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May 4, 2006: News Flash!
Don't be shocked but there are some liberal faculty members of Boston College that are whining about Dr. Rice receiving an honorary degree from this Jesuit institution.  (Probably some of the same folks that tried to reconcile Communism and Catholicism with "Liberation Theology" until the Pope John Paul II pointed out the contrary.)  Of course, the mainstream press ballyhooed that "nearly 100" faculty members had signed a letter written by two BC theology professors.  (Links: AP, Boston Globe)  That sounds impressive.  But after visiting the College's website, we discovered that this is less than 10% of the faculty.  Further, the letter's authors would not release the names of those who signed on to their protest.  (Now that shows some real backbone, real conviction and willingness to stand up for your beliefs!)  One would think that liberals could do better than that in Boston!
Condi is scheduled to give the graduating class' commencement address on the 22nd of this month.  With any luck, this will be another opportunity to watch the next episode of "Liberals behaving badly."  Dr. Rice has always  handled herself with class and poise when faced with protesters.  Maybe she'll get another opportunity later this month!
Not all those at Boston College are opposed to having Dr. Rice appear.  The Heights, a newspaper produced by undergraduates and "serving the Boston College community" wrote a favorable op-ed, and political science professor, Marc Landy, called the letter a "grotesque mistake" while penning his own letter to faculty members asking that they not sign the protest letter.

May 5, 2006: ABC's Commander-in-Chief Legacy.
It may be too early to write this program's post-mortem analysis and obituary, but it's disappearance from ABC's primetime lineup -- along with frequently being pre-empted, interruptions in the story line, and studio shake-ups after episodes by Rod Lurie that pushed the envelope a little too far -- do not bode well for the series' future. (A rumored scene where the fictional President's daughter got up close and personal in a limousine with a Secret Service agent who rose above and beyond the call of duty was allegedly what led to Lurie's replacement with Steve Bochco of Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue fame.  This lead to an interruption in the show's production.)
The relatively new series, derisively referred to by some as "ABC's West Wing in a skirt," never did approach the quality of NBC's award-winning and long-running drama, West Wing.  Although, Commander-in-Chief did avoid some, but not all, of the ideological bias that was so nauseatingly obvious, at times, during West Wing.  The message that the religious Right, the NRA, and Republicans in general, etc. are "bad" was much softer, albeit still present to some degree.
In any event, we all know that Hollywood is on the "left coast" so let's move on.  Today, a Corporate Media News article reported the results of a survey that demonstrates the impact of the short-lived series:
"....according to a new national survey, "Commander" will likely have a longer term impact on voters and the real-life political landscape.

The survey, as commissioned by the Kaplan Thaler Group....shows that of the 76-percent of Americans familiar with "Commander in Chief," an overwhelming 58-percent are now more likely to take seriously the idea of a female presidential candidate.

The results are encouraging to us for 2008, but we do find it somewhat troubling that Americans seem to be so easily influenced by the mass media.  Is Hollywood really able to lead us around by the nose?  Or is it just that the idea of a female President is an idea "whose time has come" -- and all the American public needed was a little push from a TV show for the idea to crystallize in their minds?

May 5, 2006: South Carolina's On Board!
A native South Carolinian, Kelly Jolley is a health care lawyer and corporate litigator practicing out of Columbia and Hilton Head. Kelly recently relocated to Hilton Head Island with her family and enjoys being the rare Southerner on an island of ex-pats. Aside from health care reform and foreign policy, Kelly enjoys golf, South Carolina politics, and Little League games.  Kelly is excited to join Americans for Dr. Rice and looks forward to helping organize South Carolina's efforts to draft Dr. Rice as our next President.  If you'd like to help Kelly in South Carolina, or just welcome her to AFR, you can e-mail her here.
 

