Bush Nominates Rice as Secretary of State

WASHINGTON – President Bush yesterday nominated national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to replace Colin Powell as secretary of state and tapped her deputy, Stephen Hadley, to succeed her in the administration.“The secretary of state is America’s face to the world, and in Dr. Rice, the world will see the strength, the grace, and the decency of our country,” Mr. Bush said as his newly nominated top diplomat stood, slightly teary, at his side.Mr. Bush said his pick for Foggy Bottom is “already known to all Americans and to much of the world. During the last four years, I’ve relied on her counsel, benefited from her great experience, and appreciated her sound and steady judgment, and now I’m honored she’s agreed to serve in my Cabinet.”Appealing for a quick Senate confirmation of his choice to lead American diplomacy in his second term, the president listed the foreign-policy priorities ahead, saying Ms. Rice would help prosecute the global war on terrorism, pursue steps aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and assist in spreading democracy across the Middle East.The president didn’t mention improving trans-Atlantic ties, a priority he named last week at a joint news conference in Washington with Prime Minister Blair of Britain.His choice to replace Mr. Powell, who resigned on Monday, was widely praised in Washington, although there were critics who weighed in as well.“I think it’s a very logical transition, and I don’t think it’s going to be one that causes any problems at all,” said a former defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger, in an interview with Fox News.“In every way it’s a fine appointment, and with her deputy, Dr. Hadley, he will simply be carrying on very much what she did,” he added.The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar of Indiana, pledged to expedite Ms. Rice’s confirmation process, saying he shared the president’s confidence in her. “Condoleezza Rice brings extraordinary talents and a gamut of experiences to her new responsibilities as the next secretary of state,” the Indiana senator said in a statement.But a former Republican secretary of state, Lawrence Eagleburger, said Ms. Rice was the wrong choice because her appointment would mean “everybody is thinking the same” among national security advisers – thus denying Mr. Bush alternative points of view.A former Reagan and Clinton adviser, David Gergen, predicted possible clashes between Ms. Rice and the diplomatic corps. “There’s a feeling within the Foreign Service that the White House was dumping on, undermining Colin Powell, and he was their hero,” Mr. Gergen said.Mr. Gergen also expressed concern about the departure of Mr. Powell and the reshuffling of the foreign-policy team, arguing that it was dangerous to “essentially purge the administration” of alternative voices. Mr. Powell, though, made clear when resigning that he had not been nudged out and that his departure was voluntary.Mr. Powell said it had always been his intention to serve only one term.In accepting the nomination, Ms. Rice, who is viewed as a more hawkish figure at Foggy Bottom than Mr. Powell, appeared to be mindful of possible friction between herself and foreign service officers.After thanking the president for picking her, Ms. Rice said: “Let me say that in my 25 years of experience in foreign affairs, both in and out of government, I have come to know the men and women of the Department of State. I have the utmost admiration for their skill, their professionalism.”She also heaped praise on Mr. Powell, who was well liked at the State Department, describing him a “dear friend and mentor.”But a former Democratic senator, Don Riegle, said Ms. Rice would find it difficult to follow Mr. Powell when it came to his standing with overseas allies. Arguing that Ms. Rice “comes in with some baggage because of both how this Iraq war has gone,” he said “she’s going to have to build her stature internationally beyond where it is today.”Mr. Riegle’s remarks suggest that Ms. Rice is likely to face tough questioning from Senate Democrats at her confirmation hearing about the administration’s claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.Democrats are also likely to scrutinize Ms. Rice’s management skills, which have been challenged in the past, with some critics arguing that she has not handled the National Security Council well.However, her confirmation is all but certain, with Republicans now controlling 55 seats in the Senate. Ms. Rice, who is one of Mr. Bush’s most trusted advisers, will be the first black female secretary of state.Before joining the administration, Ms. Rice was a top academic and Russian expert and served as provost of Stanford University. She is the second member of the inner Bush team to win a Cabinet job since the president’s re-election. He nominated Alberto Gonzales, the White House counsel, to take over for John Ashcroft as attorney general.Administration sources indicated last week that Ms. Rice was more interested in securing the top job at the Pentagon in the event that Defense Secretary Rumsfeld departed.The appointment of Mr. Hadley as national security adviser generated little comment in Washington, which was focused on Ms. Rice’s move.“Steve is a man of wisdom and good judgment. He has earned my trust. And I look forward to his continued vital service on my national-security team,” Mr. Bush said in remarks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.A career foreign-policy and arms control specialist, Mr. Hadley, 57, is a veteran of four administrations stretching back to President Ford. Under President Reagan, he was counsel to the commission that probed the Iran/Contra affair before moving to the Pentagon under the first President Bush. In 2000, he advised the Bush/Cheney campaign before joining the White House.Mr. Hadley came under criticism for not keeping out of Mr. Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address a reference to Iraq’s alleged search for uranium in Africa despite CIA concern that the intelligence was inaccurate.In the continuing government shake-up, Mr. Powell’s longtime friend, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, has also submitted his letter of resignation.One often-mentioned potential replacement for Mr. Armitage is John Bolton, a hawk on Iran and North Korea. His appointment would likely be frowned upon in France and Germany, where politicians are already mourning the departure of Mr. Powell.Yesterday, administration officials indicated that Homeland Security Secretary Ridge may also be leaving leave his Cabinet post, but the White House would not confirm the report, and a Homeland Security spokesman said it would be “news to us.”

Bush Nominates Rice as Secretary of State

Bush Nominates Rice as Secretary of State

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