After overcoming racism, Dr. Rice is finally confirmed

[ptex]

Dr. Rice gets more no votes than any nominee since 1825 says USA today. I guess its hard to let a Afrcian American women get the position. Personally I would be very happy if my little girl grew up with Dr. Rice as her role model I think is is the most qualified person in my life time and should run in 2008.

 

[Locrian]

That's nice that you are playing the race card for her. Of course, she didn't need it to get her last job...

 

[ptex]

It’s the only explanation unless she is not qualified if so what qualifications is she lacking or is it because she is a women. Would you consider her a great role model?

 

[Astronuc]

Rice is obviously quite capable, and the fact the she is a woman and African-American is irrelevant.

I simply disagree with her positions, and mainly on Iraq and National Security, but I have these same disagreements with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al.

Rice once mentioned that nothing could have been done to prevent the attacks on Sept 11.

An absolutely wrong and stupid statement. There were clearly two areas in which something could have been done and weren't - 1.) Airport security and 2) the policy that 'Absolutely no one gets into the cockpit. There was such a policy since the 1970's when various commercial aircraft were hijacked. But the US got complacent - and got caught off-guard.

A third area 3) national security was also addressed after the fact. No one in upper echelons of the Bush Administration were paying necessary attention to Al Qaida. Instead they were fixated on getting Saddam and invading Iraq.

 

[plus]

Rice is obviously quite capable, and the fact the she is a woman and African-American is irrelevant.

I simply disagree with her positions, and mainly on Iraq and National Security, but I have these same disagreements with Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al.

Rice once mentioned that nothing could have been done to prevent the attacks on Sept 11.

An absolutely wrong and stupid statement. There were clearly two areas in which something could have been done and weren't - 1.) Airport security and 2) the policy that 'Absolutely no one gets into the cockpit. There was such a policy since the 1970's when various commercial aircraft were hijacked. But the US got complacent - and got caught off-guard.

A third area 3) national security was also addressed after the fact. No one in upper echelons of the Bush Administration were paying necessary attention to Al Qaida. Instead they were fixated on getting Saddam and invading Iraq.

Dr Rice is in fact better off being black and female and hispanic, as she appeals to each of these groups (they seem to prefer people who are the same as them). Also the europeans prefer her as they see her as being from some disadvantaged group of people.

 

[Locrian]

It’s the only explanation

Really? The only explanation is that she was voted against because of her race. Partisan politics, her role in her last job, the events of the world; none of these are candidates?

I'm not convinced, and neither should anyone else be.

 

[russ_watters]

That's nice that you are playing the race card for her. Of course, she didn't need it to get her last job...

I'm a big fan of Condi Rice, but I don't buy the race card being a factor here either.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Count me against the race explanation too. The committee pretended to grill her but really gave her an easy time. And if Rice had to face racism in her bid for Secretary of State, why didn't Powell, her predecessor, have to?

 

[Locrian]

On the other hand, there is a certain truth to the title of this thread, even if I disagree with the content of the opening post. Growing up in Alabama (where I live) I can assure you she overcame her fair share of racism before reaching her status now.

Still, the presumption that she's got voted against for racial reasons to me seems highly unlikely, as there are myriad other ones that also deserve attention.

 

[ray b]

sorry but the racists all became republicans
her no votes were based on her idiotoligy
ie doing the bidding of the idiot in the whitehouse

 

[franznietzsche]

It’s the only explanation unless she is not qualified if so what qualifications is she lacking or is it because she is a women. Would you consider her a great role model?

It had nothing to do with her being african american or a woman, it had a lot more to do with her being expressly accused of being a liar. And honestly, even I'm being brought around to believe that this administration has been lying. I certainly don't trust any of them anymore. The qualification that rice is lacking, in the eyes of liberals anyway, is honesty.

 

[kat]

Umm yeh ray, that was a table cloth byrd used to wear not a sheet.
Personally, I think any black nominee having to be questioned by an ex klansman can not be anything but describe as being subjected to racism...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

yawn...

Leaving a wave of controversy in its wake, one of the most visible reminders of the Bush administration's ties to big oil - the 129,000-ton Chevron tanker Condoleezza Rice - has quietly been renamed, Chevron officials acknowledged yesterday.

