[CutePuppy]

Agree, Colin Powell was a disaster.

Re Condi, considering limitations of what she can say and, more importantly, DO in State, I'd say she's doing pretty good job. In State, the best one can do, is "first and foremost, do no harm". She handled ME pretty well, buying Olmert plenty of time for him to do what he needed to do in Lebanon (if he had the stomach for it), letting Hamas and Fatah fight it out amongst themselves, and pointing Sunni Arab states against bigger danger of their fellow Shiite Muslims in Iran and Lebanon and Gaza (forgetting for awhile "Death to Israel" and "Death to America").

Not bad for a SoS, she's been more proactive and successful than any SoS in decades (including Baker). Don't expect SoS to be a miracle worker, but she has State speaking tough AND in one voice on Iran, which is just about near miracle.

And she's a historian, which helps her see a long-term strategy and consequences of actions and, more importantly, non-actions.

[Sen Jack S. Fogbound]

I agree with you regarding Condi. The State Department is full of sympathetic cookie-pushers and Clintinistas!

Bolton would be perfect as SoS as he surely will clean up the Department. It is no secret that he is a mean SOB that doesn't like to be crossed! He will force-feed Bush's policy and make it stick

Condi should be promoted back up to National Security Adviser! She has gained much from dealing with the foreign countries.

[Cicero]

Yes, maybe I was unfair to Condi. Her worst failing has been to put pressure on Israel to negotiate, but maybe that was just what Sharon in his senility and his despicable successor Olmert asked her to do.

It's pretty hard for her to stand up for Israel when the Israeli government refuses to stand up for Israel.