Gen. Colin Powell has announced his intention to leave his post as Secretary of State as soon as a suitable replacement can be confirmed. From CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has submitted his resignation to President Bush, the White House said on Monday.
Powell is the most prominent of four Cabinet officials whose resignations will be announced Monday, sources told CNN.
The others will be Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham, the sources said.
The Moderate Voice is maintaining a good rundown of reactions from around the blogosphere.
I’m sure that speculations on a possible replacement will soon be buzzing around the blogosphere. I, for one, would like to see the country move more in the direction of an American foreign policy rather than a Republican or Democratic foreign policy. At least offering the top job at State to a prominent Democrat with strong foreign policy credentials would be a move in the right direction. Joe Biden, long-time senator from the state of Delaware, would be a good pick, in my opinion. Would Biden take the job? Not if he has any sense. But it would be a statesmanlike move and not beyond the realm of possibility at this stage of Biden’s career.
UPDATE: ABC News is reporting that Condoleeza Rice will be named to replace Powell. Frankly, I don’t think that Ms. Rice has the gravitas for the job and her professional training as a Soviet specialist will only be somewhat useful (although it will be nice to have a SecState who actually understands Russian). But she has been loyal and it’s clear that President Bush values loyalty very highly. I’m not surprised but I am a little disappointed.
Biden will never get the offer. He has insulted Bush’s intelligence several times in the hearing of the press.