| News and Commentary Archive for July, 2006 July 1, 2006: ¡Cuba Libre! Dr. Rice is chairperson of the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba, that will be releasing a report next week about how best to position US assistance for the transition from Castro's Communist Cuba to a post-dictatorship transitional government. Barring a prior divine call to Fidel from the Almighty, a post-Castro Cuba will be something that President Rice will face during her administration. The website, La Nueva Cuba, posted Sue Pleming's Reuters article that appeared in the Washington Post.  July 1, 2006: Condi puts price on the head of al-Qaeda's new leader in Iraq. With the stroke of a pen, Dr. Rice just made Mr. al-Masri's nights a little more restless. After all, it's hard to sleep with one eye open wondering if there isn't at least one person around you that would sell you out for $5,000,00000, a new identity, and a ticket to the "promised land" of America for you and your family. And it's not like he's surrounded by old friends, either. According to Major General Caldwell in Baghdad, he's the only leader of al-Zarqawi's "command cell" that is still alive. (see UK's First Post article, "After Zarqawi: youngster promoted")
The Egyptian expert in car bombing was given the dubious honor of being named the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq -- which led to Dr. Rice posting the reward for al-Masri. Some have described this act as "signing al-Masri's death warrant." As a "military target," if he is located by an informant's information, he'll most likely meet the same fate as his predecessor, al-Zarqawi -- a "special delivery" guided bomb and (it is rumored) a US soldier's face looking down upon him, as he lay dying, saying, "President Bush sends his regards."
(See our CondiBlog posting for further information on the Rewards for Justice program.) July 10, 2006: Condi keeps up busy International and Domestic travel schedule. North Korea's ICBM program is in the international spotlight despite it's marginal performance. (Rumors have it that this example of North Korean "hi-tech" has been given the code name "Edsel," and that folks in the intelligence services joke: "They fooled us again. It's not an ICBM, it's 'an extremely short-range anti-submarine weapon.'") However, in all seriousness, Dr. Rice has plans to travel to South Korea, and also continue our rapprochement with Vietnam during her Asian "tour." (link) The Vietnam visit is interesting -- the communist nation is becoming increasingly capitalistic, with a new President from the former South Vietnam. He rose to power by attracting foreign investment to his native Song Be province, and later as Communist Party boss of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) by cracking down on organized crime -- executing the alleged "Vietnamese Godfather" Truong Van Cam, (a.k.a. Nam Cam). (CNN, BBC)
Domestically, Secretary Rice will be addressing the American Legion convention in Salt Lake City next month -- along with President Bush. (Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News) The liberal mayor of SLC, Rocky Anderson, has promised large protests. (link) With any luck Cindy Sheehan and her friends will show up and clearly demonstrate the choices facing the American electorate for 2006, and 2008. Army of "Condistas" pushes Rice for President in 2008
Headline in San Jose Mercury News, July 4, 2006, for Julie Carr Smyth's AP article July 8, 2006: It's going to be a long Summer. We've hardly had time for a little beer and barbeque! Between non-functional North Korean ICBM's, Iranian nuclear intransigence, the anniversaries of the "UK's 9-11" (July 7th) and Khobar Towers (link), not to mention our nation's "birthday;" there has been little time to take note of all that is happening from a Condista perspective.
The mainstream media has been duly noting Dr. Rice's global activities. With our Secretary of State's key role in just about every issue facing our nation, it makes the arguments that Dr. Rice needs to have some "experience" in an elected office, such as a Senator, or governor, prior to becoming our President, laughable. Former and current Senators, who have never managed anything bigger than their bloated Senate office staffs, are not seriously questioned as to their qualifications to run for the Oval Office -- although they rarely win. So why are there pundits, on the Right and Left, who say, when referring to Condi 2008, "The presidency is not an 'entry-level position.'" Of course, while these opinions, and others like it, are correct, on their face; they are off-target when applied to Dr. Rice's 2008 candidacy.
Dr. Rice has served as the Provost of Stanford University. A self-described "hard ass," she was given the unenviable mission of saving the University from financial ruin by making the tough choices required to balance the budget, in the face of student and faculty protests, a Jesse Jackson rally, hunger strikes, etc. She also has been a corporate director of Charles Schwab, Chevron, Hewlett-Packard, and Rand Corporation. After being recruited to public service by Admiral Brent Scocroft, she served in three administrations rising to the level of National Security Advisor before becoming our current Secretary of State -- leading a large, world-wide bureaucracy, in a unique "hands-on" and "take charge" manner that has changed the face of American diplomacy at home and abroad.
