State Department resisted bill lifting Mandela’s travel restrictions.
State Department resisted bill lifting Mandela’s travel restrictions.
Last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made headlines when she condemned the “embarrassing” U.S. travel restrictions on former South African President Nelson Mandela. “I really do hope we can remove these restrictions” on the African National Congress, said Rice. But as Vanity Fair reports, the State Department has repeatedly fought a bill that would remove the restrictions on Mandela:
To redress this injustice, Rep. Howard L. Berman (D—CA) introduced a bill last week that would lift all such travel restrictions on A.N.C. officials. [...]
But a conversation VF Daily had with a Capitol Hill staffer familiar with the subject makes Rice’s statement seem either disingenuous or out of step with recent State Department policy. According to this source, the bill was drafted more than five years ago but was adamantly opposed by State and the Republican-controlled Congress. Lawyers at the State Department “fought it tooth and nail,” arguing that if the A.N.C. was removed from the list then other groups would want to be removed, too, the staffer said.
A State Department spokesman “said she was not aware of any past resistance to the bill and reinforced Rice’s recent statement.”
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40 Responses to “State Department resisted bill lifting Mandela’s travel restrictions.”
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After all, he IS a "scary dark man."
April 14th, 2008 at 12:40 pmTypical binary Rethuglican thinking.
This reminds me of George Bush being shocked at the new passport rules a couple years ago. Rules he had been in discussions about and signed off on.
Rice is just about as incompetent as Bush. Minor things like visa policy intrude on her day to day life even less than memos ominously stating that Osama bin Laden is determined to attack within the United States.
Strike that. Rice is clearly more incompetent even than Bush.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:40 pmI was against it before I was for it.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:43 pmCondi misrepresented? Lied? Weaseled? "Mis-spoke"?
Gosh, I can hardly believe it. She's usually so truthful, forthright, open, and credible.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pmAnd the State Department attempts to rewrite history, believing that most of us are not now, and never were paying attention. Sadly, they're probably right.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pmVP?...I don't think so!
This is the same person who can't be bothered to answer a subpoena, but has time to shop for shoes.
She's no more qualified to be Sec/State than she was NSA Director.
How can someone who calls herself a diplomat have no speech, organizational or communication skills?
Duuuhhh!...it's my middle name.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:50 pmLast week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made headlines when she condemned the “embarrassing” U.S. travel restrictions on former South African President Nelson Mandela. “I really do hope we can remove these restrictions” on the African National Congress, said Rice. But as Vanity Fair reports, Rice’s State Department has repeatedly fought a bill that would remove the restrictions on Mandela
Well , who can be expected to keep track of all these things when there are so many shoe stores having Spring Sales ?
April 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pmCaption Contest: "The face of evil"
April 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pmThis is not surprising. Condoleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezza is unaware of virtually everything. She's unaware that more than half of U.S. reconstruction funds (that's $500 billion, folks) in Iraq has been siphoned off by fraud and graft. She's unaware of a daily intelligence briefing entitled "bin Laden Determined to Attack on U.S. Soil". She was unaware pre-9/11 that planes could be used as missles to fly into buildings. She's just plain unaware of everything.
I sure hope McNumbNuts selects her as his running-mate. It would be the final nail in his presidential bid.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:52 pmTerms that require some definition: "terrorist", "terrorism", and "terrorist groups".
Right now, the definition from the executive branch of our government seems to be "terrorism is whatever we say it is on any given day." Life would be far more difficult for them if ambiguity is removed. As long as terminology is elastic, it allows Condi and the rest of Bushco to do and say whatever is most politically expedient.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:53 pmZimzone Says:
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How can someone who calls herself a diplomat have no speech, organizational or communication skills?
April 14th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Peer into the Oval Office and see if you do not ask that self-same question a thousand-fold..........
