Rice Bucks Tradition With Pre-Election Appearances --WaPo

[Demeter]

WE WERE WONDERING WHAT CONDI WAS UP TO, SINCE SHE'S BEEN OUT OF THE MSM FOR A WHILE....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR2006110301427.html?referrer=email

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, November 4, 2006; A03


Two weeks before crucial midterm elections that could tip the balance of power in Congress, Rice has been on a media blitz that appears aimed mainly at conservative media outlets, particularly radio talk shows. Secretary of state is traditionally a nonpartisan position, and Rice's media itinerary differs sharply from the practice of her predecessors during election campaigns, according to State Department records.

Rice has given nine interviews on radio, starting with three appearances on Oct. 24 during "Radio Day," when 42 radio hosts, most of them conservatives, were invited to the White House to spread the administration's message to President Bush's political base.

In the past two days, Rice has appeared on four radio shows, including that of Ingraham, a best-selling author for her books that attack liberal "elites"; Bill Cunningham, a Cincinnati conservative; and Glenn Beck, another conservative, who appears on nearly 200 stations.

Rice also appeared in the past week on CNBC's "Kudlow and Company," hosted by conservative economic commentator Lawrence Kudlow, and "Morning in America," a radio show hosted by prominent Republican William Bennett. During this 12-day period, the only outlets Rice spoke to that did not have conservative leanings were Bloomberg TV, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. and the New York Times.

.....
"The tradition for secretaries of state has been to stay out of partisan politics and to stay above the fray," said Karl F. Inderfurth, director of the international affairs graduate program at George Washington University and assistant secretary of state under Albright. "They take office as the secretary of state of the United States of America, not of the Republican or Democratic party."

[sutz12]

1. There is no such thing as "nonpartisan" with this bunch of cretins. nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. every issue is political, every choice, binary: Our way or no.

They have destroyed our country.

[Demit]

2. Pretty misleading headline, since she started bucking tradition in 2004.

As the article notes deep down in the last paragraphs:

"...As national security adviser during Bush's first term, Rice drew fire for giving speeches around the country in crucial battleground states shortly before the 2004 election, a practice none of her predecessors had done. ...

During her confirmation hearings for the current job, Rice was asked in written questions about her speeches during the 2004 presidential campaign and was asked to confirm she would abstain from activity that might be construed as partisan. "If confirmed as secretary of state, I intend to continue the tradition in that position of not actively participating in public campaign or political events," Rice wrote back to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ..."


WaPo continues its own tradition of burying ledes.

[Thor_MN]

4. She was on with "Dr." Ingraham, who doesn't believe in twins

I saw that twit Ingraham i an interview where she claimed that it is impossible to remove any cells from an embryo without destroying it. She must not have picked up any knowledge while obtaining her law degree. Not sure how she explains identical twins, probably thinks they are Jebus Mimeographs...

[Oleladylib]

5. She's running for president..just gettin' an early start.

[NOLADEM]

7. Run Condi Run

I just don't know who they think will vote for this buck-toothed bitch.

No self-respecting black would vote for her, as she is a traitor.

No woman would vote for her because she is a warmonger.

No man would vote for her because she is a female, or black, or weak, or stupid, or.......

No conservative would vote for her given ANY other white male option.

Independents poll single digits with her on the ballot.


WHO IN THE FUCK would vote for her?

I think she is just the Right's Hillary, meaning they use her to antagonize and irritate the left and moderates.

[mitchum]

6. Stephanie Fetchit to the rescue!

[bilgewaterbill]

12. That's just wrong. nt

[truthisfreedom]

8. it's NOT an administration. it's a MAFIA.

we've been saying it for years, and the proof is in the pudding.

[CBHagman]

9. Most shocking: Rice ignores the 9//11 commission.

This was one of the most appalling quotations from the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR2006110301427.html?referrer=email

"The key to me is that this president has a program for the war on terror and it's a program that is going to win, and he needs the support of everyone for that program," Rice answered. "I frankly haven't heard an alternative posed for how we fight the war on terror except on the offense."

No alternative? Then why does her own department's website make reference to the 9/11 commission recommendations?

http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rm/2004/35678.htm

I should add that the Bush administration has failed to implement the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 commission.

http://www.peacefultomorrows.org/article.php?id=625

Just to recap, Rice suggests:

*There is only one way to fight terrorism, and that is the Bush administration's method, going on the offensive (i.e., starting wars, labeling people as "terrorists" and/or members of "the axis of evil," etc.).
*Dissent is not permitted.
*No one has made any suggestions for additional ways to combat terrorism.

In short, she displays an appalling combination of ignorance, partisanship, incompetence, and/or mendacity, and is therefore wholly unqualified to serve as secretary of State.

[gratuitous]

10. There is no bipartisan, no nonpartisan

This administration turns everything to it political ends. We've been saying it for years, the New York Times seems to have recently discovered it, and the Post is on the cusp of realization. This is an administration that is not for America, it's for its own base and backers. Cheney just said that the wishes of the American people are irrelevant to what this administration will do, how it will operate. Bush has said that if the only allies he has are his wife and his dog, he will continue on the same course.

While that may make for a thrilling novel or adventure story, it's piss-poor governance. Lone wolf operators in the real world eventually fail; the main tragedy of their failure is that so many other people pay the price for their arrogance.

[HuffleClaw]

11. "42 radio hosts, most of them conservatives"

no surprise there. as for traditional secretary of state stuff, condi has been the anthesis of traditional. secstate is supposed to be the one lobbying for peaceful stuff, not cheerleading war.

[oblivious]

13. Listen to how simplistic she is. Her brain can't be bigger than a pea.

"I think they're trying to demonstrate that they're tough," Rice said of the missile test.

if they actually were to do something, Iran would suffer greatly and so I think they probably understand that," she said in a radio interview.

She said Thursday's missile test was Iran's way of telling the world "you're not going to keep us from getting a nuclear weapon". "The world has to say to them, yes, we will," she said.

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Gulf%2C+Middle+East+%26+Africa&month=November2006&file=World_News2006110421546.xml