Condi nominated to Replace Powell...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-11-15 06:32pm

LINKA

Darth Vader to the rescue!

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-11-15 06:35pm

Powell resigned? What prompted that?

Patrick Degan · Post by **Patrick Degan** » 2004-11-15 06:37pm

Cpl Kendall wrote:Powell resigned? What prompted that?

Deciding that the humiliation of being Bush's cabana-boy for four years was more than enough.

Chris OFarrell · Post by **Chris OFarrell** » 2004-11-15 06:43pm

Personaly (after reading his autobiography he published before working for Bush), I think Powel stayed on because he simply is a soldier. He signed on for a for year term with the Bush team and he would thus give four years to the best of his ability, no questions. He would not cut and run, however much he might want to, before his time was up.

Which is a shame given how completly ignored he was in the administration and how he was humiliated at the UN after being forced to read Bush's wonderful cherry picked dossier...

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-11-15 06:46pm

CBC.CA

CBC wrote: WASHINGTON - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is quitting his job in President George W. Bush's cabinet.

Powell made the announcement on Monday, although he says he will stay on until Bush names his replacement.

Rumours have circulated for months that Powell had no desire to serve a second term if Bush was re-elected. Powell confirmed he's been telling Bush for months he wanted to leave, although he won't explain why.

Powell is widely seen as the only senior cabinet official who tried to dissuade the president from invading Iraq nearly two years ago. The former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Bush the U.S. would be entangled in Iraq for years to come. Bush all but assured Americans that would never happen.

Eventually, Powell became Bush's most credible advocate for the invasion. It was Powell who was sent to present the allegedly iron-clad evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction to the world at the United Nations.

But no weapons of mass destruction have ever been found in Iraq and Powell has since said publicly he was disappointed with the quality of the evidence he used to argue for war.

"He got snookered himself and he feels he was taken for a ride. No question he bought into it," said Powell biographer Karen DeYoung.

"The rest of the world will mourn Powell leaving because they felt he was a person that they could get to try and get the president to back off from some of these unilateral approaches for dealing with the world's problems," said former assistant defence secretary Lawrence Korb.

Before leaving centre stage Powell laid out the staggering diplomatic agenda facing the president in his new term: Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Powell's departure is seen by many in Washington as a victory for more conservative figures surrounding Bush, including Vice-President Dick Cheney, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan was asked if Powell was leaving because he has too often been a dissenting voice in the Bush cabinet. But McClellan chose instead to praise Powell for being a "tireless and dedicated public servant throughout his life. He made a commitment to serve the president for his first term and we appreciate all that he has done."

Rice and UN Ambassador John Danforth have been touted as possible successors.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said he was sorry to hear about Powell's decision. Pettigrew called Powell "a great friend of Canada."

Three other members of Bush's cabinet tendered their resignations on Monday: Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veniman and Education Secretary Rod Paige.

Apperently it's for personal reasons. Is it standard to lie to make your President look good if you leave in conflict?

Note that I don't beleive he was forced out. He says he wants to return to private life and I believe it. Powell has always seemed like an honest stand up guy. I don't see any reason to doubt him.

egyptfrk · Post by **egyptfrk** » 2004-11-15 06:55pm

Yes, I remember hearing him say that he only would serve one term. I respect Condi as an intellectual and a politician, but her policies scare me. Traditionally the administration has a Sec of State that leans a little more towards diplomacy which (in theory) balances out the Sec of Defense. So pending her official appointment...things could get interesting in the next four years.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-15 06:57pm

Mrs. CmdrWilkens wrote:Yes, I remember hearing him say that he only would serve one term. I respect Condi as an intellectual and a politician, but her policies scare me. Traditionally the administration has a Sec of State that leans a little more towards diplomacy which (in theory) balances out the Sec of Defense. So pending her official appointment...things could get interesting in the next four years.

The last four years weren't interesting enough?

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-11-15 06:58pm

Fuck.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

egyptfrk · Post by **egyptfrk** » 2004-11-15 07:02pm

"Four more wars..."
We can only hope not

[/quote]

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-11-15 07:12pm

Mrs. CmdrWilkens wrote:Yes, I remember hearing him say that he only would serve one term. I respect Condi as an intellectual and a politician, but her policies scare me. Traditionally the administration has a Sec of State that leans a little more towards diplomacy which (in theory) balances out the Sec of Defense. So pending her official appointment...things could get interesting in the next four years.

"We have outlawed Continental Europe, let the bombing commence."

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2004-11-15 07:29pm

Stormbringer wrote:"We have outlawed Continental Europe, let the bombing commence."

As long as they spare Italy & Switzerland I can live with it, I need my Armani glasses and Swiss chocolate damnit!

Grendel · Post by **Grendel** » 2004-11-15 10:17pm

I admit that I am disappointed Powell is leaving however I like and respect Condi. I think that instead of a step back in the Secretary of State position we are taking a step sideways. The real question pertains to the position of National Security Advisor and who will occupy that particular position.

We shall see....

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-11-15 10:40pm

aerius wrote:
Stormbringer wrote:"We have outlawed Continental Europe, let the bombing commence."
As long as they spare Italy & Switzerland I can live with it, I need my Armani glasses and Swiss chocolate damnit!

Switzerland is traditionally neutral and Italy is part of the 'Coalition' in Iraq, so your Armani and chocolates are safe.

It'd suck to be in Germany or France, though.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-11-15 10:42pm

Neutral?! You're either with us or against us!

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-11-15 11:09pm

Anyone just see The Daily Show's headlines on Powell resigning? They had a little graphic with Powell's face and the caption "Powell Movement."

Post by **Kuja** » 2004-11-16 12:35pm

I dunno...what has Condi done in the last four years? I certainly haven't heard much. Most of the political cartoons I read show her as a parrot mimicking Bush.

Iceberg · Post by **Iceberg** » 2004-11-16 12:44pm

Condi is a parrot who's smarter than her owner: Not only does she say nothing, but she says it in enough words that a casual observer will assume she actually is saying something.