April 14th, 2008 at 12:54 pmIf Connie had it her way there would still be apartheid, she might seek to develop that policy in America. Interesting what Americans think of her and support her. She has shown who she is when she turned her back on the Black Katrina victims and now Mr. Mandela. But she could be McCain's VP and get the black vote. Her friendship with Senator Obama will pay off nicely. Obama is still trying to figure out why poor people and blacks are so bitter. Obama and Connie worked together with the Kenya problem and Obama could have even run for President of Kenya he's so well respected. Now as Obama was raised rich and had no idea what it was like being a black American or poor struggling American, he's working hard at learning American History of the 60's. Connie knows how to use the race card as well as Obama does. Connie might give her own Dr. King speech to put people in check on a as needed bases. When Congress gets around to questioning Connie she will give the GOP answers, I'll get back to you, I can't recall and I'll look into that.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pmRICE: I remember very well that the president was aware that there were issues inside the United States. He talked to people about this. But I don't remember the al Qaeda cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about.
BEN-VENISTE: Isn't it a fact, Dr. Rice, that the August 6 PDB warned against possible attacks in this country? And I ask you whether you recall the title of that PDB?
RICE: I believe the title was, "Bin Laden Determined to Attack Inside the United States."
Now, the...
BEN-VENISTE: Thank you.
RICE: No, Mr. Ben-Veniste...
BEN-VENISTE: I will get into the...
RICE: I would like to finish my point here.
BEN-VENISTE: I didn't know there was a point.
RICE: Given that -- you asked me whether or not it warned of attacks.
BEN-VENISTE: I asked you what the title was.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/rice.transcript/
April 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pmWhat good is all of that "unitary executive power" if you don't use for good purposes like making sure those restricted flying lists are legitimate? Oh, wait, I said "legitimate". Wrong track, wrong train, wrong time. Never mind.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pmWe sure have been seeing this a LOT over the last 8 years.
'But a conversation VF Daily had with a Capitol Hill staffer familiar with the subject makes Rice’s statement seem either disingenuous or out of step with recent State Department policy.'
i.e. either she's lying or she's incompetent. Which is it?
April 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
And the State Department attempts to rewrite history, believing that most of us are not now, and never were paying attention. Sadly, they’re probably right.
April 14th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
How can I pay atention when they kick my favorite guy off the Island, and Tiger can't win the Masters?
Oh, wait...the pizza guy's here...brb...
April 14th, 2008 at 12:59 pmhttp://ccoaler.blogspot.com/2008/04/italian-projections.html
Italy: Berlusconis firm looses 2,3% after publication of 1st exit poll
April 14th, 2008 at 1:00 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
Terms that require some definition: “terrorist”, “terrorism”, and “terrorist groups”.
Right now, the definition from the executive branch of our government seems to be “terrorism is whatever we say it is on any given day.” Life would be far more difficult for them if ambiguity is removed. As long as terminology is elastic, it allows Condi and the rest of Bushco to do and say whatever is most politically expedient.
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This is by design. Like the torture issue, the Geneva Convention was not vague, but Bushco claimed it was to try to legitimize when they torture, when they know full well it is still illegal no matter what weasel wordsz they use.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:00 pmi.e. either she’s lying or she’s incompetent. Which is it?
sadly, and obviously, they're not mutually exclusive...
April 14th, 2008 at 1:00 pmfound, via C&L:
Quick, Name One Successful Contribution by Condi Rice
Air University will award its first honorary degree to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a 9 a.m. ceremony April 14.
The seat of Air Force learning — located at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base outside of Montgomery, Ala. — will honor Rice’s “contributions to the fields of international relations and national security,” according to a release. A native Alabaman, Rice will receive a doctor of letters degree.
http://www.allhatnocattle.net/4-10-08_guns_florida.htm for link
April 14th, 2008 at 1:01 pmRice’s statement seem[s] either disingenuous or out of step with recent State Department policy
Lying or incompetent. Heckuva job, Rice, as per usual.
Anyone know which other groups are still on this list, that State is so terribly sensitive about?
April 14th, 2008 at 1:02 pmmary Says:
i.e. either she’s lying or she’s incompetent.
