This is no surprise. But the choice of replacement will likely be the most closely watched cabinet appointment in some time. Will Bush go after the State Department as he has, apparently, the CIA?
PJ Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that PJ Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. Please note that comments are reviewed by the editorial staff and may not be posted immediately. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pjmedia.com.
Just more proof the Democrats are bound and determined not to learn anything from this past election. When it was deemed embarrassing for Bush, they howled for CIA reform from the rooftops. When he actually acts on it, they howl about that, too. They remain the party whose only principle is reflexive obstructionism.
Time to start sanding the 2006 2X4…
Roger
In two recent posts, Local Yokels and Leakers of Langley, you stress the need for reform at the CIA.
Let’s hope whoever replaces Powell can at least begin to bring State into better alignment with the Administration’s goals. There is, I have heard, a war on.
Jamie Irons
So . . . who’s going to be next StateSec?
Bremer? Advantages – he speaks several languages, and could present a warmer face in Europe. Also did a good job knocking heads together in Iraq. And a big poke in the eye on the Iranian govt.
Disadvantages – may be a little too close to the careerists who want to keep the status quo.
Guiliani? Advantages – he should be rewarded for his work, this would be a poke in the eye on al Quada, and he clearly supports Bush’s objectives and realizes that there is a war going on.
Disadvantages – will take him a while to adjust to the world of diplomacy. How good will he be in cleaning house at the dept?
Will Bush go after the State Department as he has, apparently, the CIA?
We can only hope. Actually, I wish that Mr. Bush would at least offer the job to a prominent Democrat like say Joe Biden for example. That would have both tactical and strategic significance.
Offering the post to Giuliani would be no reward. He doesn’t need a platform or greater exposure to advance his own career. State would be burying Giuliani.
Lola,
I’m looking for another Porter Goss. Safe seat Representative (aren’t they all) with experiecnce on the Foreign Relations Committee AND with experience in large organizations. A cold blooded realist not noted for pity would be nice.
I rather like the idea of Bremer. Not only would it be a pretty strong statement that we’re continuing the policy in Iraq, but it would be a lovely in-your-face to the Iranians, see previous posting.
I vote for Joe Lieberman.
This would signal bipartisanship while putting State’s arabists on notice and also delivering a firm F-U to the emerging franco-jihadist-arabfascist “resistance.”
Much at stake now. Think James Baker. He’s a real head banger.
Interesting choices.
I’m hearing Rice is the top contender- I think thats a mistake. Not that Rice has done a bad job – she’s been fine. But assuming Bush wants a State Department house cleaning, she’s not the one for the job.
I hate to say it but I like Guilliani for the job, primarily because he’s not a Washington insider, and its doubtful he owes anything to anybody at State. As shown from his days in NY, he’s a reformer who doesn’t take any crap. He’d be a good choice to clean out state whereas Powell settled for the status quo.
Bleh, please, no Joe Biden. There is absolutely no reason for Bush to reach across the table when making cabinet appointments this time around. Without the worries of re-election, Bush has more leeway in what he can do and it would be a mistake to promote a democrat (even someone as detached from the party as Lieberman), as that person may not be willing to carry out the president’s policies. Bush needs someone to drain the StateDept swamp and said person cannot be pushing his own agenda on the side- as much as I respect Lieberman, we do not need another dissenter in the SecState position.
That being said, I’m disappointed to see Powell leaving the administration (though not SecState). He is a good man, given an extremely hard job following 9-11 and despite whatever was said behind his back about his disagreements with the President, I believe his counsel will be missed.
Sorry, i have no idea how that first post of mine wound up in this thread. Roger, feel free to delete if you want.
And Joe Biden shouldn’t be put in charge of valet parking at a MacDonald’s, much less the State Department. He would blend into that swamp without a ripple…
Matt, people are still speculating about P{owell replacing Cheney. I don’t know how much of that is wishful thinking, but I’d love to see it as an indication that Powell is thinking of running for President.
It would also be amusing to see the MSM stop on a dime and reorient their coverage to how Powell was really on the side of the war all along, and an Uncle Tom besides.
Joe Biden . . . no, no, and no. Do not pass go. I’m still reeling from that sneering, ugly look as he sat in his high chair hurtling question after question during the 911 commission hearing.
