She's back: Condi Rice ends vacation to tackle Georgia

Condoleezza Rice is back at the State Department.

After a buzz of criticism in the media and on the blogosphere -- Agence-France Presse reported that the secretary of State had been "noticeably absent on the diplomatic scene, having failed to interrupt her holidays" -- she returned yesterday to tackle the Russian attacks on Georgia.

In a public statement, Rice said she had conferred today with leaders of the G-7 (that's all the world's largest economies except Russia) and warned that the attacks on Georgia must stop.

"These military operations need to stop," she said, reiterating that the United States supports Georgia's "democratically elected government and its people." She also pledged to continue to work the diplomatic phone lines.

Countdown to Crawford reported earlier that Rice had been on vacation. Shortly after the item was posted, the State Department returned our call to say that Rice had returned and "is here in the building."

Spokesman Noel Clay said he would not discuss when Rice returned or "the timetable of personal leaves." He also declined to comment on Sen. John McCain's suggestion that she convene an in-person global power meeting on the topic.

"We're not going to comment on what a presidential candidate says," Clay said.

-- Johanna Neuman

Comments

[rexbeach]

My understanding is that Bush gave Putin the okay to invade. Can you do some follow up. He as much admitted in his public statement.

[Jopan]

From backwater to belligerent.
Georgia on the post-modern stage, finally.
Will it be the genius of Balachine (nee Balanchivadze) or the treachery of Stalin (nee Dzhugashvili).

What has had me really irate, among other things, in this campaign, is to see a young man with NO experience (If you tell me experience does not matter stop reading this because you clearly are someone with no understanding of what is necessary to run an institution of any kind), come around and be naïve enough, or worse, use the country's racial and social divides, as a platform to be interviewed for the highest position in the world. Although I do not find Obama extraordinarily smart (He got into Harvard because of affirmative action). He is smart enough to be aware of the fact that he does not have the experience to run this country. I say that because after he gave that inspiring speech at the DNC convention in 2003 (I buy speeches only for pennies, don't think they are worth much) he was asked if he would consider running for the presidency. Do you know what his response was? "No, because I am just a junior senator and I know my limitations". I remember saying "Wow, there is a man with a deep sense of responsibility". Later on, he gets together with Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities and gets brainwashed about his readiness to be commander-in-chief. I don't believe those who encouraged him to do that would have ever given him their business to run. They don't care about what might happen if he were to be elected because their billions would be safe somewhere in the world.

Now, the other part of this whole thing that really offends me, is to see him-the inexperienced guy-competing against a man like John McCain. That is a very unfair race because Obama, as far as I am concerned, should not be there in the first place. So you might tell me: If McCain is so well more qualified than he shouldn't worry, right? Wrong. He should worry because this is a nation that elected a crazy, lunatic, ignorant, oblivious and illiterate monkey TWICE. So if you ask me, I do not think most of my fellow Americans are all that bright; and I have the chaos to prove it.

I still don't think McCain is the best possible candidate we could have. My priority choices would have been:

1) Joe Biden: Sen from Delaware

2) Chuck Hagel: Senator from Nebraska

3) Hillary Clinton: Senator from New York

4) John McCain

5) NOT BARAK OBAMA

So why is McCain better than Obama?

RECONCILIATION: He can bring both parties together: if you don't believe me you must have not followed his record on the senate so I suggest you get yourself educated first. McCain has broken with his parties more time than I can remember, and he was not on Bush's Christmas list for a reason. He has a record of reaching across the aisle and making compromises.

He never lets the personal come before the needs of the country, plus he is not someone who holds a grudge or a hater. He was beaten the crap out of, bayoneted in the groin in prison for five and half years and still goes back and tells the Vietnamese all is forgiven, lets move on…THIS IS MY KIND OF GUY.

RESPECT: He is hugely respected in the military, Obama is NOT. If you tell me that this does not matter, I am not going to try to convince you because you have got a lot to learn and I don't have the time to teach you (I have a full time job to attend to). McCain has the stature, the knowledge and extensive experience to give the mightiest military in the world orders and they will follow with confidence. Are you crazy to think Obama can possibly be viewed as a military commander-in-chief? Are you absolutely insane or just ignorant?

Rhetoric: Obama is a man of many erudite words, a text book man who can very often use give inspiring speeches. But they are EMPTY people, empty. Empty because he has NOTHING TO BACK THEM UP WITH. McCain has DONE IT. He is a man of war, who can ensure we do not get into another war unless 100% necessary. Obama can and will be bullied, McCain is not a prospect for such, and no one would ever see him that way. He is commander-in-chief material.

