DESPITE?

Despite Hawkish Stance, Rice On Way Up: Bush's National Security Adviser Mentioned As Successor To Powell (Helen Thomas, August 7, 2003, Hearst Newspapers)

The most powerful woman in Washington's official life is Condoleezza Rice, the White House national security adviser. She has President George W. Bush's ear on issues of war and peace and is the link between Bush and his hawkish advisers.

Despite some recent obvious failings in foreign policy, Rice appears to be destined for even bigger things. She is being mentioned as a possible successor to Secretary of State Colin Powell if Bush wins a second term. Her appointment would please the ultra conservative wing of the Republican Party.

There also has been speculation that Rice, 46, might run for governor of California in 2006 or beyond. She previously served as provost of Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. [...]

Rice, who should have come forward earlier, became the fourth person to do a mea culpa for that flap. When interviewed on PBS' "News Hour with Jim Lehrer" that evening, a few hours after Bush had rushed to her defense, she declared: "I certainly feel personal responsibility for this entire episode."

But, get this. She went on to say: "What I feel most responsible for is that this is detracting from the very strong case the president has been making" for war against Iraq. There was not a word there about any responsibility for misleading the American people and the world.

Holy Mistress of the Obvious, Batman! What stray synapse in Ms Thomas's brain just fired and let her know that Condi Rice matters, a mere two and a half years into the Bush presidency? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 11, 2003 12:37 PM