May 5, 2006: Condiblog.
Americans for Dr. Rice is going to enter the blogosphere with our "official" blog.  The word "official" and "blog" are almost oxymoronic, but we hope to capture the excitement and energy of cyberspace for Condi 2008.
With your help, the blogging format will invite wider participation and lower the threshold for those of you who have been hesitant to express your support in the past.
Please visit our new blog and support our chief blogger, Eli Bennett.  Your participation, as we work to draft Dr. Rice in 2008, is invited.

May 6, 2006: Don't take the bait!
Since last Sunday's Face the Nation interview with Bob Schieffer, we've received a number of "I cannot believe Condi said it's 'OK' to sing the national anthem in Spanish" e-mails.  Much of the misunderstanding seems to come from a Reuters article, Rice not upset by national anthem in Spanish, that mischaracterized what the Secretary said.  After reading the interview transcript and watching the video, guess what -- we couldn't find the word "upset" anywhere. 

Now, you can wrap yourself in the First Amendment and sing the national anthem in whatever style, or language, you like.  (Of course, changing the words while translating the song, as has been done recently, is a different matter.  Then, it's no longer the national anthem!)  Individuals, a variety of organizations, and even our own State Department have accurately translated the national anthem (and the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, etc.) as part of our efforts to educate others, around the world, about the United States.   And you can rest assured that these translations would have been shoved in Dr. Rice's face (in a video, graphic artist sort of way) while the mainstream press squealed with glee had she expressed any strenuous objections.  THIS WAS A NOT-SO-CLEVER TRAP!  AND DR. RICE DIDN'T "FALL FOR IT."  Dr. Rice's opinion about the importance of English in the US was clearly expressed during a recent speech in front of largely Latino audience.  (One thing that is refreshing about Dr. Rice is that her values, and what she says, don't change depending on her audience.)

"....what is great about America is that if you work hard and you have the tools, you can go as far as you want to go and that means you have to be educated, that means you have to speak the language." (transcript)

One of the few intelligent things to be written about this "furor" is a column by David Goldstein, of St. Paul's Pioneer Press' Washington bureau.  He points out that the honorary chairperson of the National Anthem Project, is First Lady Laura Bush, and that this organization publishes and distributes our national anthem in a variety of styles, including Mariachi.  He further reports that the Spanish translation of the Star-Spangled Banner, prepared by the US Dept. of Education in 1919 has been on the Library of Congress' website for over two years with no objection.

This "controversy" is a creation of the mainstream press.  Don't take their bait!  There's a painful "hook" in the middle of it.  This is an effort to fragment Republicans and distract us from solving the larger issue of immigration -- which is going to be tough due to the Democrats not wanting us to have any success on this issue before the '06 elections.   Let's listen to Dr. Rice and take her advice:
I've heard the national anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The individualization of the American national anthem is quite underway. I think what we need to focus on is an immigration policy...

May 8, 2006: Condi's Traveling Companion
Today, a Louisiana television station broke the story about Dr. Rice's traveling companion on her recent trip to the Middle East.  You can read the story and watch the video here.  Her companion, identified as "Stanley," was quoted as saying the trip was an "adventure" and "educational."

"About 200,000 people have died from conflict, famine and disease," said the President. "And more than 2 million were forced into camps inside and outside their country, unable to plant crops, or rebuild their villages. I've called this massive violence an act of genocide, because no other word captures the extent of this tragedy." White House photo by Paul Morse

May 9, 2006: A denial, yes, but different.
It's a subtle change, but it is a change.  The "flavor" of the denial about 2008 issued by Dr. Rice during an interview with the NBC Editorial Board yesterday has us intrigued.  Not that Dr. Rice needs our input, but we've been saying for the past year and a half that being an effective Secretary of State -- especially in the globe trotting way Condi approaches the job -- and being a wartime consigliere to the President precludes her pursuit of the Oval Office in the traditional political process.  (And that's a good thing -- in our opinion -- because the current political process has very little to recommend it.)  Here's the quotation:

SECRETARY RICE: Yes. Well, that's a good place to stop.
QUESTION: 2008 -- absolutely ruled it out? SECRETARY RICE: I can't do it, Campbell. Can't do it. I have to work on this Iran, Middle East. I have things to do.

