Sat, 26 Jul 2003 17:44:51 GMT

Insider talk Rice will resign.

US News and World Report: As White House officials try to control the latest fallout over President Bush's flawed suggestion in the State of the Union address that Iraq was buying nuclear bomb materials, there's growing talk by insiders that National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice may take the blame and resign.

For most insiders, it's inconceivable that Rice, touted as a future secretary of state, California governor, and even vice president, would go, but the latest revelations that her shop and deputy Stephen Hadley mishandled CIA warnings have put the NSC in the bull's eye of controversy.

While it's unclear how serious the talk is inside the administration about the future of Rice or Hadley with the NSC, a few top aides are already suggesting replacements for Rice. They include former Bush administration National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft, NASA chief and former Navy Secretary Sean O'Keefe, and Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq.

ed: i almost always treat US News “Washington Whispers” with a decent amount of skepticism

[The Agonist]

Condi is one of the few believable people in the current regime, if she leaves, that'll be a real hit against them. Though i encourage her to go elsewhere and remove the legitimization that her presence lends them.