Gingrich criticizes State Dept.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7581-2003Apr21.html

The official suggested that Gingrich, who he said has a history of attacking the State Department, was using Powell as a foil to attack Bush. "If he has a problem with Powell, he has a problem with George Bush because what Powell has done is what Bush wants."

but this is the thing that must be melting the glasses off powell's face:

Gingrich, in an interview, said, "The story of diplomatic defeat is a bigger and more profound story" than the U.S. military victory. Among other things, he cited the failure to win Turkey's approval to accept U.S. troops, the French campaign against the war and the inability to win a U.N. resolution authorizing force.

he's blaming the effects of the bush/rumsfeld belligerence on the dept responsible for cleaing it up! and the charge that the state dept is 'broken' pretty much comes down to their fundamental selfish arrogance toward all diplomacy, period.

That's why I find this whole thing so galling and dishonest, especially because, like Geoff points out, the comments were slanted to imply to the casual listener that Powell is somehow responsible for the U.S. alientating its allies -- this when Powell's impossible task all along was to make any attempt whatsoever at preventing that from happening. "Diplomatic failure and military success," Gingrich says -- what possible logic could there be to this except to make Powell the fall-guy for exactly the things he, of everyone in the administration, put the most work into preventing?

Waitress, blanching: "um, sir, staff are really not allowed to talk politics."

I agree with nabisco that somebody in the administration is ready to start taking potshots at Powell. That person, as established, is Rummy. He's shitting golden eggs right now, because his war plan went so well, and he seems to think that we all really love him. By getting a disposable mouth like Gingrich to come out and say the things he can't say on TV, he doesn't risk his own 'good name' with the press and the public. The trick here is that Rummy's arrogance is about to get the best of him if he doesn't shut up and realize he has to play ball like everyone else. He can still get fired, because most Americans don't know who the hell he is, and his main demographic is the guy who decided to stop buying French's mustard after he saw that photo with the weasels sitting in the UNSC meeting.

Anyway. Gingrich was and is a shitpipe who doesn't now and never did know thing one about foreign policy, or domestic policy for that matter, besides attack politics. Rumsfeld's smart but his ego is a little bigger than his influence, and that remains the case. Eventually he's going to piss off the wrong people, and with any luck Dubya will decide to go down in flames with him.

Well, in matters of regional politics, history and diplomacy, State does know better, because they're, y'know, the State Department. Yeah yeah yeah all us liberals looove us some moderate Powell, but the problem here is that the Rumsfeld end will take their policies, regardless if facts support them or not. They'd rather have their own myths than someone else's expertise, and they'll meddle in Powell's soup to boot:

Just days before a meeting this week in Beijing between U.S. and North Korean officials, for instance, the Defense Department pressed to have James A. Kelly, the head of the delegation and Powell's chief Asian expert, replaced by Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton, a Rumsfeld ally on North Korea. Powell rejected the suggestion.

That's the galling thing. As far as anyone can tell from the press, the Powell camp has only ever said: "noone will agree to this shit, unless we are prepared give something up or at least ask nicely, and even then, probably not." To which the hard right said "ASK!? WHAT!?" And NOW they have this has-been up on a podium saying "those nabobs at state didn't get way-way-anti-war Europe to love war or get Turkey to help us bomb other muslims. It's practically treason!!" Little cheeky, no?

crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy

Co-starring Kim Jong Il as Reverend Al Green.

L.H. Carter: "The important thing you have to understand about Newt Gingrich is that he is amoral... There isn't any right or wrong, there isn't any conservative or liberal. There's only what will work best for Newt Gingrich. He's probably one of the most dangerous people for the future of this country that you can possibly imagine. He's Richard Nixon, glib. It doesn't matter how much good I do the rest of my life, I can't ever outweigh the evil that I've caused by helping him be elected to Congress."

He's Richard Nixon, glib.

Best damn four-word summary I've ever read, I think.