RECESSION: We are in one right now.Obama has ever really even witnessed one or worked through one. In order to get us out of this mess we need someone who can work with the republicans, Obama would not even know where to start. He would give these tall orders to be handled by advisors with very little hands on because he simply has very little clue about how to turn an economy, or a small business for that matter, around.

I say, lets vote for McCain and push hard to have real top quality leaders running next time. I pray Obama does not get elected, if he does…..or sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln, God help us all because he will be like a teenager driving an 18 wheeler for the first time. Maybe he will turn the corner and surprise all of us and we will cheer how this teen was able to drive such big weapon all on his own without harming himself or anyone else. Or maybe he will get stuck and not move anywhere, or worse, he will move, crash that damn gigantic beast in Time Square during New Years Eve and the person who gave him the key for the truck will be saying: OMFG what have I done?

[WM]

In my opinion, she should go back and holiday some more.

[Ryan]

Looks like Jopan has some time on his hands. This is an article about the Rice not the presidential race.

[TX Outkast]

Jopan? LOL who cares what YOU think...no matter how inexperienced Obama is, you are more so. You have spent ZERO years in the senate or any elected position for that matter so why should I or anyone else give one care as to your opinion? We shouldnt! Good riddance.

Obama 08/12

[Jopan]

It's called "Georgia fatigue." The word is that people, in the EU and Washington, are simply exhausted of the Georgians. Finally arriving on the world stage, Georgians in the past six years have really shown their stripe: ruthless, tribal, neo-cons. Western-educated, whatever, President Saakashvili, is just another Georgian thug in the making.

[incompetence around]

I have absolutely no love for John McCain, but I'm surprised on the cold shoulder given to him by the State Department. I wouldn't expect the State department to comment on what any candidate says, but I would expect them to comment on what a sitting senator says.

[Chris]

Isn't Rice's background in Russia and the former Soviet Union? I bet she'll have much to contribute to the dialogue.

[larry]

Hm, Miss Mushroom Cloud said rUSssiA must stop attacks on geoIRAG.

[Barry Hatfield]

What is whack-job Jopan's problem? This column is for responses to Condi Rice blowing off our ally Georgia for the vital first 3 days. Jopan should go and find another blog to rant on, it doesn't help his. credibility to be doing it here. But while on his subject, McCain can't use a computer and admits to complete ignorance on economics. "My kind of guy"? Not to mention, Jopan comes across as a typically hateful Republican hypocrite, lauding McCain's act of forgiveness while himself refusing any generosity of judgment.

[M. Vick]

With Georgia under attack, the people in Florida need to know if its okay to stop concealing our weapons and start heading to the GA/FL border to defend our state....

[gazillion]

Nice. No mention of the 90 or so phone calls Rice made over the weekend regarding this matter. Perhaps The Times was too busy watching the Olympics to notice?

[Jon Penn]

Jopan is a McCain lover and an Obama hater! He does not mention anything about the HOT, SHOT tempered John McCain who may land this country in a QUAGMIRE at anytime. REMEMBER they call him the maverick - I don't what him playing games with our lives!!!!!!

Boy go learn your lesion(s). Obama has conducted a successful campaign that has baffled many skeptics like you. From what I see, this is an organized person who knows how to get things DONE! You need to know that there is no School for becoming president of the USA. Do you want an old DOG that will not LEARN NEW TRICKS, or a young person who has been learning pretty FAST.

History will judge, but Barack Obama will be one of the best presidents the US-of-A has ever had!!!

[Jon Penn]

Jopan is a McCain lover and an Obama hater! He does not mention anything about the HOT, SHOT tempered John McCain who may land this country in a QUAGMIRE at anytime. REMEMBER they call him the maverick - I don't what him playing games with our lives!!!!!!

Boy go learn your lesion(s). Obama has conducted a successful campaign that has baffled many skeptics like you. From what I see, this is an organized person who knows how to get things DONE! You need to know that there is no School for becoming president of the USA. Do you want an old DOG that will not LEARN NEW TRICKS, or a young person who has been learning pretty FAST.

History will judge, but Barack Obama will be one of the best presidents the US-of-A has ever had!!!

[Will T]

Rice met with the Georgians 2 weeks before she went on vacation. Russia attacked after Georgia's military aggression against members of their own country that were predominately Russian. What did Rice tell Georgia 2 weeks ago.

Also I'm sick of hearing how McCain and Obama would handle this. We should have a president now, we do don't we?

Our military is stretched too thin to handle these kind of crisises due to our war in Iraq who's main beneficiary is Condi's former employer: Chevron.

We need a new direction. You may not like Obama but the same stuff was said about Clinton when we fired the first Bush for being an idiot.

McCain's advisory team all can be connected one way or another to the crap this country has fallen into.

Stop this from become the end of our country.

