[.45MAN]

It's time for the State department to be cleaned out also! With the CIA getting a cleaning it's time to put people in that won't just kiss the Arabs A##'s.

These people need to worry..

[Vigilanteman]

Considering how the State Department hires, they could use a good cleaning out from top to bottom. Powell was too nice of a guy and felt he could reform with charm and incremental improvement. Condi might be willing to wield the chainsaw necessary to clean out the partisan, on-world view which dominates in State.

[chaleck]

I agree DOS needs to be cleaned out, top to bottom. But my day job puts me in contact with some US consulates. I am worried Rice might not be a good choice for reforming the visa-adjudicating side of DOS. That process needs serious reform. Probably the authority for issuing visas needs to be shifted from DOS to Dept. of Homeland Security. With Rice in charge at DOS, I'm not sure Bush will shift part of her agency. They are so close, he may tend to give her what she wants. And she has no reason to want to get rid of the visa side of her agency. For that reason, I don't like the appointment.

Powell did a good job on the visa side. But a lot more needs to be done. Rice is so close to Bush, that I'm worried DOS will regain some of the power it lost to DHS after 9/11 in the visa area.