I have to echo the No Joe Biden! sentiments. Reaching “across the aisle” and possibly finding a worthwhile Dem (I suppose its no secret that I suspect that about as likely as tracking down the proverbial needle in a haystack) is one thing. But whomever that might be, it ain’t Biden. How old is Kirkpatrick? Is she still healthy? Give here that Scorpion King guy (The Rock?) as her personal assistant and send her forth to kick ass and take names.
From your lips to God’s ears, Roger, and I sincerely hope there’s a Big Broom hanging next to that Big Stick in the Oval Office coat closet. I can’t imagine two locales more in dire need of clean sweeps than Foggy Bottom and Langley. Go W.
You know, I voted for George Bush in 2000 for a number of sound reasons but I admit to being frequently slack-jawed since by what he is both willing to tackle and determined to accomplish, particularly since 9-11. L’audace, l’audace, toujours l’audace.
Charlie, I hadn’t heard those rumors but interesting about Powell replacing Cheney. Not a bad idea, a year or two down the road, if Cheney’s health problems continue.
The uncle tom comment struck a chord- I’m sure many of you have noticed that the Bush adminstration must be the most racially and culturally inclusive administration in history – hispanic AG, african-americans heading up state and NSC, etc. Of course, the press never mentions that.
Joe Biden? NO WAY! Joe Lieberman? As a Jew it seems appealing but I worry about an Orthodox Jew from the United States trying to settle Middle East peace, besides the Democrats have recently lost enough voices of moderation, we need him in the Senate. Rudy Guiliani? He is a Prosecutor not a Diplomat. Paul Bremer? Strong possibility, he is from the State Dept. and a loyal Bush person no problem there. Condi Rice? The President trusts her and she is smart and certainly capable and was in the line of fire between Powell and Rumsfeld. I would vote Bremer because of his combined loyalty to the President and knowledge of the State Dept., both are competent. Of course moving Condi to Sec. of State begs the answer to a new question… Who replaces her?
Thank you for your service, sir! (His biggest mistake was trusging the French.)
How about McCain for State? He’s a glad hander and tough when he needs to be.
BTW I liked the 60 Minutes segment on CIA criticizing the Clinton admin and Richard Clarke for missing many opportunities to get Bin Laden–aired one week AFTER the election! Bias? Naw….
How ’bout McCain? That’s reaching across the aisle (or may as well be).
The uncle tom comment struck a chord- I’m sure many of you have noticed that the Bush adminstration must be the most racially and culturally inclusive administration in history – hispanic AG, african-americans heading up state and NSC, etc. Of course, the press never mentions that.
Hell, check out what James Wolcott had to say about Glenn Reynolds and Bush people in general. I’m not sure the libmedia even knows there are non-whites in the Bush Administration.
I’d like to see McCain replace Rummy at Defense.
Folks interested in what goes on at State should read The Diplomad. My impression is that a politician would be a bad choice to run State. Powell was too nice by half. The place is beset by serious disfunction and needs a serious house cleaning. I am thinking in terms of Don Corleone.
Here’s a link to The Diplomad.
Some poster somewhere made a comment about State.
There’s a book describing how it works.
Colin can’t do anything because that position doesn’t have the power.
The person gave an example from during peanut’s era when the head fired a woman for embezzlement.
She was reinstated because the position doesn’t have the authority to fire anyone. It goes to a 3-person group. The poster said State has rules the AFL-CIO would die for.
Maybe The Diplomad might spill a few secrets every now and then????
I guess the only thing to do is make them uncomfortable.
Rudy Guiliani? He is a Prosecutor not a Diplomat.
True. On the other hand, Colin Powell had, I believe, no formal diplomatic experience when he became Secretary of State. Giuliani, moreover, managed a large staff as US Attorney (I may have that title wrong) prior to being mayor of New York, and, of course, as mayor of New York, he managed the governmental affairs of a city with a population of eight million – a city, which, moreover, had substantial problems when he became mayor. He has experience in taking on entrenched bureaucracies and straightening them out. I don’t know that he’s the perfect choice, but I think that he’s well-qualified.