[I know it all]

Condoleezza Rice is a has been. Just like Madonna and Paris. Anyone with a brain cell knows neither Bush nor McCain could do anything. But as soon as Mr. Obama spoke the fighting stopped. The Mighty Russian Bear lay down with the sheep....

[Will T]

Rice met with the Georgians 2 weeks before she went on vacation. Russia attacked after Georgia's military aggression against members of their own country that were predominately Russian. What did Rice tell Georgia 2 weeks ago.

Also I'm sick of hearing how McCain and Obama would handle this. We should have a president now, we do don't we?

Our military is stretched too thin to handle these kind of crisises due to our war in Iraq who's main beneficiary is Condi's former employer: Chevron.

We need a new direction. You may not like Obama but the same stuff was said about Clinton when we fired the first Bush for being an idiot.

McCain's advisory team all can be connected one way or another to the crap this country has fallen into.

Stop this from become the end of our country.

[John S]

Heaven forbid that the United States Secretary of State should cut short her vacation to appear engaged in the invasion of a country by the Russians. After all, her boss couldn't be bothered to interrupt his trip to disneyland...

As for Jopan-you realize, of course, than Senator McCain was a legacy admission to the Naval Academy, don't you? So, let me get this straight; an academically gifted young man of African American descent gets into Harvard and it is affirmative action and thus wrong, but an underachieving son of Naval royalty gets into Annapolis automatically because of his father and grandfather and it's good and right and deserved? Absolutely fair. Am I reading you correctly? I thought so.

Just wanted to be clear on your logic.

[justme]

In Russia no one really cares about Rice. Why? In Russia men understand women's biological, emotional needs. They like strong women - the ones that "will walk into house that is on fire, will stop a horse on it's gallop..." They kind of liked Margarett Thatcher (sp?). But Russians (men and women) actually understand that acedemically-inclined women need attention and love as well. When they gain powerful positions in government, etc. - God help all if they are still single... Now you uderstand why Putin, Medvedev smile when Rice's name is mentioned or they have to meet her face-to-face. And the whole Russia is laughing... The woman is deprived of love and attention... Everyone loves that special glow on their faces when a man next to them makes them happy... It's time for her become "happy..."

[Jopan]

From backwater to belligerent. Why the tepid response from the international community? It's called "Georgia fatigue." Saakashvili is just a Cheney stooge and another Georgian thug in the making. Like his famous Georgian countryman, Stalin (nee Dzhugashvili), he doesn't mind sacrificing Georgian lives in his crackpot schemes. But this was a bad mistake.

[Jopan]

BusinessWeek Europe "Caucasus Truce: Now What?"

"This was a proxy war fought by the U.S and now it's got it's face blackened by Russia. Everyone knows what the U.S will do next , it will repeat the Afghanistan strategy. Heavily arm and train mercenaries in Georgia to fight Russian forces in South Ossetia and blame Russia if it retaliates."

[Roman]

Jopan,

I'm sure you dance with joy when you see how Russian planes bomb Georgia and killing Georgians and the same Osetians they claim are protecting, or how Russian neo-Nazis chase kill and behead central asians, armenians, azeriis and georgians to save racial purity of the mother russia.

You call Saakashvili a thug, when Russia’s national ‘hero’ -Putin -should be sitting in a cage in the Hague court for what he has done in Chechnya and what he has been doing in Georgia.

[Roman]

Who's stooge are you, Jopan?

As for the Georgian ‘fatigue’ - if not dealt now, the next will be Ukrainian ‘fatigue’, Baltic ‘fatigue’, Polish ‘fatigue’, and so on, until a Russian tank will be parked in the middle of Berlin once again. That is why the presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are in Tbilisi now to show their support of Georgia.
The Georgian ‘fatigue’ can be resolved easily by Russian occupying troops leaving Georgia’s territory! How do you like this, Jopan?

Yes, Stalin was born in Georgia, but he is the most popular name in Russia (not in Georgia) according to a recent poll (see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/2445683/Could-Josef-Stalin-be-made-a-saint.html)

[Jopan]

It will soon become clear that this is far less about Russia than it is about Georgia, even to those who are dependent on mainstream media.

It is about Georgia who has dishonored itself and set itself on course for destruction by becoming a willing pawn of the same neocons who executed the false flag attacks on 11 Sept. At the root of the conflict in Georgia is the US/Israeli hegemony over the oil flowing from the Caspian. Saakashvili, Davit Kezerashvili, the Minister of Defense, and the gang will soon have to go, expendable as the 2000+ Ossetia lives that were puffed out in the opening volley of the game but the forces that have been put in place and play will bind Georgia to a misery they have struggled for centuries to escape and that they don't deserve. I despair.