Breaking: Condi Rice Flirts With VP Possibility -- Speaks to Grover Norquist's Wednesday Group Meeting

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is speaking this morning to Grover Norquist's weekly powerhouse gathering at Americans for Tax Reform of conservative associations, think tanks, and political operations.

At the semi-secret gatherings which Republican political hopefuls migrate to to get the blessing of not only Norquist but the diverse parts of the nation's conservative money and political machinery, Norquist gives everyone in the room 3 minutes to pitch their cause or issue. I have attended before, but if one wants to attend again -- no one may write or speak about the internal discussion or who attended.

In this case, however, I am not attending -- but a source other than Norquist has leaked this information to The Washington Note and Huffington Post.

As one major Republican operative told me yesterday:

Someone like Condi Rice doesn't go to Grover Norquist's den to talk about the Annapolis Middle East peace process. She's going to secure her future in Republican politics and to position herself as a 'potential' VP candidate on the McCain ticket.

Grover Norquist is author of the new book, Leave Us Alone: Getting the Government's Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives. It would be interesting to know which pages of the book Condi has dog-eared.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

UPDATE: Here is an update on Condoleezza Rice's discussion with and presentation to Norquist's Wednesday Group Meeting.

Comments

[deminmo]

Well, finally Condi has decided to tip the hand of the President!
As VP with McCain, the Republicans have a viable team, and a
very good shot at winning President. And to hedge bets with
Condi, just in in the "worse case senario", she would take over
as President. Now, how much more convienent could that be?
Mr. Obama, Mrs. Clinton, I hope you two realize that NOW is the
time to stop all the crap between the two of you, and get something
going for the Democratic Presidency!

[NotesFromME]

How perfect for the Republicans--a Presidential candidate committed to endless war who knows nothing about the Middle East and Condi-the all-time worst Secretary of State in the history of the republic. The woman could not negotiate her way out of a paper sack.

[indeVoter]

Bad idea! She is a complete failure! Remember when she was national security advisor and ignored the memo “Bin Laden determined to Attack”? She was part of the team that sold us the Iraq war! Also, can anyone name one diplomatic deal she has closed as SOS? Come on she is worthless!

[jayburd]

In her defense, it was Bush who ignored the memo. As I understand the admittedly cloudy facts, Condi rightfully brought it to his attention. Though, in retrospect, she should have pushed it's importance more than she did.

[transendentilist]

Alot more. The 9/11 commission really had to press her to admit the memo at all. She tried repeatedly to dodge the question.

[gaydem]

One of the most overrated mediocrities of this administration. Take a look at what's happening in Iraq currently. You can thank this feckless bee-yotch. So capable! Ptoooooeeeeey!

[jayburd]

You mean McCain might pick a marginalized, weakling mouthpiece of the failed Bush administration who sold out her principles years ago in a cynical attempt to bridge both the gender and racial divides? Sign her up!!!

[Grunty1]

Considering that the selling of your soul is the only requirement to the GOP....

[InDaZone]

That's genius... you get a black person and a woman at the same time!!

McCain's got it locked up now!!

[tompoe]

No. You have war criminal.

[InDaZone]

Voters don't see it that way.... they see Obama and Clinton rolled up into one.

[cowman]

And a perjurer, which works if Hillary's the nominee.

[mach]

IF that were true, where is the prosecution?

[SouthCentralDel]

Good. Than McBush will never be able to distance himself from this disastrous war, the 50 running Bush crimes, and foreign policy idiocy that Bush and McCain believe are the worlds best hope.

[nohat]

I never thought of that. My first reaction was that he wanted a black in the hope of taking some of the black vote away from Obama. But you may be right, about him getting two for one. Make no mistake: anyone runninfor president will choose, for his VP, the person who willget the most votes. Nothing else matters, I don't think, and that's certainly understandable. A normal perso n wouldn't choose someone he thought would LOSE him votes.
Still, it's...cyn­ical. If McCain thought Donald Duck would help him win, he'd do that.
McCain/Donald Duck 2008.
Hmmmm.

[drkazmd65]

We could do worse that Donald as VP,... is that a scary thought or what?

Bill (the Cat) and Opus '08!

[threegoal]

What happened to all the accounts that she was anxious to get back to university life in California.

Also, is there any chance that she is hanging out with respect to having given untruthful testimony to Congress in either of her two roles? Are Multiple Youtube moments possible?

[NotesFromME]

They don't want her back at Stanford, remember? Last I heard the faculty promised to revolt if she came back.