Hmmm....  In the past the denials have been based on other "fine" candidates.  No mention of them here.  And Dr. Rice is a lady of very measured words.  The draft will be a process.  Once Dr. Rice, and the Republican Party for that matter, are convinced that there is no other "fine" candidate for 2008 -- probably shortly after the 2006 elections -- the draft will begin in earnest.

A political idea, like fruit on a tree, has to ripen.  If we do our work well, fellow Condistas, the fruits of our labor will indeed be sweet.  Rest assured that the earth will turn, the seasons will change and the "fruit," Dr. Rice's candidacy in 2008, will ripen in due course.  And once the fruit is ripe, Condi will awaken one morning to hear the rooster crowing. (That "rooster" will be us, the Republican Party and millions of Americans wanting her to be our President).  And just as the farmer arises to harvest his crops, Dr. Rice will bring in the harvest for the Republican Party that will be the 2008 Presidential election.  We can almost taste it.

May 9, 2006: Boston College Update.
As expected, the liberal dinosaurs at this Jesuit Institution, no doubt protected by tenured teaching positions, took advantage of their "15-minutes of fame" by holding a rally against Dr. Rice's planned appearance at the College's commencement exercises later this month.  (ABC's WCBV TV-5 video) An estimated "crowd" of 200 at this campus of close to 15,000 students showed up for this protest -- complete with Vietnam War era armbands.  (These academics should get an "F" for originality.)  One of the speakers was a former professor, Mary Daly, a "feminist theologian" who prior to her leaving the institution refused to allow men in her classes.  She was quoted by Correspondent Catherine Elton in a Boston Globe article:

''It is traumatic for me to be here....It's the first time I've come to campus since they kicked me out in 2001. But I'm here because I am so angry. My anger brought me here."

Yes, it must be frustrating for old liberals, facing extinction, to watch as their failed ideology fades into past.  Likewise, the wooly mammoth and saber-tooth tiger probably roared the loudest as they faced extinction -- slowly dying after becoming stuck in history's tar pits.

Approaching the 2006 elections at a time when Republicans; with the notable exceptions of Condi and the President; can't seem to find their collective political posteriors with both hands, demonstrations like this are a dream come true.  By so clearly demonstrating the lefties' moonbat "alternative" to the Republicans, things definitely are looking up for the midterm elections.  The more shrill they are the better for us!  Next, we can hope that Cindy Sheehan shows up with Al Sharpton and Professor Ward Churchill.  (Remember Ward?  He sank into obscurity amid charges of plagiarism, falsely claiming to be a native American and assaulting a Fox News cameraperson.)  One thing's for sure, you won't see the "new and improved," politically astute Hillary appearing with these folks anytime soon.  She's too smart for that!

The administration of Boston College appears to be "hanging tough" on the issue as College President Rev. William Leahy, to his credit, has expressed no intention of withdrawing the invitation.

May 9, 2006: Condi to Address the UN
Today, Dr. Rice will speak before the United Nations regarding stepped up peace-keeping and humanitarian aid efforts in the Darfur region of the Sudan after a US-brokered peace accord was signed last week.  Genocidal warfare between the predominately Muslim north and Christian south has claimed an estimated 200,000 lives in the past 3 years and turned millions into refugees after they fled the conflict. (link)

May 9, 2006: Garbled in transmission.
The Associated Press' Editorial Board interviewed Secretary Rice yesterday over a wide variety of issues.  (link, full transcript)  Of course, the "zinger" was left for last.

QUESTION: I've got one quick political question.
SECRETARY RICE: Yes.
QUESTION: If Vice President Cheney were to step down and President Bush asked you to become Vice President, would you do it?
SECRETARY RICE: (Inaudible.)

Is "inaudible" the best that AP can do on what was probably the most interesting political question of the day?

May 11, 2006: CondiBlog up and running.
It's only been about a week, but under Eli Bennett's guidance, our blog has made its debut.  If you would like your Condi-related blog listed on its blogroll, please e-mail Eli.

