Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Dominus Paradoxum · 01-23-2005, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Stephanopoulos: [...] Would you vote to confirm Condi Rice as Secretary of State?

Dean: No. I think John Kerry and Barbara Boxer made the right vote. I think Condi Rice is a capable person, but her chief attribute in this position is loyalty to the President. I think we need someone who is an independent thinker who is willing to give the President advice that he doesn't want to hear. I don't think that's a hallmark of most Bush appointees.

http://www.blogforamerica.com/archives/005851.html#more

openeyes · 01-23-2005, 06:25 PM

Don't have time to read the transcript right now, but it sound as though Dean is still talking straight.

leonarde · 01-24-2005, 04:44 AM

Quote:

I think Condi Rice is a capable person, but her chief attribute in this position is loyalty to the President. I think we need someone who is an independent thinker who is willing to give the President advice that he doesn't want to hear.

Mistaken on two counts:

1) In the summer of 2002, it was Colin Powell AND Condi Rice who made a concerted effort to convince Bush to go through the UN (or at least try to) on Iraq. Though the UN path didn't prove fruitful and used a half year in the process, the episode suggests that Rice is no more or less likely to be independent-minded than Powell (ie the guy she's replacing).

2) Historically, Sec'ys of State, like other Cabinet members, are mostly chosen on a combination of expertise AND loyalty to the president.

Dean is essentially laying out his candidacy for Party Chairman in terms of his oppositionalism to Bush (just as he did during the primaries); good luck to him on it but do we REALLY have to take his blather seriously?

Was "Madeleine Albright" "independent minded"? I can't say I remember a SINGLE instance where she disagreed with the Prez (at least where it became public). Ditto with Warren Christopher. On Kosovo. On Iraq. On Bosnia Hercegovina.......On Rwanda......on Somalia......on China policy....

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01-23-2005, 06:25 PM	#2
openeyes Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Minnesota Posts: 4,215	Don't have time to read the transcript right now, but it sound as though Dean is still talking straight.

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