Some people want to bash Condoleeza Rice for having a Chevron oil tanker named after her while she was on their Board of Directors. Big deal. She should have a fleet of tankers named after her! (It was re-named the Altair Voyager last May.) Liberals just can't seem to stomach a successful, intelligent, female, African-American role model like Condi Rice. They want to call her a sell-out, a token, a transgendered "Uncle Tom." Here's some background on her:
"Not many people can add the position of National Security Advisor to their list of achievements, especially if those people are women. Condoleezza Rice, however, can place the accomplishment right up there with being a previous member to President Bush’s foreign-policy team, and tenured professor and provost in the political science department of the prestigious Stanford University.
Rice is well known for her knowledge on Russian history and current events. After growing up in Birmingham, Alabama during a time of racial segregation, Rice soon went on to graduate from the University of Denver at the age of 19 (she skipped two grades), where she became an expert in the issues of the Soviet Union. She also received two advanced degrees in political science. With a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a doctorate from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies, she soon found herself a provost and professor at Stanford, only to be drawn away by a life in politics. In Washington, D.C., Rice worked on nuclear strategic planning with the Council on Foreign Relations fellowship at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
After returning to Stanford, she soon found herself back in the political spotlight. President George Bush, in 1989, trusted Rice to the point of allowing her to aid in Russian policy and relations. Rice became the director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council, special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for Soviet affairs in the National Security Council. In essence, Rice helped Poland receive needed reforms, as well as helped with policies between the United States and the Soviet Union.
With foreign policy becoming increasingly important after Bush announced his “War on Terrorism,” the position of national security advisor has also come under scrutiny. As a 45-year-old African American woman, Condaleezza Rice definitely has some opposition to face. Still, Rice has proven herself to be anything but a pushover. President Bush says “Dr. Rice is not only a brilliant person; she is an experienced person. She is a good manager. I trust her judgment. America will find that she is a wise person, and I’m honored [she joined] the administration”.
Rice also shows strong opinions concerning what it means to be American, and how America fits within the realm of the rest of the world. “Power matters. But there can be no absence of moral content in American foreign policy, and furthermore, the American people wouldn't accept such an absence. Europeans giggle at this and say we're naive and so on, but we're not Europeans, we're Americans -- and we have different principles”.
Rice considers herself completely Republican in all issues. With regards to foreign policy, she sees herself as conservative. On other issues, however, she views herself as libertarian and moderate. Still, “Ms. Rice is considered less isolationist than some leading Republicans… She has said she will work to promote Mr. Bush's vision of combining ‘humility with strength’ around the world”.
So just what does the most politically powerful black woman in politics do? BBC News.com describes her as having the responsibility “for providing policy advice directly to the president, in coordination with the State Department, the Defense Department and the CIA.”
As the only female African-American to hold the position of National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice has received much attention. African-American Colin Powell occupied this position before, but this remains the first time a female has taken on the role. Interestingly, the name Condoleeza translates from an Italian musical term, “the sweetness.” However, those who know Rice recognize her confidence, capabilities and intelligence. So when “the most academic member of the Bush foreign affairs team” (BBC News.com) happens to be young, black and female, the world suddenly takes notice.
“ There aren't too many females in this business, she was really an exception in this almost 100-percent-male crowd -- which may be one of the reasons she earned the reputation of being tough," said Sergei Rogov, director of the Russian Institute of U.S. and Canada Studies in Moscow, who has known Rice for nearly two decades.
Condoleeza Rice has been a member on the boards of directors for the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Chevron Corporation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Board of Governors. She also has invested time working on various political books, such as “Germany Unified and Europe Transformed,” “The Gorbachev Era,” and “Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army.”
SOURCE: http://hss.fullerton.edu/womens/news/fall01/news/newsmag.htm
"Not many people can add the position of National Security Advisor to their list of achievements, especially if those people are women. Condoleezza Rice, however, can place the accomplishment right up there with being a previous member to President Bush’s foreign-policy team, and tenured professor and provost in the political science department of the prestigious Stanford University.
Rice is well known for her knowledge on Russian history and current events. After growing up in Birmingham, Alabama during a time of racial segregation, Rice soon went on to graduate from the University of Denver at the age of 19 (she skipped two grades), where she became an expert in the issues of the Soviet Union. She also received two advanced degrees in political science. With a master’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a doctorate from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of International Studies, she soon found herself a provost and professor at Stanford, only to be drawn away by a life in politics. In Washington, D.C., Rice worked on nuclear strategic planning with the Council on Foreign Relations fellowship at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
After returning to Stanford, she soon found herself back in the political spotlight. President George Bush, in 1989, trusted Rice to the point of allowing her to aid in Russian policy and relations. Rice became the director of Soviet and East European affairs with the National Security Council, special assistant to the president for national security affairs and senior director for Soviet affairs in the National Security Council. In essence, Rice helped Poland receive needed reforms, as well as helped with policies between the United States and the Soviet Union.
With foreign policy becoming increasingly important after Bush announced his “War on Terrorism,” the position of national security advisor has also come under scrutiny. As a 45-year-old African American woman, Condaleezza Rice definitely has some opposition to face. Still, Rice has proven herself to be anything but a pushover. President Bush says “Dr. Rice is not only a brilliant person; she is an experienced person. She is a good manager. I trust her judgment. America will find that she is a wise person, and I’m honored [she joined] the administration”.
Rice also shows strong opinions concerning what it means to be American, and how America fits within the realm of the rest of the world. “Power matters. But there can be no absence of moral content in American foreign policy, and furthermore, the American people wouldn't accept such an absence. Europeans giggle at this and say we're naive and so on, but we're not Europeans, we're Americans -- and we have different principles”.
Rice considers herself completely Republican in all issues. With regards to foreign policy, she sees herself as conservative. On other issues, however, she views herself as libertarian and moderate. Still, “Ms. Rice is considered less isolationist than some leading Republicans… She has said she will work to promote Mr. Bush's vision of combining ‘humility with strength’ around the world”.
So just what does the most politically powerful black woman in politics do? BBC News.com describes her as having the responsibility “for providing policy advice directly to the president, in coordination with the State Department, the Defense Department and the CIA.”
As the only female African-American to hold the position of National Security Advisor, Condoleeza Rice has received much attention. African-American Colin Powell occupied this position before, but this remains the first time a female has taken on the role. Interestingly, the name Condoleeza translates from an Italian musical term, “the sweetness.” However, those who know Rice recognize her confidence, capabilities and intelligence. So when “the most academic member of the Bush foreign affairs team” (BBC News.com) happens to be young, black and female, the world suddenly takes notice.
“ There aren't too many females in this business, she was really an exception in this almost 100-percent-male crowd -- which may be one of the reasons she earned the reputation of being tough," said Sergei Rogov, director of the Russian Institute of U.S. and Canada Studies in Moscow, who has known Rice for nearly two decades.
Condoleeza Rice has been a member on the boards of directors for the Charles Schwab Corporation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Chevron Corporation, the University of Notre Dame, the International Advisory Council of J.P. Morgan and the San Francisco Board of Governors. She also has invested time working on various political books, such as “Germany Unified and Europe Transformed,” “The Gorbachev Era,” and “Uncertain Allegiance: The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army.”
SOURCE: http://hss.fullerton.edu/womens/news/fall01/news/newsmag.htm
