Comments on: The Obvious: it eludes people.

By: Dino

Dino — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 19:22:30 +0000

Eh. I think you may be under the misapprehension that these egomaniacs care about anyone but themselves.

By: Kmlydon

Kmlydon — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:07:45 +0000

McCain is making himself look ridiculous on this, and so perhaps is Graham, but Kerry still seems amore distinguished and substantial candidate than Rice. The fact that some fantasized about McCain as Kerry’s running mate seems trivial, but Kerry’s standing with Graham on climate change seems like a real recommendation. rice is very loyal to the President and she’s a woman, but that’s not enough. Whereas Hillary Clinton has used her appointment to prove that she is Presidential material, Rice has not used hers to prove she can replace Clinton at State.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 19:27:43 +0000

Thanks, Matt!

Yes, the Department of Endless War: makes sense to me.

By: Matt_L

Matt_L — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:22:48 +0000

Great Post Historiann! (The obvious did elude me. Thanks for helping out the ‘differently clued’!)

(Maybe we should just revert to calling it the War Department?) That would be lovely! Even better, lets aim for truth in advertising and call it the Department of Endless War.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:12:39 +0000

“Her policies” are the policies of the administrations she has served. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I don’t see pinning all of the blame on Rice for U.S. policies in Africa makes sense.

(FYI, I am consistent. I thought it was stupid when as Obama campaign operatives Samantha Power and Susan Rice tried to blame all of the Bill Clinton administration’s policies on Hillary Clinton in 2008!)

By: J. Otto Pohl

J. Otto Pohl — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 16:01:32 +0000

The fact is Rice has been awful on Africa, particularly the Great Lakes Region of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. It may be feminist to support Rice in the US. But, the actions taken by Rice as US ambassador have been providing cover for Rwanda and Uganda whose armies and proxies have been brutally raping women in Congo since 1996. Likewise Rice has been involved in supporting the Rwandan and Ugandan intervention in Congo since this time when she was with the Clinton administration. In 1994 she was instrumental in the US not recognizing the slaughter in Rwanda as genocide because she thought it would hurt the Democrats in the mid-term elections. Her policies have quite literally been lethal for a lot of people in Africa. She has facilitated and provided diplomatic cover for the rape and murder of a very large number of Congolese women.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:40:29 +0000

p.s. The more I see of the Susan Rice fracas, the more I’m convinced that this is a Dem ratfrack operation. Of course, the Rs are willing to play along in the hopes of retaking a Mass. senate seat, and in the hopes of embarrassing Obama.

Kerry did pretty well in 2004 although he was a pretty bad candidate. He’s been a good soldier for the past 8 years. He backed Obama pretty early on in 2008, as I recall. I think he feels he is owed this, and he’s not going to let a good-girl functionary with few if any allies on the Hill stand in his way.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:36:58 +0000

If State becomes once again, as it was in the days of the Early Republic, the stepping stone to the Presidency, then I suppose the gendering of State might not be such a bad thing! But, I’ve wondered about this too, and I have also wondered who or what it will take for a woman to be appointed to Defense.

(Maybe we should just revert to calling it the War Department?)

By: Susan

Susan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 05:47:41 +0000

I hadn’t thought about the Kerry angle, and the cats missed it too. I’m sure indeed that Brown will run again, but it depends on who runs against him…. I think his brand is damaged, because he can no longer claim to be nice.

And maybe Obama will surprise everyone. But if Rice gets the job, is State now a “woman’s job”? Since 1997, the only man to have held it would be Colin Powell. Think about that. Now, Defense is another story: a woman there?

Oh, and the other day Joe Nocera in his column reorganizing the cabinet put Randi Weingarten in as Sec. of Education. Just noting…

By: Landru

Landru — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:52:45 +0000

Holy crap. You’re right, it did elude. Thanks.