Uhh, guys?
Via Rantburg w/some internal commentary:
Israeli news reports said that international contacts are being currently made with sides concerned in an attempt to conclude a tripartite deal, according to which Israel will release the Palestinian jailed prisoner Marwan Barghouthi, the secretary of the Palestinia national liberation movement, Fatah, in order to nominate himself in the Palestinian presidential elections. Bwahahahaha!!
The Israeli TV said that the deal includes releasing Barghouthi for a first round draft choice the US release of Jonathan Pollard and Egypt’s release of the Israeli spy Azzam Azzam and a infidel to be named later. Lawyer Fadwa Barghouthi, wife of Marwan Barghouthi was quoted as saying that her husband intends to nominate himself in the context of Fatah movement to compete for the Presidency of the Palestinian authority, noting that Marwan will not compete for this post if Fatah will elect another candidate. Another pretender to the throne, obviously a devious zionist plot to throw the Paleostiniens into turmoil. Excellent!
I respect that there tends to be on this site
a quotient of thinking outside the box but suggesting “Flannel Mouth” Biden for State is absurd.
The fine citizens of Delaware have decided to return Flannel Mouth to the Senate for maybe 25 years now. He is a face on the news and an Hill power broker solely because of that occurrence and not because of his inate talents or farsighted views.
In and of itself that does not make him
qualified as Powell was with his impressive credentials.
Biden’s arrogance got him into trouble at his last run at the presidency. Let him wallow in minority status for the next four years.
Someone once said Rudy doesn’t play well w/the other children.
However, he is happily married now and that makes a difference. He’s also had time to decompress.
Giuliani isn’t very diplomatic. He is not at all a statesman kind of guy.
Meanwhile debka is reporting:
If true, you have to give Abbas credit for balls at least. And it is a knife right at the heart of Al Aqsa ÔøΩ or whomever it was that made a show of trying to assassinate him yesterday.
Yep. Let the world know their Hero died of AIDS. Can’t wait.
It’s probably just a bargaining chip and a threat, but it would be fun to see the result.
R. Lee Ermey? No, think about it.
so if we need a tough guy at state who has experience in the world and in large organizations, i nominate norman schwartzkopf. i’d like to see stormin’ norman take on foggy botton and its rules, which is as much a labyrinth as the army and he managed that one just fine, thank you very much. it may rattle the french and the middle easterners, but he’s a man who understands the field. it would send a message to the bureaucrats barricaded in their cubicles sipping cabernet as they massaged their files that a new kid has come to town and they better get ready to play, big time.
Whether or not the new Sec State can actually purge State of the more notorious arabists and Joe Wilson jokers, Bush needs to use this appointment to signal clearly whether he’s still serious about the plan for democracy promotion in the middle east.
Powell’s a good guy, sure, but the fact is that he did next to nothing to advance the Bushies’ pro-democracy agenda, either in the middle east or by promoting it in Europe. In many ways he was the most feckless Sec State we’ve seen in a long time– certainly the least-travelled.
I’d like to see Bush find a hawkish liberal in the Jeane Kirkpatrick mode who will call the UN on its corruption, challenge the Euros to cast their lot with the democratizers rather than play footsie with the mullahs and the fascists, and use State as a bully pulpit for democracy promotion generally.
Guts, eloquence, energy and optimism wanted. I think Giuliani has more of the above than any other candidate on the horizon.
Or McCain. Temperamental, sure. But we need less BS now, more sincerity and courage, and from someone who can appeal to moderates in both parties.
Ms. Anne,
I hearby withdraw my exploratory nomination of Ms. Kirkpatrick for the post so that I may throw my full support behind your nomination of Stormin’ Norman. Good thinking! Will the esteemed General (ret) require an entire corps or will 3ID be sufficient for his staffwork?
Think James Baker. He’s a real head banger
The victims of 9/11, including Cantor Fitzgerald and the New York/New Jersey port authority are currently suing the Saudi government for their extensive support of the attacks that killed 3,000 Americans.
James Baker’s law firm is currently defending Saudi Arabia against the Americans. Appointing Baker as secretary of state would be equivalent to appointing Prince Bandar to the position.
