NO BASIS for Washington Post story About Powell resignation . It's TOTALLY FALSE

Drudge ^ | Aug. 4, 2003 | Drudge

[FairOpinion]

No Basis for Washington Post Story

PRESS RELEASE FROM STATE: Regarding the story in today's Washington Post about Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and Deputy Secretary Richard L. Armitage, there was no conversation between the Deputy Secretary and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice concerning any plans for "stepping down." There is no basis for the story. As Secretary Powell has always said, he and Deputy Secretary Armitage serve at the pleasure of the President, and will continue to do so.

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"This is gossip and rumor," said State Department spokesman Philip Reeker when asked about The Washington Post story. "The story purports to describe a conversation that took place. That conversation never took place."

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WHITE HOUSE: Scott McClellan just announced that Secy Powell and Deputy Secy Armitage will be arriving at the Crawford Ranch tomorrow evening for dinner with the President. The two will overnight in Crawford and then will meet again with the President on Wednesday and have lunch before heading back to DC...

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

First the New York Slimes and now the Washington Compost. It looks like we'll have to rely on the National Enquirer or the Weekly World News for credible journalism.

[FairOpinion]

In the meantime literally dozens of articles trumpet that Powell is quitting.

[babaloo]

Richard Armitage was interviewed by Hannity on his radio show this afternoon and Armitage said "he had an eight letter word to describe this story...nonsense"

[FairOpinion]

Here is more:

Powell says report he will leave at end of first Bush term just 'gossip'

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Colin Powell dismissed as gossip and nonsense a published report that he had sent word to the White House he would not serve in a second Bush administration.

"I don't know what they are talking about," Powell said of the story in The Washington Post. "I serve at the pleasure of the president. The president and I have not discussed anything other than my continuing to do my job for him."

According to the newspaper, Powell's deputy, Richard L. Armitage, informed National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that neither he nor Powell would serve in a second term.

"This is just one of those stories that emerge in Washington that reflects nothing more than gossip, and the gossip leads to a rash of speculation about who might fill a vacancy that does not exist," Powell said in an interview with Radio Sawa, which broadcasts to the Arab world with U.S. financial support.

"The story has no substance," Powell said. "And the so-called conversation that took place between my deputy, Mr. Armitage, and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice did not take place."

The White House, meanwhile, expressed President Bush's support for Powell.

"The president thinks he is doing an outstanding job and appreciates the job that he is doing," Press Secretary Scott McClellan said. "The president looks forward to Secretary Powell continuing to work with him in our foreign policy realm."

"Secretary Powell and Deputy Secretary Armitage are outstanding members of the president's team, and they are highly valued members of the president's team," McClellan said in Texas where Bush has begun a monthlong vacation at his ranch.

At the State Department, deputy spokesman Philip T. Reeker said Powell "serves at the pleasure of the president and will continue to do so."


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20030804-1427-powell.html

[veronica]

Implicite in the denial, since only the conversation was denied, not the possibility that Powell would leave, is a possibility that there is truth in some elements of the story. Personally, I'd like to see Powell replaced with Condie Rice, which would put her in an excellent position to oppose Hillary! in 2008. :)

[deport]

White House denies Powell is planning to leave by January 2005

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House expressed President George W. Bush's support Monday for Secretary of State Colin Powell in response to a report that he did not plan to serve in a second term.

"The president thinks he is doing an outstanding job and appreciates the job that he is doing," spokesman Scott McClellan said. "The president looks forward to Secretary Powell continuing to work with him in our foreign policy realm."

The praise was in response to a report in the Washington Post that Powell's deputy, Richard Armitage, had told National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that neither he nor Powell would stay on if Bush was re-elected.

"Secretary Powell and Deputy Secretary Armitage are outstanding members of the president's team, and they are highly valued members of the president's team," McClellan said in Texas where Bush has begun a monthlong vacation at his ranch.

At the State Department, deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said Powell "serves at the pleasure of the president and will continue to do so."

Powell and Armitage were to fly to Texas on Tuesday for dinner with Bush and further talks with him Wednesday on foreign-policy issues.

