Tomorrow is Condi’s Big Day

In an optimistic article in The New York Times, author Todd S. Purdum predicts that Secretary of State nominee Condoleeza Rice will champion a diplomatic course for the next four years of foreign policy. Beginning tomorrow, Dr. Rice will undergo two days of Senate confirmation hearings, which are expected to confirm and approve of her nomination. Dr. Rice will seize the opportunity to explain her goals for the future of the State Department and Bush administration, rather comment on her past as President Bush’s national security advisor.

“Ms. Rice’s goals vary from restoring America’s reputation in the capitals of Europe through a vigorous campaign of public diplomacy to actively promoting free institutions throughout the Middle East and renewing involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and include a heightened focus on free trade and economic issues, associates say.”

Interestingly, but not surprisingly, these goals mirror Sunday’s What the World Wants From America and its related articles.

Although pleased, I am a bit amused by the claim that Dr. Rice will be directing our administration towards the diplomatic course. As Secretary of State, she will be in charge of the largest diplomatic body in our government; of course she will encourage the diplomatic approach. With our military already so overextended, it is irrational to expect that the Bush administration will continue its “proactive” military policy because it is physically unable to do so. Logically, Dr. Rice will have to encourage diplomacy in foreign relations because that will be her job. And despite her close relationship with the president, I am optimistic that Dr. Rice will occasionally express dissent towards his opinions. While commonly supporting the president and his hawkish cronies Vice President Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Ms. Rice was sometimes an ally to estranged Secretary of State Colin Powell. This is not to imply that she often opposed the aforementioned, but I am doubtful that she will be the loyal pushover some liberal incendiaries have proposed.

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