Of course, not every issue of the day can be resolved diplomatically, and not every issue to which Dr. Rice applies herself will result in resounding triumph. But given the unpleasant alternatives to diplomacy, all Americans should be reassured that Dr. Rice is at the helm of the US State Department maximizing what can be accomplished through diplomacy and favorably positioning our nation strategically on those occasions when diplomacy fails.
We had looked forward to a brief respite from our efforts to draft Dr. Rice over the summer, especially with the 2006 elections approaching. But while we were packing sun block and portable grills for the 4th of July weekend, we were pleasantly surprised to see Condistas in the media: most notably, the AP article by Julie Carr Smyth that was picked up by numerous newspapers around the country. But even our neighbors to the North took note with Washington-based Canadian journalist Bogdan Kipling's article, Condoleezza Rice could be next president of US.
Although Dr. Rice might not be convinced (yet) of her 2008 "date with destiny" in the Oval Office, apparently there are some on her staff who are -- according to Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post in his July 4th article, "Defining Her Own Sphere of Influence," and subtitled, "Rice's Popularity Crosses Borders and Party Lines Thanks to Careful Attention to Image." It looks like their won't be any summer "vacation" for us.  July 11, 2006: New Hampshire could "jump start" Condi 2008. We've always known that there is abundant grassroots support for Dr. Rice in the Granite State. And we've always known that until we're much closer to 2008 that we would have to be content with frustrating, yet tantalizing, hints of support coupled to Dr. Rice's willingness to pursue a candidacy in '08. So it's not surprising that there has been little indication of past support within the state's Republican leadership, but that has changed with an interview of Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) by James Pindell in PoliticsNH.com:
"Gregg, who is the biggest endorsement any Republican running in the state’s presidential primary could have, said he is far from making a decision on which candidate he would support, but he did bring up Rice’s name unprompted."
"You know, I think Condi Rice would make a very strong candidate. I have talked to her. I won’t say what our conversations were. So far she has been very public about saying she won’t run,” said Gregg. "I haven't encouraged her, I just talked to her about it."
Of course we're trying to read the political "tea leaves" here, but one must admit that at this early point in the primary process that Condi 2008 is brewing the hottest, strongest cup of tea in New Hampshire. (Sen. Gregg's website.)
Wes Fowler (right), our Illinois chairperson, hosted our Nat'l Chairperson Jessie Jane Duff (center), at a Condista gathering at John Barleycorn, a Chicago club close to Wrigley Field on June 17th. Anita Luetje (left) from Chicago's West side attended and is a new addition to the Condista family.
 July 12, 2006: "No pressure, just forget that Dick Cheney is probably watching." Early yesterday morning our National Chairperson, Jessie Jane Duff, traveled from Washington, DC, to New York City, the "Big Apple." She was picked up by the Fox News driver and taken to the studio for the final, face-to-face preparation with the Fox and Friends morning show staff, makeup, and then the wait in the famous "green room" until her cue to go sit down on the set with the trio of on-air personalities, E. D. Hill, Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade (bio, bio, bio) for her interview about drafting Dr. Rice in 2008 that aired right before 8 AM EDST.
How did she do? Judge for yourself, click on the "play" button below. If website traffic, e-mail volume, and requests for "Condi gear" are any indication, she was quite a success. Also, her segment received a rather high placement on the Fox & Friends homepage for the day -- landing in the "above the fold" section.
(Click to view image in new window.)
July 13, 2006: CNN's Bill Schneider, still on the Condista beat. On the same day (the 11th) that our National Chairperson appears on Fox and Friends in the morning, Bill Schneider reports on CNN about Condi 2008 in the evening! Apparently, he had remembered us from CPAC last February and played some previously unaired Condista footage (to the best of our knowledge) from that event and mixed it with the commentary of Charles Black, modestly identified as a "political consultant" (He has a rather impressive resume.) We think it was a complement when he described us as follows: "It's pretty much an amateur operation by sincere people. I can't find any professionals that I know playing the Wizard of Oz here."
