Condi Rice/Steady on, toward disaster (Star Tribune)

[katinmn]

a big thumbs up to the Strib. :thumbsup:

Editorial: Condi Rice/Steady on, toward disaster
January 20, 2005

The two-day dialogue between Condoleezza Rice and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at times resembled material from "Catch-22" and at other times seemed to reflect "Dr. Strangelove." Other than a few hard questions from Democrats Joe Biden and Barbara Boxer, at no time did it remotely resemble reality.

You'd have thought from the way committee members treated Rice that she'd just arrived in Washington and had no part to play in, and no real knowledge of, the foreign-policy disaster that was President Bush's first term.

What alternate reality do these senators inhabit? Rice is a principal architect of the Bush foreign policy. She was an ardent supporter of going to war in Iraq. Her statements in the run-up to war about "mushroom clouds" and aluminum tubes were preposterous. And yet in a hearing on whether she has the stuff to be secretary of state, she had the temerity to lecture Boxer, asking her to "refrain from impugning my integrity." Well if not now, when?

Even in front of the committee, Rice couldn't refrain from telling what would generously be called fibs. Biden caught her out in one when she said 120,000 Iraqi military personnel had been trained to date. A more reliable figure from a more reliable source, he said, is 4,000.

--more--
http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/5195168.html

[Jo March]

1. Kat, I am trying to find out if she has been completely confirmed

I've seen conflicting news reports. One said that further votes would be on Tuesday. Have you heard that?

[katinmn]

5. No, she hasn't been confirmed yet. Neither has Gonzales!

In Rice's case, Sen. Byrd said there was much information that the entire Senate needed to read and absorb regarding her testimony, and the vote has been delayed some days.

In Gonzales' case, the Judicial Committee hasn't even voted on his confirmation yet. It may not come up until the 26th. I think his vote was delayed because he avoided answering the questions, specifically whether he considered "organ failure" torture. He and the Senate need to "research" the answers.

So -- some progress, eh? This tells me we should keep the pressure on. Write to all members of the Senate and tell them WE CAN DO BETTER than Gonzales and Rice!

[Jo March]

7. Sounds like it's time to mobilize!

What say you, kat? Ready to kick some ass?

[Ganja Ninja]

2. But any dissent on Condi's nomination would have been uncivil.

or so some people think.
The woman is a walking disaster. The 9/11 commission was set up to reach a bipartisan conclusion. Their job was to NOT find blame. But do we have to go through life with a blindfold on. She ignored the warnings of Richard Clarke before the attacks. She is directly responsible for the deaths of 3000 people in the WTC attacks. How do these people keep getting away with it? It's insane to overlook the facts and hand this total incompetent a promotion.

[Southsideirish]

4. Quite right -and all Dems who voted for her should be honored for

being the high minded, bipartisan "statesmen" they are!

Was there ever a political party called "Democratic"? I heard about it once - it was a long time ago.

[Alisa]

3. I read the editorial and emailed a compliment to the Star/Trib for

their editorial.

I think things like this should be rewarded - after all it seems we are living largely in "polling times". Might as well get one more point for our side.

[katinmn]

6. I agree. Glad you did that.

[Dudley_DUright]

8. Outstanding

Big kick :kick:

[jbfam4]

9. Thanks for posting this great article

finally, editorials are coming out with the truth about this administration.......too bad the tv shows are so far behind.

Another good article can be found here:

Worrisome Hubris By David Ignatius
Friday, January 21, 2005; Page A17

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25278-2005Jan20.html

A warning light of that second-term arrogance was Condoleezza Rice's confirmation hearing this week before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rice is a smart and often charming person who could make a good secretary of state. But there's a broad consensus in Washington that she has not been a successful national security adviser; she wasn't able to resolve policy disputes in a timely way during her four years at the White House, and she didn't articulate effective strategies for dealing with postwar Iraq, Iran or North Korea.