Posted on 11/16/2004 8:08:37 AM PST by Kaslin
When Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his resignation on Monday, he had already been "politely" encouraged to leave his post by President Bush, according to NBC News.
"Powell was going to leave but he was not necessarily going to leave right away, particularly with what's happening in the Middle East," the network's Andrea Mitchell reported Tuesday morning.
"He was prepared to stay for a few more months. And that was politely not accepted," she claimed. "They needed Powell in 2000, they thought, in order to get elected," Mitchell explained to radio host Don Imus. "They've now been re-elected and won't have to face the voters. And now, as the conservatives used to say about Reagan - 'Let Reagan be Reagan' - let Bush be Bush. He's true to himself now and doesn't have to play any games towards the moderates."
Mitchell said that Powell's replacement, Condoleezza Rice, has received a "mandate" from President Bush to "clean house" at the State Department.
"It's going to be a whole new world" at the agency, the NBC'er said.
Powell never saw eye-to-eye with the rest of the Administration. The other day I said he was a loose cannon and got flamed a tad, and perhaps that was harsh.
However, Powell is a good man and I respect him a lot. But he has a 9/10 mentality. I wish him luck in whatever he decides to do (unless it's run for President in 2008 on the Dem ticket).
Bah. Everyone knew Powell only wanted to serve one term. It is the MSM's fault they refuse to take people at their word. Of course, when you hang with Dems I can understand being accustomed to lies.
I am sure Powell agreed to stay on to conclude projects. I am also sure he took no offense that the President would rather start fresh if Powell was going to leave.
Oh, and Condi having a mandate to clean the State Department? WooHoo!!
BTW, most of Clinton's people resigned under a cloud.......go figure.
Complaining that Bush does not have to cater to the moderates......Hm.......Bush does not have to cater to the media, the liberals, the dems anymore.
Who cares what the media has to say about anything - they are an arm of the democrat party. We will work around the media for our news (as proved by this election).
Let them sprout grass.
Back in the 1st Gulf War, Cal Thomas (I think) wrote a column about General Powell, and his a little too cushy relationship with the media. He's one of the only people who could do serious damage to the President. I'm not saying he's going to do that, but he could if he wanted to. And if he sees the Country heading in a direction he doesn't approve of, I would begin to prepare for many, many 'leaks.'
"He was prepared to stay for a few more months."
And do as much as possible to screw up a final resolution of the problems in Iraq.
I hope it's true.
Of course, it's a "Department", not an "Agency". Other than that, it sounds good to me!
This thread like so many others since the election is so bright and upbeat - and it is good to feel finally George Bush is going to be able to spread his wings and fly and surroung himself with the wonderful cabinet he envirions for his more aggressive, or more assertive and proactive activities he no doubt plans for us.
I have to ask because I can't find the topic any more....
Is there still a Prayer Thread for George Bush in his presidency - or a new one for his second term?
I hope so, because he can still use the prayers to do the right thing for the country, and while he has a clear mission of opportunity now, I would like to think we are
all giving him a helping hand with our prayers.
I don't pretend to be overtly religious, but I believe in prayer when it is for the good of all.... and I think George Bush is destined to prove his worth for us now, and for the history of our nation.
Thank you to whoever had the continuous thread before and I hope you have started a new one or are continuing into the second term.
Correcting my errors in my previous post - I thought I had checked them all apparently not.
This thread like so many others since the election is so bright and upbeat - and it is good to feel finally George Bush is going to be able to spread his wings and fly and surrouding himself with the wonderful cabinet he envisions for his more aggressive, or more assertive and proactive activities he no doubt plans for us.
I have to ask because I can't find the topic any more....
Is there still a Prayer Thread for George Bush in his presidency - or a new one for his second term?
I hope so, because he can still use the prayers to do the right thing for the country, and while he has a clear mission of opportunity now, I would like to think we are
all giving him a helping hand with our prayers.
I don't pretend to be overtly religious, but I believe in prayer when it is for the good of all.... and I think George Bush is destined to prove his worth for us now, and for the history of our nation.
Thank you to whoever had the continuous thread before and I hope you have started a new one or are continuing into the second term.
Her facts sound right, it's her spin that's wrong.
When Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his resignation on Monday, he had already been "politely" encouraged to leave his post by President Bush, according to NBC News.
"Powell was going to leave but he was not necessarily going to leave right away, particularly with what's happening in the Middle East," the network's Andrea Mitchell reported Tuesday morning.
"He was prepared to stay for a few more months. And that was politely not accepted," she claimed.
No issues up to this point. This is what I expected. Powell (like Paul O'Neill) always saw this as being about himself, his legacy, his accomplishments. Bush and Rice see it as about the country, the world and the elected President's agenda.
"They needed Powell in 2000, they thought, in order to get elected," Mitchell explained to radio host Don Imus. "They've now been re-elected and won't have to face the voters. And now, as the conservatives used to say about Reagan - 'Let Reagan be Reagan' - let Bush be Bush. He's true to himself now and doesn't have to play any games towards the moderates."
G W Bush has always been true to himself. He was sensitive to what was possible to do, given the requirements of the situation. He needed Powell to be a strong player on the world stage in his first term because he did not have a strong international resume. He needed him even though, as G H W Bush's son, he couldn't avoid having a better grounding in world affairs (both overt and covert) than most anyone on the planet. It came along with the dinner table conversation.
Bush used Powell effectively in his first term and, in fact, used him up. The press and the Europeans will lavish praise on him now that he is leaving, but he was no longer an effective Secretary of State.
Powell's usefulness was greatly diminished when he let Dominique De Villepin sucker him in the Security Council. The French convinced Powell that they supported the last resolution, so carefully worked out by Powell and De Villepin, for approving armed action against Saddam, right up until De Villepin stepped out in front of the news cameras at the UN to declare that France would always veto any such resolution, under any circumstances. He did this while Powell was at a reception at the French consulate, ostensibly held to celebrate their agreement on the resolution. He'd been betrayed by De Villepin and there was no consequence for France because of that betrayal. Powell's usefulness in the corridors of power, particularly in Europe, was largely gone after that.
Powell was also captured by the bureaucracy over at State. He is not in a position to reform or even to continue to manage that institution anymore. He lost control of the levers of power in foggy bottom in the lead up to the election over a year ago. His inability to even slightly slow down the open warfare being waged against George W Bush by the "professionals" at State made him a liability.
And it's not "moderates" George Bush has to deal with (or "play games with"). It's the entrenched elite bureaucrats, the "professionals," like of "Ambassador" Wilson. People who think that they have the right to go with their own judgment in opposition to the elected President when setting our country's foreign policy. The kind of folks who think that telling lies about a given situation in the interest of defeating "wrong headed" policies of the "temporary occupants" of the White House is their duty. The kind of folks, frankly, that Andrea Mitchell lives for, attending their parties, taking their phone calls, writing them thank you notes for the right kinds of gifts.
Mitchell said that Powell's replacement, Condoleezza Rice, has received a "mandate" from President Bush to "clean house" at the State Department.
"It's going to be a whole new world" at the agency, the NBC'er said.
Back to good, solid, insider information. But she puts this forward as a bad thing. This is NOT a bad thing. This is what a big part of the second term will be about. George Bush will reshape the bureaucracy in Washington, particularly Defense (which Rummy already has well under way) and Intelligence (where Porter Goss is obviously making a good start) in his own image. There will likely be more bloodshed than in Fallujah over the next year or so as the dead wood is cleaned out and the rotten would is cut out.
It will be interesting, to say the least.
Yep. That's probably the only truth you've uttered this year Andrea. Get used to it.
There's a new sheriff in town. And his name is GWB. Y'all be cool.
Now, could the same thing happen to Dan Blather?
Take out the trash Dr. Rice!
What part of serving at the pleasure of the President do they not grasp?
Personally, I can think of no department in Washington more in need of a thorough house cleaning than the state department!
Same old, same old from the FRAUDcasters.
Powell had made it plain from the very beginning that he was only intending to be SoS during the first term. He reiterated that two years ago, and then again a year ago. The Old Media just like the theatre of "political discord" sometimes.
Someday the Old Media reporters will learn to do research again. Well, actually, they may be gone before they get a chance to change.
ABCNNBCBS & NYSlimes
- all FRAUDcasters
Fair and Balanced.
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