At first, that statement might appear a little insulting, but upon reflection it really speaks to our legitimacy as a "grassroots" group. We would be called "puppets" if any of the "professionals" that Mr. Black knows were involved, or if we received millions of dollars from big donors. (However, if you're one of those big donors, we're willing to take the risk.) This goes straight to the heart of what we're trying to accomplish: we want to give Dr. Rice the ability to legitimately "answer the call of her party and the American people" by publicly demonstrating the support that is already present among American voters -- before the campaign has even started. (Hey, great theme song -- M.C. Hammer's Too Legit to Quit, but I digress. --website editor)
Above is the video segment from CNN. (Note: this is what was posted in the online video section of CNN. This segment was apparently slightly edited from what initially aired the first time it played on the 11th.) Mr. Black repeats a couple old conventional wisdom assumptions about McCain receiving support from conservatives and Dr. Rice being on the "short list" for VP, regardless of who is the nominee. Then, Bill chimes in to end the segment with, "An African-American woman on the Republican ticket could shake up a lot of political assumptions." We're sure that they mean well, but it just goes to show how out-of-touch many of the political and press professionals are. Anyone who believes that "McCain is receiving alot of conservative support." hasn't been to the Republican conventions in Texas, California, Iowa, SRLC, CPAC, and others (like we have) where among the attendees there is palpable dislike for the Senator -- although everyone still has some residual respect for his military service and years as a POW. "No McCain" stickers are distributed -- even at gatherings in the Senator's home state of Arizona.
The Left and many in the press still erroneously look upon Republicans as racists and sexists. From that perspective they naturally focus upon Dr. Rice's gender and race when thinking about her as the Republican nominee. That is why, after Dr. Rice gets elected, they will look like the audience at a magic show after a sleight-of-hand magician performs a card trick: "Gee, how did Condi and the Republicans do that?" It is because the Left, the press and "political professionals" will have been focusing on the race and gender cards while the voters will choose the cards from Condi's "strong suits:" excellence, intelligence, and experience. The funny thing is that it will happen right before their eyes the same way the 2004 election did. (Remember the dire predictions for Bush-Cheney right up until election day?) So, when we're referred to as "amateurs" we recall the following:
The Titanic was build by hundreds of professionals and experts -- Noah's Ark by a single amateur.
Let's pray for rain in 2008! July 16, 2006: Sunday School. It seems that hardly a Sunday goes by that Dr. Rice doesn't appear on the Sunday morning political talk shows -- unless, of course, she's overseas making the news. Today, Secretary Rice is scheduled to appear on ABC's This Week, and Fox News Sunday. Of the two, the ABC program, hosted by George Stephanopoulos, is potentially more interesting due to the inclusion Madeline Albright.
However, from the promos for this weekend's show, much of the potential for an interesting policy debate has been removed because after the segment with Dr. Rice, Albright will just "respond." This pairing in a real debate would have been intriguing -- since Secretary Rice was a student and protégé of her father, Josef Korbel, a Czech diplomat that escaped to the West, at the University of Denver. We imagine Dr. Rice had too much class to directly engage the daughter of her former professor, and the former Secretary of State in a face-to-face  exchange out of respect for her mentor and the office that she previously held. Of course, as a veteran of the Clinton administration, Madeline isn't limited by such concerns and feels free to appear after Dr. Rice and "respond" (read that "criticize administration policy unchallenged") with Democratic talking points under the guidance of former Clinton loyalist, now talk show host, George Stephanopoulos. He is trying to earn enough "brownie points" to insure that he'll have adequate access in a future Democratic administration to continue his career as a political reporter -- after his "tell-all" book got his name crossed off Hillary's Christmas card list. We won't bore you by repeating the failures of US diplomacy during Albright's tenure at the State Department. We'll let the above image say it all -- as two of the most "fashion-challenged" leaders on the globe sealed the deal that gave North Korean Communist dictator Kim Jong Il a nuclear reactor in return for a promise not to launch missiles.
 Dr. Rice and the Egyptian Foreign Minister at the State Department July 17, 2006
July 17, 2006: No ceasefire. On the Sunday talk shows yesterday (FNS), Dr. Rice made it clear that those in the Middle East who had counted on the US rushing in to halt hostilities in the event of Israeli military success, have made a serious miscalculation. Since this has been the traditional role of the US since Henry Kissinger, it is easy to see how Israel's enemies could have made this misstep with just a quick glance at the US mainstream media's continuing reports of a Bush Administration in retreat. (Note to liberals: Unless it's your birthday and you blow out all the candles, your "wishes" won't come true!) Look at July 17, 2006, cover of Time which proclaims the "End of Cowboy Diplomacy."
