Continuing the shake-up of his cabinet after the election, President Bush has nominated Condi Rice to be the first female African-American Secretary of State in U.S. History. “In Dr. Rice, the world will see the strength, the grace and the decency of our country,” Bush said, before kissing her on the right cheek. “The nation needs her.”
According to the Washington Post, aides said Bush is seeking more discipline and harmony in his war cabinet, and that he had discussed the job with her for weeks and perhaps months and never seriously considered anyone else.
Obviously, Dr. Rice is well-qualified for the job. My only hesitation is that she, as one of the primary planners of the Iraq War, now has a tarnished international reputation. Though she is known as somewhat of a hero here at home, abroad she is the subject of significant scorn. Perhaps she would have been better suited for a less diplomatic role, like that of Secretary of Defense. In any case, thestateof.com is happy for her.
The real problem, though, is that her successor as National Security Advisor will most likely be Stephen J. Hadley, a notorious Hawk and strong advocate of national missile defense. According to the Carpet Bagger blog, Hadley was the man responsible for President Bush’s assertion tha Saddam Hussein attempted to by uranium from Niger. Hadley is close to both Rice and Vice President Cheney, and signals that Bush will continue to keep policy decisions within a small inner-circle.
Filed under: Uncategorized
