WASHINGTON -For the first time since taking office, President Bush will have his global vision championed by a diplomat who sees the world through the same lens.
As secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, a faithful and trusted follower with close personal ties to Bush and his family, will be an impassioned messenger of Bush’s foreign policy, experts agreed.
A True Believer, Rice strikes a sharp contrast with outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell -the administration’s reluctant warrior who never established a personal relationship with the president or enjoyed his full confidence.
“She is much more hard-line than Powell,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s political program.
“The message to foreign capitals is: Like it or not, you’ve got to deal with Bush’s view. Bush is not going to mold to your view,” Sabato added.
Powell often stood out in Bush’s inner circle as a dove flying uncomfortably in a sky thick with Pentagon hawks pushing for the war in Iraq.
Ever the professional soldier, Powell ultimately climbed aboard the Bush bandwagon after getting the White House’s marching orders, but only after his concerns were aired.
Rice, on the other hand, marches lockstep with her commander in chief and will continue to do so.
Even the most astute White House watchers couldn’t find any space between Rice’s views and the president’s over the last four tumultuous years.
She spends more time at Bush’s side than nearly anyone else in the White House and often weekends with the first family at Camp David.
Her loyalty to the president and his world view is unquestioned; the same could not be said about Powell.
Her service as secretary of state will now give Bush a fighting chance to complete his vision of a safer, more democratic world.