May 12, 2006: Of Lemmings and Liberals.
Too bad for the state of higher education in this country we can't get a lot more liberals to follow the example of Steve Almond whose whining about Dr. Rice's invitation to the Boston College commencement appeared on the op-ed pages of the Boston Globe. (link)  Like a frenzied lemming running for the edge of the cliff, Mr. Almond, an adjunct faculty member, resigned! Unfortunately, it is doubtful that many of his liberal colleagues, especially those with tenure, will do the same and follow him off the cliff.

Now, we must admit that we have to admire someone who follows their convictions -- however misguided they may be.  After years of liberal Kool-Aid drinking, one could hardly expect the professor to think any other way.  But, since Almond is primarily an author, his resignation is hardly an economic sacrifice and it just gave him "street cred" with his liberal buds -- with whom he will, undoubtedly, be able to find employment again with his enhanced liberal credentials.   We took a brief look at his résumé, conveniently posted on his "official" website for potential employers and publishers to see, and we're sure that Boston College will survive the loss of the author of such notable literary works as My Life in Heavy Metal and Candyfreak -- described on Amazon:

The 12 stories in this pulsating collection are populated with hookups, drunken kisses, failed passes, and souring relationships....it's an aggressively sexual affair....

From Publishers Weekly
Almond goes beyond candy obsession to enter the realm of "freakdom." Right up front, he divulges that he has eaten a piece of candy "every single day of his entire life," "thinks about candy at least once an hour" and "has between three and seven pounds of candy in his house at all times."

Yes, the parents that saved for years to send their children to Boston College will be crushed to find out that their children won't be taught by Mr. Almond.  He certainly sounds like a real role model for our "best and brightest."

However, his public resignation is important for us for another reason.  It is yet another addition to the Boxer (as in "Senator," not "shorts") Collection.  He calls Dr. Rice "a liar."

For some time on our online forum, we have been talking about publishing a response to "charges" like these.  Liberals have even been nice enough to catalog their "charges" in a number of articles.  Most of the research has been done, it's time for us to assemble a response to "short circuit" the Left's disinformation machine -- now, and in the future.  Let's get to work.

May 13, 2006: Condi Rocks.
Secretary Rice was honored this week by the Independent Women's Forum who gave her the Women of Valor Award. (link)  Conservatives, like Jennifer Biddison, remarked on her Townhall blog that “when Secretary Rice finally took the stage, she rocked” and even the Washington Post in the Reliable Source column written yesterday by Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts wrote "Camille loves Condi? In theory, 'yes.'"  Many of you unsophisticated conservatives might not be familiar with Ms. Camille Paglia, but many liberals think that she's quite the intellectual --  in the same way that we think of Newt Gingrich.  She wrote:

“She has advanced the persona of the first woman president way beyond any other woman in my lifetime.”

But when pressed, she admitted that if it came down to actually voting for Dr. Rice,
"I'd be in a terrible quandary!" Paglia said. "I hope it doesn't happen."

OK, fellow Condistas, let's give Ms. Paglia that "terrible quandary" and get Condi drafted and on the ballot.  There were other interesting articles this past week such as the Washington Times David Sands' article, "Women taking on greater role on world stage" to Alison Rowat's article in Scotland's The Herald who wrote, "America’s fantasy: is the US ready for a female president?"

May 16, 2006: Condi's "Top 10"
Dr. Rice's top ten musical favorites were reported by none other than Bono, of U2 fame, and more recently famous due to his humanitarian work that has garnered  praise from across the political spectrum including President Bush, Bill O'Reilly, Condi and many others.  In Bono's role as a Guest Editor for the London daily newspaper, The Independent, he compiled and published Dr. Rice's ten favorite musical works in an article yesterday.  Also interesting were her comments about some of her selections.  See our CondiBlog entry for further details and be sure to answer our poll about which should be her inauguration theme song.  In our humble opinion, not all of these would be appropriate for a campaign or inaugural theme so we truncated the list a little bit for our poll.