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2004-11-16 Home Front: Politix

Moves Cement Hard-Line Stance On Foreign Policy

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Posted by someone 2004-11-16 2:27:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Incidentally, WaPo also reports that Rice will be succeeded by her deputy Stephen Hadley.

So it looks like liberalhawk's (to me, sensible) complaints about failed NSA coordination aren't likely to addressed -- though perhaps changing the players involved to those of less disparate views will itself make the issue go away.

Posted by someone 2004-11-16 3:28:12 AM|| 2004-11-16 3:28:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 The NSA does not direct anyone or anything. S/he advises the President. In normal times, there isn't enough at stake for the agencies to openly revolt against (as opposed to ignore, circumvent or suborn) the policies advanced by the NSA.

After 9/11 and the Clinton era before it, we haven't been in normal times.

Posted by rkb 2004-11-16 5:41:18 AM|| 2004-11-16 5:41:18 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Wow. This certainly sounds good to me.

From the article:

"More to the point, [Rice] is deeply familiar with the president's thinking on foreign policy -- and can be expected to ride herd on a State Department bureaucracy that some conservatives have viewed as openly hostile to the president's policies. The departures of Powell and his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, could trigger a wholesale reshuffling of top State Department officials."

And if that happens, I would finally have to concede: there really is a God.

Posted by Dave D. 2004-11-16 6:15:55 AM|| 2004-11-16 6:15:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 The irony of this woman stepping off a plane anywhere east of Vienna....the visual image is earthshaking.

Posted by john 2004-11-16 8:32:12 AM|| 2004-11-16 8:32:12 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Putting aside liberalhawk's criticism of Condi personally I'd say that his concerns have otherwise been addressed in spades. IIRC the perceived problem was that DOS, DOD, & the CIA weren't on the same page and tended to form circular firing squads on important issues.

With Clinton's man Tenet gone and Goss cleaning house at CIA and this administration's odd-man-out Powell gone with Condi set to step in and remake State, those two agencies are set to quickly fall into step with the White House. If Rummy sticks at Defense for a while we'll see, for the first time in quite some time, a federal government that's both focused on actually advancing US interests and in synchronicity.

Bush is purported to be an exceptionally sharp and almost infinitely underrated political organizer. A+ from me so far on all of the cabinet changes, he's doing nothing to reduce that reputation here.

Posted by AzCat 2004-11-16 9:27:48 AM|| 2004-11-16 9:27:48 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Condi: "Wear a veil? I think not"

Posted by Frank G 2004-11-16 9:49:50 AM|| 2004-11-16 9:49:50 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 You betcha, John-except for Russia. They're not as intimidated by women in positions of power as their endangered species neighbors are, relatively speaking.

Posted by Jules 187 2004-11-16 10:14:14 AM|| 2004-11-16 10:14:14 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 I was troubled by comments stating that she didn't want to run a bureaucracy. But then, we've all been stumping for her for our next Pres - so it would be nice to see if she capable of the job.

Posted by 2b 2004-11-16 10:31:43 AM|| 2004-11-16 10:31:43 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Go, Condi, GO!

and Condi for Prez!

This is a dream come true!

Posted by Anon1 2004-11-16 11:20:01 AM|| 2004-11-16 11:20:01 AM|| Front Page Top

#10 John and Frank G - my thoughts *exactly*. They'll have aneurisms when they have to treat her, not as an inferior, nor even as an equal (which is likely to make them shit blood), but as someone who has the ear of one who takes no bullshit.

I cannot *wait* for her first visit to the M.E. ;)

Posted by Tony (UK) 2004-11-16 12:05:32 PM|| 2004-11-16 12:05:32 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 She'll never look as hot as Albright did when Mad visited Saudi. Oooh, that hat! Oooh, those skirt that went up to kneecap. Oooh, wearing those socks that go just above the knee and cut off circulation. And such shapely legs too.

Posted by chicago mike 2004-11-16 1:41:49 PM|| 2004-11-16 1:41:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 *Gaaaacckkk*

thanks for the visual, CM

Posted by Frank G 2004-11-16 1:56:47 PM|| 2004-11-16 1:56:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Maybe the Saudis will deal with the Dept of State through **ahem** lower level sources that are male. After all, they have problems with planes carrying Saudi Heads of State talking to female air traffic controllers. Well, we can always say that you do not have to deal with us, if you can't handle talking to US female bureaucrats....

