I thought Rice wanted out of politics when Bush leaves. I'd love to see her stay SOS. I love watching her WOW those stodgy old Euro socialists...grace and toughness, an unbeatable combination in an SOS. I find it fascinating that Madeline Albright's father was one of her professors and speaks very highly of her to this day. Besides, that school tragedy by those Chechnya terrorists really rattled Putin...I'm betting Condi's watching him out of the corner of her eye. She's studied and taught about his kind her whole life...probably knows him better than he knows himself.
But I love Bush. I know people think he should do more on the border (and it DOES need fixing), but like RR, Bush has concentrated on a few big issues. His "biggest" issue was thrust upon us all on Sept. 11. In that time two evil (yes DUbots, I said EVIL) regimes have been overthrown and countless terrorists have been rounded up. Our military is getting the respect and resources it needs. He's had to deal with a hostile CIA so filled with Clintonites and lackeys that they'd rather dream up schemes to make him look bad than gather intelligence on terrorists. Rebuilding that agency alone is a HUGE task. He's had to confront world leaders who'd rather sit around chastising the US than deal with the terrorists in their own backyard and a corrupt and inept UN more interested in covering their butts than solving world terrorism. I'd bet a lot of the issues they're supposed to be so concerned about like 3rd world poverty and hunger could be solved if they'd just grow a pair and start removing some of these dictators and terrorist enablers.
Most of the time Bush has had to drag these sad sacks kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Heck, Bush has had more resistance at home than I've seen in a long time and while facing the biggest threat I've seen in my lifetime. Here in OR (where we've actually had Al Qaeda members arrested and sent to jail), the Bolshevik mayor of Moscow on the Willamette just pulled out of the JTTF. But I'm sure most local governments here have their hands full looking for loopholes in the marriage amendment and making sure those with gender identity issues have equal protection under the law.
Even the cold war wasn't this dire. At least the communists understood that destroying us meant their own demise and generally cared about themselves enough to not go down that road. Not so with these rabid Islamic loonies Bush has to deal with. They don't care if they die, just so long as they take as many of us as they can with them.
In the midst of all this he's had to deal with a recession and corporate scandals that further shook our economic foundations. Had the previous admin been minding the store instead of braving bold new frontiers with cigars and creating modern art masterpieces like "Blue dress with Stain" they might have noticed the corruption...nah, too busy hiding FBI files. I don't ever remember an opposition party as obstructionist as the dems in congress he's got to work with. Even their continued election losses haven't clued them in to the fact that maybe they need to rethink the "progressive anti-revolution" and move forward. It's not like he hasn't extended his hand...education reform, the disastrous campaign finance nonsense, senior health-care. The man has even been more than gracious to Clinton, helping the man restore what's left of his "soiled" reputation. Mostly, I think, because Bush has so much respect for the OFFICE of the president than the man who held that position. Bush is just a class act.
Granted, we NEED immigration reform, we NEED effective border patrol. Any change in any part of government involves moving a huge bureaucratic mountain that would prefer to stay where it is while entitlement pimps and their vote whores in congress push back as hard as they can. We need tax reform, social security reform, UN reform, etc. But no one can solve every problem at once and trying to do too much at one time means everything gets done only half-assed. I could be wrong, but unless something catastrophic happens I don't think Bush is going to take on the border issue, much as I hope he would. But I'd bet if PJ is right and Cheney runs (with Allen as VP), we'll see the kind of immigration reform and border control we need.
Cindie...climbing down from soap box to clean up the hair ball one of my cats deposited on the carpet (why don't they ever do that on the linoleum).
I know Cindie, I know he has a lot on his plate. I'm just frustrated. Just now, perusing all the articles posted here at FR, it just seems the bad is overpowering the good. I just wish he'd put people in their place. They (media & liberals)can't hate him any more than they already do. Our party is being attacked all around. But I know we'll prevail in the end. My armor has a few chinks in it right now. I'm very defensive of my country. Sometimes it gets to me. Thanks for the pep talk. Miss Condi does kick butt, especially in her black boots! She is one of a kind and I am glad she's on our side.
I'm on the same page with you, Cindie.
BTW, when your cats hairball, do they do it in one spot on the carpet, move a foot or so away and do it again...move a foot or so still further away and do it again...?