Our military has the motto ‘no man left behind’. In the Middle East our state department has the motto ‘every American left behind’. Giuliani is a fighter, not a diplomat, and a fighter is just what we need right now.
From his speech, given to the UN a few weeks after 9/11:
“Let those who say that we must understand the reasons for terrorism, come with me to the thousands of funerals we’re having in New York City–thousands–and explain those insane maniacal reasons to the children who will grow up without fathers and mothers and to the parents who have had their children ripped from them for no reason at all.”
Joe Lieberman would also be a great choice.
OK, Thibaud, apparently we are both fans of Jeanne Kirkpatrick. She’s a bit, ummm…, mature for this sort of post. And I like Ms. Anne’s suggestion, so now I’m thinking Stormin’ Norman in a Mrs. Doubtfire reprise on the international diplomacy circuit. It could work.
Joe Lieberman would be the classic choice to cut the Gordian Knot, according to OBL’s strong horse/weak horse characterization of a theme in Arabic psychology. But, he’s also the perfect illustration of that Chinese ‘crisis’ ideogram, the combination of the ‘danger’ and the ‘opportunity’ graphics.
Another way to look at it–who has the four c’s, ie the
– cunning required to blindside Villepin (instead of like Powell being blindsided by him),
– courage required to call Kofi on his corruption and persevere with democracy-building in the middle east,
– cleverness required to get Russia to finally stop bankrolling the mullahs’ nuke program, and
– creativity required to shift the State Dept ocean liner’s focus and resources away from Europe and toward the key Asian powers that matter far more to us than France or Germany?
Perhaps Condi does. She was cunning enough to avoid being tarnished by the postwar planning screwup (even tho, arguably, it’s the NSA’s job to arbitrate between adn get consensus from State and DoD), and as Boris Yeltsin and that little twerp Richard Ben Veniste have learned, she stands her ground, with grace under pressure.
But I still think Giuliani’s a better choice., Mix it up a bit. Put the arabists on the defensive for once.
“Giuliani is a fighter, not a diplomat, and a fighter is just what we need right now.”
Normally, I would agree with this but I don’t this time. What we need at the moment is a fighter but a silver-tongued fighter. We need a diplomat + a fighter. We need someone who does not have Rumsfeld’s verbal style. I love Rumsfeld’s style, but we need to not engage in further alienating our “allies”. Giuliani doesn’t have the style.
Roger:
Joe Biden? NOT! He is an empty suit who has been in the Senate too long, a great institution for debate but as far as action and adminstrative skills a poor training ground. Plus he still has Presidential ambitions and would use the post to pump his career up at the expense of the president’s foreign policy. Rudy would be a great choice. He would shake up a musty organization that needs to be cleaned up. Lieberman could be a possibility, although my Senate objections still hold true. I don’t think the fact that he is Jewish should come in to play. We should not let the Arab racist attitude against Jews be a veto on who we choose for government positions. All that does is given credence to the ugly cancer that grips their society. If they say they won’t negotiate with a Jew then all that would tell us is that they will never make peace with Israel and we then can operate from a sense of reality and not wishfull thinking.
I respectfully disagree with several of you who think Guiliani might be ineffective as SecState.
As several folks have pointed out, I see the next term SecState’s role differently then Powell’s role in the past 4 years- ie, selling our philosophy of pre-emptive action against states that sponsor terror to foreign nations and the UN. Guiliani would have three jobs, in my view- clean out the corruption and waste at State, liase with country’s who may be harboring/funding/supporting terrorists and “convince” them to stop and finally, educating our fair weather friends that we will be going forward with our WOT and while we want their assistance, we’ll do it without them.
Diplomacy doesn’t necessarily mean kowtowing to every other nation on the planet. We have made our pitch and many of our so called friends have rejected us, for their own personal ends. I think Guiliani, former prosecutor, former mayor of NY and along with W, the one man most closely associated with 9-11, is a good as choice as any to let the rest of the world know where we’re coming from.
Colin Powell was the carrot. Guiliani can be the stick.
Hmm.
A conservative Dem Senator from a state with a Repub Gov?
Can’t think of any, but it would be fun.