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-11-16 2:07:55 PM|| 2004-11-16 2:07:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 After all, they have problems with planes carrying Saudi Heads of State talking to female air traffic controllers.

Pardon my Phrench, but these assholes need to grow up.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-11-16 4:58:18 PM|| 2004-11-16 4:58:18 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 azcat has it about right. While i still have my qualms about Condis personal quals as an admininstrator/manager/leader (with all due respect to her talents as thinker/advisor) the ideological direction for State may be about right. And frankly im not sure Im troubled about her (possible) inability to reform State - the reform at CIA is proving so "bloody" I think it may be best to tolerate the culture at State for awhile. And one meme going around now is that with Condi closer to Bush than Powell was, this may actually give State more autonomy vis-a-vis Rummy and Cheney. Which is a mixed blessing, IMO, but an interesting take.

Bill Kristol is quoted in the Financial Times as saying Rummy will be out soon, for being too hostile to nation-building, and will be replaced (i think he said) by McCain or Lieberman. Now THAT would be a good thing, and would actually balance Condi.

See its NOT just a Hawk vs Dove thing. Its also a nation-builder vs non nation builder thing. Though the MSM usually misses the latter. And on the later toughguy nationalists like Rummy are actually on the same page as "realists" like Powell, and NOT on the same page as many neocons. Im not sure about Condis instincts on nation building, but going by her background (kissinger/scowcroft) her involvement in the early isolationist phase of Dubyaism, and her role/non-role on Iraq, im still concerned.

Again the MSM, which has identified neocon with hardliner, and which has identified Wolfie with Rummy, has missed some of these subtle, but important, distinctions.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2004-11-16 5:09:27 PM|| 2004-11-16 5:09:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 McCain and Lieberman are both Senators, what are the political affiliation of the respective Governors who would choose their replacements?

Posted by rjschwarz 2004-11-16 5:22:20 PM|| [http://politicaljunky.blogspot.com] 2004-11-16 5:22:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 I don't see Rumsfeld go until his revamp of DOD has its' own inertia

Posted by Frank G 2004-11-16 5:24:45 PM|| 2004-11-16 5:24:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 McCain & Lieberman also have nil admin experience. (McCain's brief experience as a pilot doesn't map over to group leadership IMO, for those who would cite his service.)

Not A Good Thing for SECDEFs IMO.

Posted by too true 2004-11-16 6:28:49 PM|| 2004-11-16 6:28:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#19 McCain & Lieberman are pipe dreams created by the media. Frank's right: Rummy's likely to stay until his reorg is too far along to backslide. In the event that he leaves, Bush would be a fool to appoint a successor with sometimes hostile political views and/or questionable loyalty to the administration's worldview. The would seem to leave McCain & Lieberman on the outside looking in.

Posted by AzCat 2004-11-16 8:02:48 PM|| 2004-11-16 8:02:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#20 McCain would be a disaster. Lieberman might be OK, but I'm having a hard time imagining him doing war briefings when we hit Iran.

Posted by someone 2004-11-16 8:33:58 PM|| 2004-11-16 8:33:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#21 AZ Governor Napolitano is a Democrat. Not sure of CT, but I believe Rowland's replacement is a Republican.

Neither will fly. Lieberman wouldn't leave the Senate and risk another possible GOP Senator coming in for 2 years. McCain a) doesn't play well with others and b) you could never be sure he was working for the President, or 'for McCain'.

Posted by Pappy 2004-11-16 10:15:14 PM|| 2004-11-16 10:15:14 PM|| Front Page Top

14:20 Clavinter Angiling2549
10:01 sam
00:21 angryinIowa
00:21 ex-lib
00:11 Old Patriot
00:11 mojo
23:58 .com
23:55 2b
23:55 donkey shop
23:54 Old Patriot
23:54 mojo
23:43 Conanista
23:43 ex-lib
23:33 .com
23:25 Frank G
23:21 Doug De Bono
23:18 Alaska Paul
23:18 Tibor
23:17 Tibor
23:15 Tibor
23:15 First Iraq, Then France
23:14 Frank G
23:12 trailing wife
23:09 SoNow