Dueling Views on Diplomacy Pit Baker Against Rice

[DoYouEverWonder]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 7 — Many of the blistering critiques of the Bush administration contained in the Iraq Study Group’s report boil down to this: the differing worldviews of Baker versus Rice.

Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III was the architect of the “new diplomatic offensive” in the Middle East that the commission recommended Wednesday as one of its main prescriptions for extracting the country from the mess in Iraq. Ever since, he has been talking on television, to Congress and to Iraqis and foreign diplomats about how he would conduct American foreign policy differently. Very differently.

At a midday meeting with reporters on Thursday, Mr. Baker insisted that the study group had “rejected looking backward.” But he then proceeded to make a passionate argument for a course of action he believed Condoleezza Rice, the current secretary of state, should be pursuing — while carefully never mentioning Ms. Rice by name.

The United States should engage Iran, Mr. Baker contended, if only to reveal its “rejectionist attitude”; it should try to “flip the Syrians”; and it should begin a renewed quest for peace between Israel and the Palestinians that, he maintained, would help convince Arab moderates that America was not all about invasions and regime change.

Meanwhile, Ms. Rice remained publicly silent, sitting across town in the office that Mr. Baker gave up 14 years ago. She has yet to say anything about the public tutorial being conducted by the man who first knew her when she was a mid-level Soviet expert on the National Security Council. She has not responded to Mr. Baker’s argument, delivered in a tone that drips with isn’t-this-obvious, that America has to be willing to talk to its adversaries (a premise Ms. Rice has questioned if the conditions are not right), or his dismissal of the administration’s early argument that the way to peace in the Middle East was through quick, decisive victory in Baghdad.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/08/world/middleeast/08diplo.html?hp&ex=1165554000&en=e3562ba45ebf372c&ei=5094&partner=homepage


More proof Condi is out of her league and in over her little pea brain.

[Mist]

1. Condi isn't a formulator, just a public mouthlpiece for the Cheney/neo-cons.

She's a yesman and enabler.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Baker's more independent, he's not working for his "husb...the president." nt

[iamtechus]

6. Who asked Baker for his opinion on anything?

You touch on an important point. Neither Baker nor Poppy's other old cronies are working for the president. They have been given no authority by anyone in any of the branches to government to meddle in governmental policy on anything!

[Captain Hilts]

8. The senate appointed him and Lee Hamilton. That's what I thought. Not. W. nt

[Erika]

3. Baker wishes to engage and diffuse volatile issues

Condi just wants to go out and beat the hell out of anyone who doesn't agree with W. Condi's like a mother bear who wildly lashes out at anyone who might harm W.

[napi21]

4. If this is really a contest, all my money is on Baker!

He's more experienced, more polished, and isn't trying to kiss Shrub's .......

[Webster Green]

5. Dumb and dumber..

Baker helped get us into this mess with his efforts in the 2000 coup.

He's a piece 'o shit, trying to save the bush family legacy.

"The votes have been counted, and re-counted"..........

Fuck you Baker...you fucking fascist asshole!

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Sounds like the old "good cop, bad cop" routine

I ain't buyin' it.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. Dec. 2003. Body language/facial expressions of gwb, Rice and Baker. pic

I am fascinated by this pic, because of gwb's overt posturing and Rice's seeming enjoyment of the interaction between him and Baker.

[saigon68]

11. This is her TRUE PERSONALITY

She drips EVIL from every pore

Its really hard to figure what motivates her.

Outside of settling on "pure evil".

[Manifestor_of_Light]

10. Baker Botts represents the Saudi defendants in 9/11 lawsuits

Baker Botts, law firm founded by James A. Baker, Sr. (Baker's grandfather) represents the Saudi Arabians as defendants in the wrongful death suits filed by the 9-11 survivor families against that country.

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. That in and of itself

should be considered treason.

Don't the Saudis have Saudi lawyers that could represent them?