"We made the change to eliminate the unnecessary attention caused by the vessel's original name," said Chevron spokesman Fred Gorell.

The double-hulled, Bahamian-registered oil tanker carrying the moniker of Bush's national security adviser was renamed the Altair Voyager, after a star, Gorell said.

The unannounced decision to rechristen the tanker was made by Chevron officials in late April, after "we had been in discussions with (Rice's) office," said Gorell. Asked if Rice or the White House had specifically requested the name change, Gorell said, "that's not for me to discuss."

Rice's spokeswoman, Maryellen Countryman, did not return calls on the matter yesterday.

The Chronicle reported a month ago that the White House had faced questions over the appropriateness of the tanker's name -- particularly as California struggled with the effects of an energy crisis.

The giant vessel was part of the international fleet of the San Francisco- based multinational oil firm, christened several years ago in honor of Rice, a longtime Chevron board member. Rice, a former Stanford University provost, served on Chevron's board from 1991 until Jan. 15, when she resigned after Bush named her his top national security aide. [continued]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/05/05/MN223743.DTL&type=printable

Condi? Simply the best that Chevron had to offer.

 

[spender]

She is Doctor of what ?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Political Science
http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ricebio.html

 

[Smurf]

So she's just as qualified as my school counsellor then.

 

[franznietzsche]

So she's just as qualified as my school counsellor then.

Got a beef with your counsellor too?

 

[vanesch]

So she's just as qualified as my school counsellor then.

I am probably wrong, because all I hear about C. Rice is about how brilliant she is. Hey, they even have a PhD. on board But I have to say that I'm not impressed by her knowledge of how to handle international politics.
Now, did Dr. Rice foresee the course of events in Iraq, or not ?
Is the actual situation over there within an error bar or two from what she, brilliant mind, had worked out in her plans, or was she a bit off mark ?

My guess is that Colin Powell had much much more insight in the matter. That's why she's replacing him now, no ?

 

[russ_watters]

So she's just as qualified as my school counsellor then.

Your school counselor was a Stanford professor, Provost, CAO, and served on the board of directors of a dozen companies and other organizations? Impressive - what's he doing as a school counsellor?

 

[Smurf]

He's batman, he has to keep his identity secret so he poses as a lowly school counsellor, no one would ever suspect a thing.

 

[BobG]

It’s the only explanation unless she is not qualified if so what qualifications is she lacking or is it because she is a women. Would you consider her a great role model?

Probably the lamest post I've seen here.

Her ordeal during the confirmation hearing was a vehicle for the Democrats to air their opinion about the Bush administration in general and nothing to do with race, gender, or qualifications.

As a current member of the Bush team, and specifically a member that has helped shape our national security and foreign policy, she's an appropriate target for their concerns. And she's the only member of the defense and security team that's likely to come in front of them for some time. She would have been a fool to expect anything less.

 

[Gokul43201]

I am probably wrong, because all I hear about C. Rice is about how brilliant she is. Hey, they even have a PhD. on board But I have to say that I'm not impressed by her knowledge of how to handle international politics.
Now, did Dr. Rice foresee the course of events in Iraq, or not ?
Is the actual situation over there within an error bar or two from what she, brilliant mind, had worked out in her plans, or was she a bit off mark ?

My guess is that Colin Powell had much much more insight in the matter. That's why she's replacing him now, no ?

I'm probably wrong here, but Condi was an expert on Soviet affairs when she was appointed to head the NSA (not implying she was ignorant of middle east affairs, or any such). The assistant NSA head in charge of Middle East affairs was (probably still is) this person who was a prominent PNAC member (can't recall name, but should be Googleable). It's possible his muscle helped shape NSA policy more than Condi herself.

I would really have liked Condi if only she hadn't turned herself into a mouthpiece for misinformation and deception. I suspect most people started out with a whole lot of respect for her, which declined over the build-up for the war.

Sen. (R-Texas) Kay Bailey Hutchison, had this to say in support of Rice's nomination :

I don't think that rehashing potential mistakes that people might think have been made in the war on terrorism, specifically in Iraq, are something that should be brought up as a reason to vote against Condoleeza Rice for Secretary of State.

Uh, come again ?