[Tejano1]

i was a grad student at stanford during the 90s, and rice was hated then. she was a hatchet man extraordinaire and pissed a lot of people off. i can imagine how revolting the idea of her coming back is to the liberal faculty these days.

[SonnyBono]

The faculty at Stanford gave her a vote of "no-confidence" which pretty much explains why she is still hanging with the Bush man and taking crap from Dick.

[Teritt]

Whatever happened to "it isn't about race or gender"? Why isn't it about who can lead us out of this mess?

[hoodrat]

Dr. Rice, is like Hillary - both paid dues to get there. Real sorry they're not the ones needed at this time. She's like C.Powell, got caught up in the "regime"power - since Reagan, forgot what she went to school for. She's a bust As Sec. of State, because of the policies set forward by the devils in office. But I got a question - Drs. H. Kissenger,Albright - from Haig on basically, are all called by the honorific, and I don't like this sell-out, but why doesnt a person that got more degrees than anyone EVER holding the post - get the same respect? Regardless of who's the boss?

[eliandbo]

There is an oil tanker named after her.
She is another oil person in Bush's adminastration, look for higher oil prices.

[mach]

Terrific question, she is honorific in my view.....h­er story alone, coming up in Bama, overacheivement aside, is truly amazing.

[Doofus]

Once the Demos nominate Oprah Winfrey for VP,

the Repos will go with Condi. Til then, not a chance.

[mach]

Oprah for VP on the democrat ticket?

It makes perfect sense, her political resume is about the same as Obama's.

[Teritt]

Mach - maybe you should read this:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/20/201332/807

[Titonwan]

I like Condi because she is extremely intelligent. Too bad she chose to further her career with a madman. Looks bad on resume.

[SouthCentralDel]

Staying and supporting the direction of this Titanic of a Presidency does not seem too intelligent to me. Stanford notwithstanding.

[nohat]

This is a great comment. It should go down on the list of Famous Quotes, I mean it. I really like it.

[thromulese]

“I like Condi because she is extremely intelligen­t.”

WTF…how can anyone put the word “intelligent” in the same sentence as the brain dead, totally incompetent, unaccomplished, and worst sec of state ever. She is, was, and always will be a willing tool of the fascist king george jr. and his corrupt minions.

Now if you are looking for someone to wave lamely from a helicopter, but accomplish absolutely nothing else, well she would be perfect. She also excels at ignoring intelligence memos and buying shoes. YUP, she would be perfect for the McSame, bush2.0 ticket.

McSame/Rice 08

[Tejano1]

she's a war criminal.

[getoffmedz]

Surely this story will upset David Dreier, Mr. Cheney's choice.

[MsLiz]

ROTFLMAO! They can't decide which closet door to open!

[RAStewart]

Many of us seem to be assuming that the corporate media will do something unheard-of and radical, like, oh I don't know, examine the records of the Republican presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Or that a majority of American voters will take the time and trouble to inform themselves about same.

It is to laugh. Like this: Ha! Ha! And again I say, Ha!

We seem to be forgetting who's been elected president, oops, sorry, Emperor, twice now, or at least allowed within easy stealing distance of two elections. Or that the Democratic Party is once more tearing itself apart, just in case the GOP might be in need of some help. Condi Rice would be the Clarence Thomas of the vice-presi­dency--the clearly unqualified candidate that prominent Democrats would be afraid to criticize for fear of looking like racists. And the media are even more useless now, resting even deeper and more comfortably in the pockets of the Republican Party, than in the time of George I. Hate to say it, but McCain-Rice raises the chance of Republicans keeping the White House from 70% or so to very close to 100%.

[Citizen54]

Unfortunately -- nay, tragically -- you are correct about the media and the voters.

Isn't it funny to think this is how we'll get our first black president and first woman president: McCain dies in office or retires for health reasons, and VP Rice assumes the presidency.

[jayburd]

I don't think many people would look racist prefering Obama/??? over McCain/Rice. In fact, it would be open season on Condi bashing...

[deminmo]

Yep, with Condi they have the lead. Surprised it
took this long to come out!

[ajax2]

Why has the federal government and debt grown more than at any other time under Nordquist Presidents, Reagan and GW Bush?

[lvogt]

She has great credential­s...

"Bin Laden Determined to Attack U.S."

[armadillious2002]

I'm surprised she's still with us. She's had her nose stuck so far up bush's butt I don't see how she can get enough oxygen.