Condi Rice: Bush Is Working For History, Not Headlines

While it has fallen to Karl Rove to be the teller of apocryphal tales in the padding out of President George W. Bush's legacy, Condoleezza Rice is stuck with the heavy lifting. The new mission of the State Department appears to be a charm offensive launched against the Spirits of History, who Rice continues to insist will look back upon the Bush years with kindness. To that end, Rice puts forward an intriguing idea for a policy apparatus:

"This isn't a popularity contest. I'm sorry, it isn't. What the administration is responsible to do is to make good choices about Americans' interests and values in the long run -- not for today's headlines, but for history's judgment."

I have nothing but sympathy where resisting the need to win the snap judgment of the next big headline is concerned, but it seems equally misguided to suggest that policy decisions need to be calibrated against presumed historical reaction. I don't think it's going out on a limb to suggest that most people would prefer their public servants to somehow split the difference, maybe.

John Bolton's getting into the act as well:

"In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, he was strong and decisive and that was critical for both the country and for the Western world," believes John Bolton. "In 100 years people aren't going to remember Guantánamo or Abu Ghraib, they're going to remember 9/11 and Bush's reaction to it."

Bolton doesn't seem to understand that Gitmo and Abu Ghraib were essential components of Bush's reaction to 9/11.

Anyway, who knows? Maybe it's true that one possible future for America will be that one hundred years from now, the past eight years will be thought of as a time of peak American policy wisdom and George W. Bush will be hailed as a "magic Negro." I'll be long dead, so good luck with all that, conquering alien hordes of the future!

Comments

[MajorKong]

We shouldn't be too hard on Condi. I think she has a lot of potential.

With a lot of hard work and a bit of luck she might make a passable night manager at a Wendy's somewhere.

Not day manager, mind you. She's not ready for the big time just yet.

[Anonani]

Too late she is already done the big time. Besides disagreeing with her politics and her world view is no excuse for sliming. Condi Rice was not a quota fill....hardly.

[MajorKong]

Oh wait, I forgot. I'm supposed to do it Fox News style.

Some people say - that Condi Rice is incompetent.

See, now it's not sliming because I'm just reporting what "Some people say".

[jerryfromcalifornia]

Bush doesn't care about anything, except his next drink and Jesus (his version only).

[scottymac11]

Ms. Rice your administration made decisions on important issues for the past eight years. I assume the reasons for most of those decisions were based on your understanding of recent occurrences and historical precedents . Your judgement of appropriate responses to events during this administration prove convincingly, that you were unable to access your situations correctly.
One is forced to ask, since you were unable to comprehend lessons from the past to deal effectively with present circumstances,Why should anyone give any credence to your predictions of the future?. This is especially underlined by the fact that your predictions are the most self serving possible outcomes to events. Not the most likely outcomes by anyones rational assessment.
You are wasting our time serving 'W's agenda over Americas. Happily you will be dismissed. You will suffer the humiliation of history along with the rest of this administration's conspirators. You can't preemptively attack history mam.

[JimR]

There's a typo in the headline... a space needs to be added. It should read:

BUSH IS WORKING FOR HIS STORY

[Genep34]

I am very glad that we have condi and laura and carl trying to tell everyone how good georgie has been.

I mean - who wouldn't have expected them to say these things. But they are the only ones. I bet his mom and dad might say some good things too.

I hope she keeps it up - so we can see what a truly gifted enabler she is. And should any war crime indictments occur she should be right there in the thick of it. Along with others of course.

[Helzapoppin]

Bush cares about history and Condi cares about shoes.

[JScott]

Condi Rice: Bush Cares About History, Not Headlines

No Condi, Bush doesn't give a da*n s**t.

[Anonani]

Our history books lend themselves to Secretary Rice's beliefs. Those "history" books magically have left out whole peoples and their story. So why are we to believe that isn't possible that those who record the Bush presidency won't write the "truth" that they want our children to memorize and regurgitate 60 years from now. I really used to believe that apple tree story!

[MajorKong]

Operation Save My Legacy is go!

[Joeblue]

Stupid c u n t.

[dax49]

this from a woman with only two talents- waving and stuttering

[bobtr900]

Yeah Condi, Bush is working for history, as the world burns down now.

[jerryfromcalifornia]

Get him a violin.

[LarBear]

The important Ideal is the G W Bush as President IS HISTORY...

[Independent voter]

Where's the mushroom clouds, beach?

[lovable]

i see why condi never accoomplished anything on all her trips abroad . can anyone name one sucessful trip? in dealing with a problem . donald trump said she would fly in give a press conference and fly out . NOTHING SOLVED!!!!!!!