WOULD THEY SAY THAT ALBRIGHT "GOT HER GROOVE BACK" (SORRY, BAD IMAGE)

Testimony Provides Breath of Racial Reality for TV (Alessandra Stanley, New York Times, 4/9/04)

There was absolutely nothing in Condoleezza Rice's neutral-toned suit, primly folded hands or calm demeanor to draw attention to her sex or race. Her answers, guarded, prosaic and a bit pedantic, were typical of any high-level Washington official. . . .

And at least one former senator intent on confronting Ms. Rice seemed sensitive to her background.

"Let me say at the beginning I'm very impressed, indeed, I'd go so far as to say moved by your story, the story of your life and what you've accomplished," Bob Kerrey, a commission member and former Democratic senator from Nebraska, told Ms. Rice, referring to her early childhood in segregated Birmingham, Ala. "It's quite extraordinary."

Actually, Ms. Rice has said in interviews that there is nothing unusual about her success given her upbringing by parents and grandparents who were college educated and who prodded her to excel. . . .

And after her testimony, Lee H. Hamilton, a commissioner and a former Democratic House member from Indiana, told reporters that he found Ms. Rice "articulate," an adjective that even she has dismissed as condescending. . . .

She got her groove back after a bracing exchange with Mr. Kerrey.

Mr. Kerrey scored a sound bite by challenging a Bush comment about "swatting flies," but his reference to the bombing of the destroyer Cole in 2000 gave Ms. Rice a chance to swat back. "I'm aware, Mr. Kerrey, of a speech that you gave at that time that said that perhaps the best thing that we could do to respond to the Cole and to the memories was to do something about the threat of Saddam Hussein. That's a strategic view," she said slyly as some in the room applauded and laughed. "And we took the strategic view."

How can you tell Condi did a great job? The Times prints this tripe -- and scores the Dems for racial insensitivity.

Posted by David Cohen at April 9, 2004 9:28 AM