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Condoleezza Rice Dodges Hillary Question
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dodged a question Sunday about whether she could defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential election, as argued in the new book "Condi vs. Hillary" by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Rice was asked by host Chris Wallace: "Political strategist Dick Morris says that you are the only person in America who can stop Hillary Clinton from becoming president. Is that enough to get you to change your mind and run for president?" Rather than answer directly, Rice responded, "I'm quite certain that there are going to be really fine candidates for president from our party, and I'm looking forward to seeing them and perhaps supporting them."
Story Continues Below Asked about the group "Americans for Rice," which has run TV ads in both Iowa and New Hampshire boosting her candidacy, Rice told Wallace: "I'm flattered that people think of me in that way, but ... [I've said] I don't know how many ways to say no. ... I'm not somebody who wants to run for office, haven't ever run for anything. I don't think I ever ran for high school president." Rice insisted that "unless I go to the NFL" when her stint as secretary of state comes to an end, "I'm headed back to Stanford to teach." She was referring to her long-held desire to head the National Football League. However, asked about a possible presidential run by NBC's "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert, Dr. Rice appeared reluctant to say "never" to possibly being on the GOP's 2008 ticket. Rice also artfully dodged a question as to whether Americans for Rice should pull its TV ads encouraging her 2008 bid. A partial transcript of the "Meet the Press" exchange follows:
RUSSERT: ... Would you accept a position on the Republican ticket in 2008? RICE: Tim, I'm flattered that people think of me in that way, but I think it was on your show that I said I don't know how many ways to say no. I really am I'm not somebody who wants to run for office, haven't ever run for anything. I don't think I ever ran for high school president. And I think I'm doing what I need to do, which is to try and promote American foreign policy and American interests, the president's democracy agenda at an extraordinary time. And to the degree that I can do that across the world, that's what I'd better keep doing. RUSSERT: So you absolutely will not accept a position on the ticket in 2008? RICE: Tim, I don't see it I don't know how many ways to say no. RUSSERT: So, no? RICE: Tim, I don't know how many ways to tell people that this I have no interest in being a candidate for anything. RUSSERT: Well, but no interest is different than no, absolutely no. RICE: No. RUSSERT: Should they stop running that ad? RICE: Tim, again, I appreciate and I'm flattered that people think of me in those terms, but it's not what I want to do with my life. It's not what I'm going to do with my life.
[END EXCERPT] Dick Morris argues in his book that Rice's refusals to indicate her interest in 2008 are not convincing and that she has never said she will not accept a draft. Find out more details in Dick Morris' new book, "Condi vs. Hillary" for a price cheaper than Amazon!
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Bush Administration
Inside Cover Stories
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