news update

[lagilman]

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation, a senior administration official tells CNN.



So, did he flee, or was he pushed?

Comments

[lizbetann]

*beats head against wall* For his sake, I'm glad, but damnit, it was the only person I respected in the executive branch.

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Hard to say for sure, but I suspect each person who has left the administration so far did so upon a higher-up's suggestion.

[unwrecked.livejournal.com]

I'd heard earlier this year, in spring even, that he was ready to vamoose after the election. He's pretty much hosed his future in politics by getting in bed with the bushies. The whole WMD meeting he held before the war made me lose a TON of respect for the guy.

But yeah, he was the best thing going in the administration.

[ferragus.livejournal.com]

Now if only some of these higher ups will cop a plea to avoid jail time, maybe we'll find out what really happened in the election.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

There've been two sets of "reliable rumors" that he was planning to leave after one term, both recently, and back when the war began. I don't think he made any secret of wanting out after the first term.

[lagilman]

and Bush the lesser has a 'mandate' to ram his agenda through, before he's a lame duck, and won't want any moderate hands on any of the reins. God help us all.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Shortly after Ashcroft resigned and the cries of joy went up, Gonzalez was announced to the sound of crickets chirping and a tiny voice saying "I never thought I'd say I missed Ashcroft". I foresee much of that...

[nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com]

Gonzales is actually a bit of a mixed bag. He's a social liberal in a number of ways that freak out the hardline right wingers: pro-choice, pro-affirmative action, etc. At the same time, though, he's also the author of the memo calling the Geneva Convention "quaint" and saying it doesn't apply to suspected terrorists, a move that led to the Abu Graib prison debacle.

[redstarrobot.livejournal.com]

..and Guantanamo and Samarra and Qaim, yes.

Well, hey, a mixed bag is a step up, I suppose, and I figure we've already seen Ashcroft, so I'm ready to see Gonzalez. "Torture is legal" is one hell of a grab-bag party favor though. :)

[lianneb.livejournal.com]

If he's smart, he ran like hell. It seems pretty obvious he was sqeezed out of major decisions (although my memory may be wrong) and I always got the impression that he was not pleased with the way the whole Iraq thing went.

However, he was the only person there I had much respect for, so it's a disapointment that way.

[deire.livejournal.com]

It could be either. I'm aghast that Condaleeza Rice is now representing the US, though.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Both.

And despite Ashcroft leaving, my tee-shirt specifically says "No C.A.R.B.", and at the bottom of ingredients, "absolutely no rice."

I stand by this.

I used to respect Powell. Now, I pity him. A really killer memoir might redeem him, though...