Sunday, November 25, 2007
Some things explain themselves
In the NY Times Elizabeth Bumiller starts off her puff piece on Condi Rice with this priceless quote.
Condoleezza Rice and President Bush are often described as opposites, but their closest advisers say they are remarkably alike.Which would explain how McClatchy was able to begin their story on Condi like this.
Condoleezza Rice became secretary of state almost three years ago with strong support from President Bush, glamorous reviews in the news media and high hopes from America's diplomats.It is amazing how much Condi and Dear Leader have in common.
Since then, Pakistani strongman Pervez Musharraf has ignored her pleas and imposed emergency rule, throwing a key counterterrorism ally into turmoil. In Russia, the country Rice prides herself on knowing best, she and Bush appear to have badly misread President Vladimir Putin, who's restored autocratic rule and his country's rivalry with America. Her drive for Middle East democracy has stalled in Lebanon and elsewhere, and other big issues, including the environment and relations with East Asia, have been relegated to the back burner.
In her own State Department, Rice's concept of "transformational diplomacy" is largely forgotten, a fanfare about better public diplomacy has faded and morale is sinking. Rice is under fire for her handling of staffing in Iraq, and the $740 million U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is riddled with problems and has yet to open.
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