Rice's Imminent Confirmation Bad News for Latin America

[bemildred]

Rice’s Latin America
Ever since President Bush made his much-anticipated announcement that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice would succeed Colin Powell as the Secretary of State in the President's second term, Dr. Rice's confirmation by the Senate has never been in doubt, given the newly enhanced Republican majority in that body. Not surprisingly, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to approve her nomination on January 19 with only two of its members dissenting, John Kerry (D-MA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The only other hint of protest came when venerable parliamentarian and senior Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) insisted on a week's delay in the full Senate vote.

However, any display of bipartisanship visible at the hearing should not be taken as evidence that the new Secretary of State intends to be moderate, intent on broadening the conservative and ideologically-driven Latin American policy agenda implemented by the Bush administration in its first term. This approach previously had been vigorously defended by Rice in her capacity as National Security Adviser over the past four years. In her new post, Rice will likely gloss over key issues such as trade reform, workplace democracy, enhanced human rights protections, anti-corruption measures or increased transparency in governance. Instead, Rice will narrowly focus on drugs, terrorism and the pursuit of oil (especially in Mexico, Canada and Venezuela) and other essential strategic resources by China’s increasingly consumption-driven economy. This hemispheric strategy, up to this point, had been devised and implemented by a small group of conservative policymakers and former protégés of retired Senator Jesse Helms. These include the former White House special envoy to the Western Hemisphere, Otto Reich, the current Assistant Secretary of State for Hemispheric Affairs Roger Noriega, and the latter’s assistant, Dan Fisk. These ultra-operatives have been abetted from the sidelines by the Department's arch ideologue, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security John Bolton.

COHA

[Oversea Visitor]

1. Bad new???

They just shift their stand to anti US. Its more of bad news for USA.

[murray hill farm]

2. Absolutely

She is joke to the rest of the world.

[Oversea Visitor]

4. All this spin

is hurting the US. South America will come under the influence of China and Russia.

Sad, US was truly a world leader, EU just not pulling its weight to take over this role, the ex communist regime are taking control.

Maybe things will be better. EU having Euro as the world reserve currency and Russia, China India and Brazil as a power block. I don't know, but this is the way things are moving.

[bemildred]

3. Yeah, I thought that too, but I didn't meddle with their title. nt