 

[kat]

I would really have liked Condi if only she hadn't turned herself into a mouthpiece for misinformation and deception. I suspect most people started out with a whole lot of respect for her, which declined over the build-up for the war.

This is something I find a bit confusing, people are more then willing to forgive Powell for turning into a "mouthpiece of misinformation and deception"...

 

[mattmns]

85-13, whew she just barely made it.

 

[franznietzsche]

This is something I find a bit confusing, people are more then willing to forgive Powell for turning into a "mouthpiece of misinformation and deception"...

not really, Powell was the least hard line of the administration, hence his exit. And the fact that he is not returning is at least somewhat redeeming. However, Rice is getting promoted. Qualified or not, after her record as NSA, i'd rather not see her as top diplomat, but its not my choice.

 

[BoulderHead]

What are the odds Condoleeza Rice becomes VP ?
Could make a clever political strategy for the GOP...

 

[wasteofo2]

What are the odds Condoleeza Rice becomes VP ?
Could make a clever political strategy for the GOP...

Or it could backfire completely. How many inbred gun-toting hicks from the deep south are going to vote for a neegro-spanish-lady for VP? Furthermore, how many black people are going to like Condoleezza Rice? I'm sure someone like Powell would get a majority of the black vote if he were on a Presidential tickett, but Black people really are not big fans of Republicans in general, and Rice doesn't seem like one who can really connect on a personal level with anyone and sway their opinions. Either you think she's an evil *****, or a brilliant role-model.

This is something I find a bit confusing, people are more then willing to forgive Powell for turning into a "mouthpiece of misinformation and deception"...

Powell became apologetic, humble, and genuinely concerned that he had lied to bring the nation to war. Rice, on the other hand, refuses to even consider that there might have been any mistakes. Furthermore, on a personal level, Powell seems like an honest, caring, humble and all around decent individual, wheras Rice seems like an evil, manipulative ***** who purposely ignores reality at the expense of soldier's lives. But of course, she has a PHD, so she must be qualified and a great role-model. And heaven forbid that people from the Democratic Party, the Party that wants to throw free money at Black People day and night, question this woman, or else they must be a racist!

 

[hitssquad]

So she's just as qualified as my school counsellor then.

Your school counselor was a Stanford professor, Provost, CAO, and served on the board of directors of a dozen companies and other organizations?

"One gets the distinct impression that Rice was not among PhD grads sending out dozens or hundreds of job application letters to institutions around the country...

"...Stanford ... offered her a three-year assistant professorship under an affirmative action program...

"...she was promoted to full professor in 1993. Rice has said that she was surprised when, a few months after her promotion, she was also named as the new provost...

"Soon she also had the assignment of firing quite a few people... ...evidently the administration made the typically cynical move of assigning unpopular and draconian tasks to someone who filled two minority slots...

"...her career has been most consistently and strongly marked by her willingness to do what she was told."
http://www.onlinejournal.com/Special_Reports/012105Burns-1/012105burns-1.html

 

[vanesch]

Powell became apologetic, humble, and genuinely concerned that he had lied to bring the nation to war. Rice, on the other hand, refuses to even consider that there might have been any mistakes.

I had the impression back when the discussion about going to war in Iraq was going on, that Powell was the one who was against it (in that he probably figured that this wouldn't be such an easy ride) while Rice and Rumsfeld were pushing for it. It was also obvious that when he was waving his aluminium tubes at the UN security council, that he was doing this because his boss told him so, but that he didn't believe a word of what he was saying (as anybody else, btw).

 

[Gokul43201]

I had the impression back when the discussion about going to war in Iraq was going on, that Powell was the one who was against it (in that he probably figured that this wouldn't be such an easy ride) while Rice and Rumsfeld were pushing for it. It was also obvious that when he was waving his aluminium tubes at the UN security council, that he was doing this because his boss told him so, but that he didn't believe a word of what he was saying (as anybody else, btw).

This is very true. Many of the conclusions reached by the State Dept. were almost diametrically opposite to those reached by Pentagon or the CIA (for instance, (i) to not trust Chalabi's information, (ii) to make the case for a global coalition, (iii) if war was inevitable, to use "overwhelming force"...way more troops than Rummy would allow).