It’s been pretty damned obvious from the moment she was appointed to the administration that Condi Rice is a political lightweight, for all her apparent academic accomplishments. Her continuance in office has been an unmitigated disaster for the international diplomacy and the rule of law.
Finally, a Democratic Congressman calls Condi Rice incompetent:
The gloves are off in the new Congress. Hawaii Democratic Congressman Neil Abercrombie, the outspoken new Chairman of the powerful House Air-Land Subcommittee, has gone on the record with a highly personal attack on Bush’s Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Abercrombie referred to Rice as “the most overrated underperforming individual in executive authority that I have ever seen” in an interview published this week in the “Honolulu Star Bulletin.”
In response to a follow-up question by Star Bulletin columnist Richard Borreca whether race or gender had anything to do with it, Abercrombie continued, “She constantly gets a pass. Who knows if the whole question of race and gender come into it? But I can’t account for it except to say she isn’t up to the mark.”
Abercrombie’s spokesperson confirmed the quotes and told ABC News today the congressman does indeed have a highly critical view of Rice’s performance not only as the current Secretary of State but also in her previous role as Bush’s National Security Advisor.
As to the congressman’s comments on race and gender, the spokesman said Abercrombie was responding to a follow-up question. “It’s an old reporter’s trick to put words in a question to get the respondent to use them himself in the answer, but nonetheless the congressman was quoted accurately.”
And oops, there she goes again proving his point for him.
I doubt she’s planning on resigning anytime soon though – with Harriet Miers gone, there’s only the mysteriously invisible Karen Hughes between her and the prime office wife spot. I sometimes wonder if she’s the heroine in her own mental bloody Harlequin novel (one of these perhaps) .
For the life of me I can’t really see what else is driving her at this point.
Read more: Politics, Condoleeza Rice, Bush, Relationship
