Posted on 02/06/2005 6:32:01 PM PST by srm913
Gracious and elegant, Rice also seems vulnerable
ANKARA - TEN days and thousands of kilometres into her new job as the Secretary of State, Dr Condoleezza Rice is learning it is trickier to sell US policy to the world than to fashion it behind closed doors.
Dr Rice, 50, cuts a gracious and elegant figure as she jets around Europe and the Middle East on her first voyage after moving over from her post as national security adviser.
But she has also seemed at times a bit uncomfortable, even vulnerable in the world spotlight, where she is the face of a US administration that inspires respect, fear and anger but never indifference.
Asked on Saturday what was the biggest change in moving from White House adviser to chief US diplomat, she did not miss a beat: 'Well, there's all those (news) cameras to begin with. It makes it a little different.'
More substantively, Dr Rice is discovering that it might be easy to stay on message within the confines of the White House policy circle, but harder when you are at the centre of a media road show.
She came to Europe hoping to promote a new era in transatlantic relations, drum up support for post-election Iraq and sketch out plans for Middle East peace. But she told reporters that Iran's human rights record was 'something to be loathed,' sparking a media frenzy on US-Iranian relations.
She insisted force was not on the agenda for Iran's suspected nuclear weapons programme, but added the teaser 'at this point'. She also ducked questions on whether Washington sought regime change in Teheran.
And on Russia, the message has been fuzzy. After insisting that anti-democratic actions by the Kremlin could hamper ties with the US, she seemed to change gears and warned that a crackdown on Moscow to isolate it could be counter-productive.
But even as she feels her way in her new duties, Dr Rice is still on sure footing in the international corridors of powers, where she moved easily as national security adviser. 'It helps that I have met all of these people in one incarnation or another,' she said. -- AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Very insulting.
I'm afraid no matter how great Secretary of State Rice is she will never receive respect from the media.
I don't remember the press saying anything like this when some Arabs thought Madeleine Notsobright was a hotel maid.
Condi is slight of figure, very feminine, and her voice timbre is a little high-pitched.
Having said that, she is the epitome of what can be called a "Steel Magnolia" - anyone who's ever been the recipient of the Condi "Death Stare" could probably verify that.
My folks always call her Madeleine Halfbright.
They thought she was a hotel maid?
LOL!
Those sophisticated Europeans think that Iran's human rights record is splendid, I suppose?
After all, France was Ayatollah Khomeini's kind host and protector before he went back to take charge of affairs in Teheran.
France also was nice enough to educate Pol Pot and prepare him for his future role in Cambodia. The French are so tolerant and understanding, don't you know? So very civilized.
Dr. Rice does give the perception of being vulnerable, an endearing quality in my opinion, and sbout as accurate as that aura of dumbassedness that the pompous intellectual, fart heads of faux aristrocratia, superimpose upon their image of President Bush.
As we say down here: for true, come on????
The reporter's curly tail is showing.
Dr Rice, 50, cuts a gracious and elegant figure as she jets around Europe and the Middle East on her first voyage
Whoever wrote this is a gay or a lesbian. My guess is gayman. Mark my words.
FMCDH(BITS)
See my #13...are you saying the same thing? There's just too many key words in this piece.
FMCDH(BITS)
Yes we all got a huge laugh at 'Maddy the maid'. If I remember correctly a hotel guest passed her in the hall and asked her to bring him some extra towels or something.
Post #7 makes it true; why am I not surprised. She must not have been in her red leather "Inquisitor" suit mit hat.
I was referring to a male chauvinist pig. I think we both detected a hint of misogyny in the patronizing tone of this article.
What rubbish! She's not trying to "sell" anything, she's just telling it like it is - here's our policy, take it or leave it.
They're desperately trying to make a success into a failure.
This doesn't sound either vulnerable or much like a sales job. My guess is that this reporter doesn't really know what to make of Dr. Rice yet and is going by physical appearance. I would guess that a lot of people in her storied career have. I would guess that the percentage who found out differently hovers around 100.
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