Posted on 06/06/2003 9:23:58 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative
NEW YORK: As a girl, she vowed that she would marry an American footballer, but she has ended up helping to run the country instead.
Now there is speculation that Condoleezza Rice may fulfil both ambitions after she invited a handsome sportsman not once but twice to the White House as her date.
The gossip began when Gene Washington, a former player with the San Francisco 49ers, turned up at a formal dinner for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines just over a week ago.
Noticeably, Rice, the US national security adviser, had also invited him to dine with the President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, last summer.
They attend American football matches together, where Washington can always secure the best seats. Long retired from the game, he is director of operations of the National Football League (NFL) in New York. Rice, a sports fanatic, has often said she wants to be commissioner of the NFL one day.
In his first interview Washington, 57, laughed off reports that he and Rice were dating each other, but there is no doubt that he is starry-eyed about her talents.
Condis phenomenal, he said. Shes so articulate, she never gets ruffled, she can handle tough situations with aplomb, she is as impressive a person as youd ever meet. But are they dating? Were not, he insisted. What else is there to say? Were great friends, were comfortable with each other and we enjoy each others company. She can relax with me. Weve known each other for so long she doesnt have to break me in.
The pair, who both grew up in Alabama, share a passion for football, which Rice learnt from her father, a high school teacher who also coached the sport.
Washington said she often compared the game to war. In her view, football is about taking ground, he said. The idea is to take more ground than you give up.
Washington and Rice met in the 1980s at Stanford University in California, where Rice, a professor of political science, went on to be the provost and Washington was a sports administrator. Antonia Felix, author of a biography of Rice, claims that they dated briefly.
Washington is separated from his wife, who lives in California, and has two daughters, aged 27 and 15, and a son of 13.
A dedicated athlete who still works out every day, Rice toyed with becoming a professional ice-skater. She also considered a career as a concert pianist, but decided she was not gifted enough.
Hehe, sounds like love to me. :-)
Seriously, its always bugged me she didn't have a fulltime mate. She's definitely high quality, powerful intelligence, poise, good looks, not to mention conservative.
All FReepers need to start lobbying *now* to convince Condi to run in '08.
There seems to be a shortage of conservative black men, who are as educated as she is or that share the same values as she does, if they're just athletes.
Yeah, yeah, I know the old saw: "Condi's a dyke!"
She's dated guys before, however. It's possible that there is a woman in her past, but lesbianism is not something that I consider to be a real possibility. The reason? The Gore campaign would have dug something up in 2000 to throw a stink bomb into the Bush campaign. Now they were a vicious bunch of bastards, and I would have put nothing past those people. So I think Condi is home free on the diesel dyke charge.
However, in the case that I might be wrong....
Now, most guys wouldn't think of voting for some mincing, prancing gay boy to be President. Congressman, maybe, but not President. However, they'll be much more forgiving with a lesbian. I can see Mary Cheney running for office and getting lots of Republican votes. A lot more votes, than, say, Ru Paul would get if he registered as a Republican and ran for office.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
Kindly disregard my previous post on this thread-it was meant for another thread that said Arnold was building up a file on her. My bad
No problemo.
Arnold isn't stupid. He doesn't even look stupid. The minute he tried to dig up dirt on Condi Rice, George W. Bush would find out about it. He would come down on Arnold with both feet. Trust me on this: Condi is a hot property, and she's considered a member of the extended Bush family in ways that, say, Jim Baker or Brent Scowcroft never could be.
Condi Rice is one of George W. and Laura Bush's closest friends. I would not want to be the Republican politician who tried to play Michael and end up like Fredo.
Be Seeing You,
Chris
It's kind of hard when you don't have the balls to say what you mean.
I saw it but I don't remember much about it, except for the restaurant scene.
LOL. I think one might have grown back.
Ping
I think she's an amazing American story.
Gretchen, thanks for finding this older article about Condi and Gene Washington and then pinging us. Our Secretary of State keeps her private life very private, but as far as I know, she and Mr. Washington are still close. As this article confirms, and I mentioned earlier, their relationship goes back to their days at Stanford around 20 years ago. They may only be very dear friends, or there may be something more. In addition, there are all sorts of reasons why busy career people choose not to marry. My attitude is they are unattached adults, it's their private life, and is none of the business of the gossip-mongers.
In searching the web for this pic I found some campaign donation information listing Mr. Washington as a contributor to Geraldine Ferraro and other Dems. Interesting.
woohooo looks like he’s her date again for the Queens white tie dinner!!
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