[Verginius Rufus]

Which administration was James Rubin a part of, again?

France was never going to approve of using force to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Rubin evidently thinks Chirac was acting in good faith, rather than to protect France's $50 billion worth of contracts with the Saddam regime, and to do whatever he could to undercut the American role in world affairs.

The same people who attack Bush for acting too quickly in March would be attacking him if he had waited till the fall, because now the Presidential election campaign is starting...they would be claiming he was launching the war to ensure his re-election.

[Theyknow]

“The same people who attack Bush for acting too quickly in March would be attacking him if he had waited till the fall, because now the Presidential election campaign is starting...they would be claiming he was launching the war to ensure his re-election."

Why do you think we are in Iraq? IMO you are absolutely correct about France, but that isn’t the issue, the issue is why we went to war in the first place and being honest about the neoconservative movement. There is a real division here, a difference in philosophy. Let’s talk about it.

Are there any neocons out there?

[OkiMusashi]

James P. Rubin was nominated by President Clinton to be Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs on May 23, 1997 and confirmed by the full Senate on July 31, 1997. On August 4, 1997, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright swore Mr. Rubin in as Assistant Secretary and appointed him to be the Department's Chief Spokesman.

In this capacity, Mr. Rubin directed the development and execution of Department-wide public information policies and oversees public outreach efforts to the American people on foreign policy issues. He served as principal adviser to the Secretary, other officials of the Department, and other Government agencies on all aspects of the Department's responsibilities in the conduct of public affairs. He exercised primary authority in the Department for the coordination and release of proposed public statements; and he maintained liaison with the Executive Office of the President and other government agencies.

Prior to his Presidential appointment as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Rubin served as a Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State. From August to November 1996, Mr. Rubin was Director of Foreign Policy and Spokesman for the Clinton/Gore '96 Campaign. From May 1993 until his arrival at the Clinton/Gore Campaign, Mr. Rubin served as Senior Adviser and Spokesman for U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Madeleine K. Albright. He assisted Ambassador Albright in formulating and articulating U.S. policy pursued at the United Nations. He also advised the Ambassador on national security related to her role as a member of President Clinton's Cabinet and the National Security Council.

Before joining Ambassador Albright's staff, Mr. Rubin served as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE). While working in the Senate, he advised Senator Biden and other Committee members on U.S. policy toward Europe and the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, China, and on global arms proliferation issues.

From 1985 to 1989, Mr. Rubin was the Research Director for the non-profit Arms Control Association in Washington, D.C. In that capacity, he often served as a consultant to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on nuclear arms control issues.

Mr. Rubin was born in New York City, New York in 1960. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Columbia University in 1982 and a Master in International Affairs degree in 1984. In 1998, Mr. Rubin was the recipient of Columbia College's John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement.

---

OK, this dude doesn't like what's going on. Fine. That is predictable .... but that doesn't make him honest or right and I don't intend to buy anything he says based upon his credentials. Somebody better than Rubin needs to make the arguement.

... and don't EVEN start quoting Albright LOL

[A. Pole]

Rubin evidently thinks Chirac was acting in good faith, rather than to protect France's $50 billion worth of contracts with the Saddam regime, and to do whatever he could to undercut the American role in world affairs.

It would be better to give Iraq with this $50 billion to the French and not to have to spend $87 billion every few months. Let them have it.