I’ve always wondered what kept Colin Powell, arguably the most rational man in the Bush adminstration, in office. It has been obvious from the start that he is uncomfortable with many of the administration’s pronouncements, and the fact that Bush seems to prefer his security advisor and secretary of defense to craft foreign policy is a bit of a sign at his lack of confidence in Powell. In fact, Powell served his purpose only during the campaign – to impart a bit of centrist appeal to black voters. Now, finally, according to tomorrow’s Washington Post, he’s out:
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and his deputy, Richard L. Armitage, have signaled to the White House that they intend to step down even if President Bush is reelected, setting the stage for a substantial reshaping of the administration’s national security team that has remained unchanged through the September 2001 terrorist attacks, two wars and numerous other crises.
Armitage recently told national security adviser Condoleezza Rice that he and Powell will leave on Jan. 21, 2005, the day after the next presidential inauguration, sources familiar with the conversation said. Powell has indicated to associates that a commitment made to his wife, rather than any dismay at the administration’s foreign policy, is a key factor in his desire to limit his tenure to one presidential term.
Now, here’s the scary part: just when you thought things couldn’t get worse…
Rice and Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz are the leading candidates to replace Powell, according to sources inside and outside the administration. Rice appears to have an edge because of her closeness to the president, though it is unclear whether she would be interested in running the State Department’s vast bureaucracy.
That would be quite in character for Bush – to appoint as the nation’s top diplomat a man like Wolfowitz, a hard-line hawk who seems to despise the rest of the world.
Want something even more terrifying?
Another dark horse is former House speaker Newt Gingrich. The Georgia Republican appears to be openly campaigning for the job, arguing in speeches and in a recent Foreign Policy magazine article that the State Department under Powell has failed to adequately support Bush’s policies.
Why don’t we just appoint Michael Savage, and let him represent us to what he calls “Turd World Countries.”
I don’t blame the rest of the world for hating us. I really don’t.