Giuliani certainly seems like the type of guy you’d want to show up at State with a samurai sword bolted to his side to go with a “take no crap” attitude. I think he’d also handle world leaders pretty well, too.
Who knows…
Rudy could certainly take command of any meeting that had any 911 penumbrae “Hey, I was there, I breathed human beings, we will NOT (or we WILL) etceteras.
RE Powell as VP or having Presidential ambition. Didn’t his wife say “absolutely not” and scotch a real groundswell for him in, I think, 1992? Maybe she’s changed her mind, or he would change it for her.
Rumsfeld would be an intersting choice. State needs a hatchet man in charge who will clean it out unreservedly and without consideration to what it might do to his own (herown in the case of Rice etc) political future. He fits the bill.
I’d rather have Guiliani as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It’s biggest weakness is lack of real world experience – its recent disastrous ruling on criminal sentencing proved those guys are absolutely clueless about the real world effects of their rulings even in criminal law administration, which judges are normally on top of.
Guiliani has real world experience in spades plus proven leadership ability. Cadging votes to turn pluralities and small majorities into big majorities is an essential part of being Chief Justice. Guiliani as mayor of NYC had to deal with lots of prima donnas with independent power bases, notably on the City Council, and did a fine job. He can massage the other Supremes’ egos.
But he’s old for an appointment to the Court. While IMO he would make an excellent Secretary of State, and do well at wrecking State’s thoroughly disfunctional institutional culture, I suspect President Bush would more likely appoint Guiliani as Secretary of Homeland Security. His administrative ability is needed there at least as much as at State, while screwups at Homeland Security more effect the bottom line of the GOP and the Bush administration.
A solid neocon at the helm of that arabist anti-semitic outfit would be too delish. Ledeen or Pipes or Wolfowitz. Nah, ain’t gonna happen. But one can dream…
So then, where does Colin Powell go? In my dreams to the post of Secretary General of the United Nations. I cannot think of a better person to try to save that miserable institution.
Lieberman or Giuliani would both be good choices.
Rudy could shake up the dust and send the State Dept. “lifers” cowering under their desks.
Choosing Lieberman would send a message that even though the Republicans control all three branches of the government, they’re willing to include SANE Democrats in their policy decisions. Besides, seeing as he’s Jewish, I’d love to see how long it would take the MSM to start accusing him of being an evil neocon. Ideologically, Lieberman and Powell are pretty much equivalents.
John Lynch: how about Zell Miller (although he is a lame duck)– the folks at the NYT, WaPo, and DOS would have a coronary.
I dont think a Senator should ever be appointed an executive of anything–Their senate organizational experience leads to risk aversion and cranial-rectal inversion–coupled, of course, with diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.
So then, where does Colin Powell go? In my dreams to the post of Secretary General of the United Nations. I cannot think of a better person to try to save that miserable institution.
I agree that he would be a good choice. There appears to be a de facto requirement that the Secretary General speak French, however; I don’t know whether Powell does.
Well John, it’s seems that maybe Lieberman would be good in this case. Republican gov of Conn appoints a Republican Senator.
The whining would be something to behold
My take on the contenders:
Guiliani said he wasn’t interested in the A.G. job. I’m not sure why he’d want Secy. of State unless he thinks he needs international creds for his run for president in 2008.
Unless Powell wants to come back and run Defense after Rummy retires, he is finished. Powell is going to go home and restore Volvos, not take Cheney’s place. The right wing would have a cow if they traded in Cheney for Powell.
I don’t think McCain makes any sense at State either. He doesn’t need the experience, and would clash with the Bush team. Moreover, Arizona has a Democrat governor. With Supreme Court nominees at stake, etc. Biden? Give me a break. I just can’t see any senators peeling off to join the administration.
Rice would be a great choice, but all the rumors are that she wants to go home to California. How about Rice for V.P. if Cheney’s health problems deteriorate?
Bremer has earned his turn at State. He wants it, and Bush probably wants to see him get it. Ergo, he will.
According to ABC, Rice is getting State. I thought Powell did a pretty poor job, so she should be an improvement.
OT
Re Polipundit, there is going to be a recount in Ohio. Here we go again …
I wouldn’t be completely surprised to see Powell as HRC’s VP candidate for 08.