A Partner in Shaping an Assertive Foreign Policy (Condi Rice)

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 — Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's national security adviser, stood in front of Mr. Bush's desk in the Oval Office last summer and tried to coax the president into something he did not want to face.

She suggested, carefully, that the White House begin repairing the rupture with the allies over Iraq by reaching out to Germany, whose chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, had infuriated the president by campaigning for re-election on an antiwar platform. Mr. Bush, simply put, did not trust him.

"I can't do it with Schröder," Mr. Bush told Ms. Rice, according to a senior administration official who witnessed the exchange. Ms. Rice, who had not directly suggested that Mr. Bush meet with Mr. Schröder, rushed to reassure. "No, no, no, we won't make you do it with Schröder," she said. But Mr. Bush seemed to know what Ms. Rice had in mind. "Wait a minute, you'll get me back with Schröder, I know what you're trying to do," the president said, the official recounted.

Soon enough, a meeting to begin defrosting relations was set up between Mr. Bush and Mr. Schröder at the session last September of the United Nations General Assembly. " `I knew that was going to happen,' " Mr. Bush laughingly told Ms. Rice after the meeting was scheduled, the senior administration official said. Ms. Rice gently bantered back, the official said, but then concluded, " `Now, look, it's the right time to do it.' "

Condoleezza Rice began her relationship with George W. Bush as the foreign policy tutor who educated the little-traveled 2000 presidential candidate in the complexities of a world more dangerous than either of them knew. Now, three years, two wars and countless crises later, the relationship between the president and Ms. Rice has evolved into a partnership that has shaped one of the most assertive foreign policies in recent American history.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/01/07/politics/07COND.html?hp

as she is sentanced to life in prison for treason. I hope the administration of the NYT goes with her.

be writing paperback romance novels. "no no no,we won`t make you do it with.."-mr bush seemed to know...."-i knew this was going to happen" -"it`s the right time to do it"-"more dangerous than either of them knew"-....i`m going to have to take a cold shower.....

but there is some good news here:

Now, as Ms. Rice heads into what she insists will be her last year of service in the White House…

and an interesting episode:

In Northern Ireland this past April, Mr. Bush and Ms. Rice had a tense disagreement about a phrase that Mr. Bush planned to use in a joint news conference with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. With American and British forces making quick gains in Iraq, Mr. Bush wanted to say that the United Nations would have a "vital role" in an American-led occupation. Mr. Blair and Mr. Powell agreed. But Ms. Rice, according to a senior administration official, was under pressure from officials in Mr. Cheney's office who disliked the United Nations and thought "vital" was going too far.

The president used the word anyway — not once, but nine times. Afterward, the senior administration official said, Ms. Rice was "fussing about it a bit because she was afraid she might have some explaining to do back here in order to cover all of our various constituencies. And after a while, the president got annoyed about it."

The president, the official said, then cut off Ms. Rice, curtly telling her, the official recounted, "I did it, and that's it." The two nearly made a scene, the official said. "They almost had to go off for a minute to sort it out," the official recounted. "And then it blew over."

Giggle, giggle. No wonder Pickles wrote that weird poem (no I don't know that for sure, but that's my hunch).

Condi and Chimpy, sitting in a tree...

Or a normal attitude toward the Commander in Chief?

"No, no, no, we won't make you do it with Schröder," {Rice} said.

And who's the "we?"

the Little King was running around stamping his feet screaming, "I won't! I won't!, and you can't make me!!! I'll call my daddy on you!"

How far the mighty have fallen.



A real bodice ripper...(Excellent)