Unfortunately, the American Left just doesn't get it. Senator Dodd (D-CN), speaking after Dr. Rice's interview on Fox News Sunday, implied that the administration is somehow distracted, or disengaged from the Middle East compared to past administrations. Of course, why would you use diplomatic tactics from the past when those have failed, or at best, only provided short-term, temporary solutions? In stating her reticence to enter into the "shuttle" diplomacy of the past, or call for a ceasefire at this time, Dr. Rice has rejected the "failed" status quo. In stating her willingness to do whatever she could in the future, she is putting pressure on all parties to agree to engage in good faith negotiations for a long-term solution. Perhaps this is an unattainable goal at this time, but until all parties agree to act diplomatically (recognizing each other's right to exist would be a good start), sometimes the best diplomacy is no diplomacy. July 19, 2006: The World Looks to Condi for Peace. Middle East peace has been elusive for centuries, so its inclusion on Dr. Rice’s “to do” list is laudable, but it certainly “sets the bar” very high for her upcoming Middle East trip – rumored to be set for Friday, if (and that’s a BIG “if”) the stage can be set for a ceasefire of “lasting value” as she calls it. (UK Mirror, Ireland Online, UK Telegraph) The value that the world places on our Secretary of State’s personal diplomacy is reflected in reports that her mere comments about a possible ceasefire that was expected “soon” caused prices in the world crude oil markets to fall, based on a report by PolymerUpdate, an India-based petroleum and plastic market news service. There were some positive diplomatic indications that more moderate Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Egypt were striking a more conciliatory tone earlier this week. A Saudi statement spoke about Hizbollah’s “adventurism,” but this led to a quick reaction from the radical Islamic elements in these countries. Not wanting to irritate the terrorist paymaster Iran (whose financial support to Hizbollah and other terrorists is harder to track thanks to the NY Times), or their own domestic radicals, the political leaders of these “fair weather” friends now have issued statements blaming Israel and the US. (CNS) The Saudi government even went so far as to “censure” countries that give “absolute support” to Israel. (They couldn’t possibly mean us, could they? I thought that the Saudi’s were our friends. At least, that’s what the soft-spoken, western-dressed, US-educated – in Texas, no less – Mr. Al-Jubeir has always told me when he appears on US news programs.) One Kuwaiti was quoted as follows:
“Can we not burn the flag of the U.S. just because that country liberated Kuwait?" And oh yes, speaking of ingrates, American citizens in Lebanon are, get this, complaining, about the slow progress of their evacuation. (AP Houston Chronicle) Don’t they realize that navigating a cruise ship, helicopter, etc. in Lebanon where Iran has provided high-tech CHINESE weapons to terrorists that want to KILL THEM is just a little bit difficult and time-consuming – not too mention that the US Marines on the ground, and sailors sitting off the coast, are risking their lives to come and pick up these ungrateful wretches. Why don’t they ask the Danish embassy in Beirut for help? Oh, that’s right, they can’t because the Islamic radicals burned it down all ready!!! (Please accept our apologies to all of those patriotic Americans in Lebanon who are happy and thankful to those marines, sailors, and US Foreign Service personnel.)
Please pray for Dr. Rice’s success.