She's an incompetent liar.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:02 pmWar criminals usually aren't in touch with their day jobs.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:05 pmWhoa! What happened to the "recommend" and "report abuse" buttons?
April 14th, 2008 at 1:13 pmLawyers at the State Department “fought it tooth and nail,” arguing that if the A.N.C. was removed from the list then other brown people would want to be removed, too, the staffer said.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:13 pmChanneling Rove ...again. Pretty sure Rove instructed Machiavelli in one of Rove's earlier identies...Satan lives forever and Condi, the eternal voodoo Queen..well
April 14th, 2008 at 1:16 pmJackie Says:
April 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
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Can anyone here translate gibberish?
It'd be nice to know what this one is actually trying to say.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pmSaaaay... misshusseinmolly... yer right. Where did those buttons go?
April 14th, 2008 at 1:19 pmWell, you're not supposed to notice what we DO - just believe what we SAY.
Duh.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:22 pmI don't know RoS. Something about Barak Obama growing up rich and becoming President of Kenya.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:23 pmRoS, I thought I could translate gibberish, but that one's comments have me stumped. I think it might be a more primitive dialect that I am not familiar with. Another possibility might be that some research lab somewhere has actually gotten a chimpanzee to type random English words, not quite the predicted novel but impressive nonetheless.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:30 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
April 14th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Can anyone here translate gibberish?
It’d be nice to know what this one (Jackie Says, April 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm)is actually trying to say.
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I believe that Jackie is a Hillary Clinton fan, and is trying to discredit both Condi and Obama with one stroke. As a result, there are some creative associations in the post.
Personally, I doubt that black voters will come swarming to a GOP ticket with Rice on it, simply because she is black. I suspect that African-Americans have about as much admiration for Condi Rice as they do for Clarence Thomas.
Obama won't get the "black vote" merely by being black, either. Whatever nods he gets from black voters will be for his positions on issues important to them -- the economy, education, employment, health care, the national debt, fighting unpopular wars, etc. Which, by the way, are just as important to white voters.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:34 pmshoeless Says:
I don’t know RoS. Something about Barak Obama growing up rich and becoming President of Kenya.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
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Then President Obama should be able to get us a good deal on some coffee, right?
Cool...
T'anks fer translatin', shoeless. Did you go to school for that? Jes' askin'...
April 14th, 2008 at 1:35 pmT'anks ta everybody fer helpin' me out here.
I... kinda... unnerstand jackie's comments... a li'l better now... I t'ink.
But I do seem to have developed this splittin' headache, though...
Perhaps we could develop some sort of translating dictionary...
Gibberish/English... Trollish/English... that sort of thing.
Perhaps TP could work on some sort of built in translating function.
Hit a button, and the post is automatically reposted into English...
April 14th, 2008 at 1:39 pmshe's not aware of a lot. even about what is discussed in meetings where she is present. Sounds like the perfect VP candidate for the GOP.
April 14th, 2008 at 1:40 pmjdc Says:
You guys better be glad the NAALCP put the L in their name or they’d be storming your castle led by Generals Sharpton & Jackson.
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Okay. MC was right on the other thread.
Yer just a stone idiot, period.
TP... ya gotta put those flagging/recommend buttons back up.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:11 pmO what tangled webs . . . !
April 14th, 2008 at 2:15 pmMan!!! They take their Matthew 6:3 seriously over at State. Too bad they missed the part about "alms", they thought it was a typo for "arms".
Mat 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.
April 14th, 2008 at 2:49 pmPhoto caption: "I am evil, and so can you"
April 14th, 2008 at 3:20 pmAS a South African - one who takes an interest in US/world politics because unfortunately it a affects us these comments sicken me! American administrations supported the apartheid regime because it suited them against communism! Mandela is a hero in our country for fighting a unjust regime! He was not a terrorist - he was a freedom fighter! Something which some people in the USA don't understand
April 14th, 2008 at 4:42 pm