Bush probably will meet other cabinet officers, as well, while he is in Texas, Reeker said. The meetings with Powell and Armitage were planned weeks ago, the spokesman said.

Reeker and McClellan said the conversation that the Post said Armitage had with Rice never occurred.

"Welcome to Washington in August, where some of these goofy stories tend to hit the front page," Reeker said. "But there is no basis to that story."

Still, the report on Powell resonated for hours Monday on cable television against a backdrop of known differences between him and more conservative senior administration officials.

Powell, at 66, is known to have interests beyond diplomacy, among them improving the ways schools deal with minority children.

White House and State Department officials refused to say whether Powell would stay on if Bush won a second term.

Such a statement would have been unprecedented. Presidents enjoy much leeway in choosing their top aides. In any event, no secretary of state has served more than one term since George Shultz replaced Alexander Haig during president Ronald Reagan's first term and stayed through his second.

The talks at dinner at Bush's ranch Tuesday night and at a meeting Wednesday will deal with a range of policy priorities, McClellan said without identifying any of them.

[grimalkin]

What a shock. lol

[Edit35]

I'm a reporter for a mid-sized newspaper in NJ, and I know from experience that I could write any damaging story I wanted to just by calling people in the "target" administration, and dropping a few hypothetical "hints" (even though I know them to be false) about whatever rumor I wanted to spread.

Then, during the subsequent conversation, I could be scribbling away furiously, happy I was able to decieve that person into speculation.

I believe that is what the Wash Post reporter did.

Reporting can be such a damaging profession, if a person has a corrupt, political personality.

[Right_in_Virginia]

"I still think that someone who is a leaker has been trapped...hopefully one of those weenies in the State Department. "

I hope you're right..and that the "someone" is shown the door!!

[ohioWfan]

It wasn't 'only the conversation' that was denied. The whole thing was called 'gossip,' and the result of a typical August lack of real news.

Besides which, why in the world would Powell essentially give up his authority more than a year before his job is over by tipping his hand that he is quitting?

Even if you'd like to have him replaced, you have to acknowledge that he is an intelligent man, and that would be, if nothing else, profoundly stupid.

[veronica]

Even if you'd like to have him replaced, you have to acknowledge that he is an intelligent man, and that would be, if nothing else, profoundly stupid.

Intelligence is not the only criteria. Conservative credentials matter, point of view matters, toughness matters too, and on all those points, Rice beats Powell in my book. Powell cares too much what the Europeans think.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I hope you're right..and that the "someone" is shown the door!!

My fondest hope is that Neville Powell is shown the door.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I don't really know Rice's views on a lot of things -- most notably the Middle East. Would she be more of a Colin Chamberlain clone, or more like Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz?

[Poohbah]

If I were the spokesman (person of spoke? :o) I would've said, "this stuff doesn't rise to the level of innuendo, let alone rumor."

[ohioWfan]

You missed my point entirely.

Whether or not one thinks that Powell is conservative enough, or likes Rice better, it's obvious that he is highly intelligent.......and it would take a profoundly stupid man to announce a decision to resign a year and a half before the fact, and therefore render himself useless.

The story has been created by the left as an attempt to harm the President, and has been correctly labeled 'goofy.'

[ohioWfan]

One aspect of President Bush's leadership style is that he likes to have varying, and sometimes opposing points of view presented to him, and then makes the decision himself.

IMO, he doesn't WANT someone in the position who echoes Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz........which is why he will stick with Powell.

[Mo1]

After just watching a few minutes of Chrissy Matthew's it's obvious to me that this weeks target is Powell

Last week was Condi Rice .. Shall we start taking a guess who they will go after next week?

[CyberAnt]

How about sending that info to FOX - I just got my FNC email and they are reporting the story as true. Wonder who "their sources" are.

[ohioWfan]

Brit Hume and Jim Angle pretty much debunked the story on Special Report.

[Tamzee]

No basis for professional news story? Jeepers, this seems to be happening a WHOLE lot lately... or just finally getting exposed ;-)