Dr. Rice and Lebanese PM Fouad Siniora July 27, 2006: The Middle East: Same old song and dance. It is disappointing to see Dr. Rice literally risk her life during her recent trip to the Middle East, only to have the European “axis of weasels” in Rome again fail to have the backbone needed to stand up to Hezbollah, Iran and Syria. (link) They were “bought off” by oil, large construction projects, billions in sales of manufactured goods, and of course the inevitable millions of dollars to their political cronies for commissions, consulting fees, etc. (Hey, it’s tough to make money in most of these European socialist “fantasy lands.”) These are the exact same tactics that served Saddam so well during the UN administered “Oil for Food” program. It’s amazing, and sad, how little things change. If you want to look into the future, or get a better understanding of “current events,” just look back to Raid on the Sun: Inside Israel's Secret Campaign that Denied Saddam the Bomb (also available on audio CD-ROM) or listen to the NPR audio of Linda Gradstein’s report from last year after Dr. Rice’s last “unannounced” visit to Lebanon. And of course, just as in the past, the UN’s Kofi Annan is blaming Israel for four dead “UN peacekeepers.” (UNIFIL) ( Only this time, he’s not even waiting for the typical UN kangaroo court investigation before opening his mouth. Yes, he’s the same Kofi Annan who took how many years to respond to Oil for Food? (link to Heritage Foundation report) UNIFIL troops – who’s mission is supported by US tax dollars – have tea with Hezbollah within sight of Israeli observation posts. During the recent conflict, UNIFIL’s own communications have spoken of Hezbollah “all over” their UNIFIL positions, currently under the command of – drum roll, please! -- FRANCE. And tacit UNIFIL cooperation with Hezbollah has been going on for years. In 2000, UNIFIL refused to release video of an abduction of three Israeli soldiers, who were later killed. Initially, UNIFIL and the UN lied, denying that the video even existed. And of course, UNIFIL did absolutely NOTHING to stop the abduction, or even warn the Israelis that it was occurring. (Reuters) Since then, UNIFIL has stood by and quietly watched Hezbollah infiltrate Southern Lebanon, displacing thousands of Christians and acting as proxies for Iran and Syria while building the infrastructure needed to defend their terrorist weapons caches. And as long as the only rockets flying over the border were headed towards Israel, nary a strenuous protest. Now that their Hezbollah “tea-time” buddies who hide among the civilian population are getting the stuffing kicked out of them, we hear urgent calls for an “immediate ceasefire” and more international peacekeepers. Naturally, the Europeans aren’t stampeding forward to volunteer their troops. There are countless other examples of the past repeating itself in the Middle East – you can post your favorite in an upcoming blog article.
The need for the personal hands-on, face-to-face diplomacy of Dr. Rice is crucial because the motives of the individual leaders are not always readily apparent as evidenced by Bridget Johnson in her July 19, 2006, article in the Los Angeles Daily News, “Abbas waiting for Israel to do his dirty work.” This is not the shuttle diplomacy of the past with the US rushing in to get the Israelis to “back-off.” Secretary Rice is still sticking to the “no ceasefire” policy until there is an essential “paradigm shift” in the region. Will it work? That remains to be seen. But obviously, yesterday’s solutions and diplomacy only managed to put temporary band-aids on the conflict that would periodically re-emerge. On her way to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Dr. Rice stated, “I am willing and ready to travel back to the Middle East at any time.” (Forbes)
Interestingly, Dr. Rice will not be performing in the ASEAN meeting’s traditionally comical skits done by the foreign ministers – Colin Powell in 2001 did a rendition of the Village People’s “YMCA.” Instead, she’ll perform a, reportedly, somber piano piece. (link to AFP article in India’s Daily News and Analysis) She explained her decision, “"It's a serious piece, it is a reflective piece. It is a serious time, it is not a time that is frivolous, and I will play something that is in accordance with my serious mood."  
Dr. Rice arrives at ASEAN (L), but smiles underlie difficult problems in Middle East.
Dr. Rice and Israeli Defense Min. Peretz(R)
July 29, 2006: Secretary Rice Returns to Middle East. Dr. Rice returned to the Middle East to try and broker a lasting cease fire and peace. Apparently, there were those in the region who didn't believe her when she said that she would not be a party to a temporary solution before her first visit. Of course, considering their experiences with the Europeans and the UN, it's no wonder that nobody took her admonitions seriously. Now, she's returning with proposals to put an "international" force into Southern Lebanon with a "robust" mandate. But what does that mean?
It means the ability and authorization to do more than drink tea with terrorists, act as human shields for Hezbollah, record video tape of Hezbollah terrorists kidnapping Israeli border troops (and then lie about the existence of the tape!), and observe the construction of hardened defensive positions while a massive arms stockpile is acquired from Iran and Syria -- as the current UNIFIL troops, currently under French command, have done. The force that Dr. Rice is proposing will be authorized to kick "rear ends" (This is a "PG" website.), take names of those that will not comply with Israeli security and Lebanese sovereignty, and, if necessary, ship the body bags of any recalcitrant terrorists back to Damascus and Teheran. (VOA) |
