get the DoD job. That would have been a disas...oh, yeah, it's a disaster, anyway. Is Rummy still leaving some day? I understand the argument that keeping Rummy is a way of claiming all things Rummer were right, but there was talk he'd eventuallly go. Is that talk still alive on the inside? Anybody know?
Posted by: kharris at November 16, 2004 12:30 PMI think the bigger story here is the extent of the purge of non-Bush-loyalists from the government at all levels. This is serious stuff going on, and it means they have plans to do things they know "grown-ups" like Powell would try to block.
Posted by: Dave Johnson at November 16, 2004 12:48 PMWhat I don't understand here is not the antipathy for Rice- she's obvioulsy a hack and awful. But rather, the love of Powell, found even on some of these posts. Why love him? His career has been set from the start- helping try to cover up mi lia, doing all he could to block gays in the military, telling bold-faced lies at the UN. really, what's to like? His prose and poise just are not enough.
Posted by: Matt at November 16, 2004 12:56 PMMatt's got a good point, Colin Powell may not be a great loss. On the other hand, Rich Armitage might be.
Posted by: Steve at November 16, 2004 01:43 PMlarry birnbaum wrote: The Dems should use the opportunity to ask... specifically about its contingency plans if things don't go as expected.
Contingency plans? We don't need no steenkin' contingency plans!
Posted by: John Owens at November 16, 2004 02:14 PMMatt wrote, "But rather, the love of Powell, found even on some of these posts. Why love him?"
Good point.
Read the Daily Howler stuff in the link posted by P O'Neill above.
Posted by: liberal at November 16, 2004 04:08 PMIt's worse than having put Christie Todd Whitman in charge of the EPA and only stopping her efforts behind the veil. It's like GW isn't even trying to pretend anymore. Bet they've already put Prof. Delong on their anti-loyalty list.
Posted by: chickensoup at November 16, 2004 07:22 PMDon't you get it?
1) The State Dept. has been utterly ignored under Bush. It's an innefectual backward.
2) Condi is utterly incompetant.
3) Moving her into State, where she can cause no further damage, is good for everybody.
And on the subject of the purge of State and CIA of non-Bush loyalists... maybe if Dubya fired the White House travel office staff the SCLM might get upset about this?
Posted by: jeremy at November 17, 2004 02:24 AM> an appealing public face for US advocacy in the world.
I think the spellcheck messed up and replaced 'appalling' with 'appealing'.
Posted by: nick at November 17, 2004 04:28 PMGenius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped. Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915)
Posted by: free business credit report at November 20, 2004 08:26 PMTo believe with certainty we must begin with doubting. Stanislaus Lescynski
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