Rice Rejects 'Escalation' Language, Calls Bush Iraq Plan 'Augmentation'

Yesterday, President Bush announced to the nation that he plans to increase America's presence in Iraq by approximately 22,000 troops, with no timetable for when troop levels would be drawn back down.

Today, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried her best to make this escalation plan more palatable to the American public. "I think that I don't see it, and the president doesn't see it, as an escalation," Rice told an incredulous Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE). Hagel responded, "Putting 22,000 new troops, more troops in, is not an escalation?" "I would call it, senator, an augmentation," Rice said.

The Mess at State

Republicans in Congress who do not want to be quoted tell me that the State Department under Condoleezza Rice is a mess. This comes at a time when the U.S. global position is precarious. While attention is focused on Iraq, American diplomacy is being tested worldwide -- in Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Korea and Sudan. The judgment by thoughtful Republicans is that Rice has failed to manage that endeavor.

Rice 'loves' Fox News; CBS anchor 'decent guy'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice let slip her news media preferences Thursday, saying, "I love every single one" of Fox News network's correspondents and also favors CBS anchor Harry Smith.

In comments overheard on an open microphone between morning television interviews, including one with Fox, the top U.S. diplomat said: "My Fox guys, I love every single one of them."

But Rice told an aide that when she was next in Iraq she would like to do a "one-on-one" interview with CBS "The Early Show" anchor Harry Smith.

"He's a decent guy. I know they are, like, 55 in the ratings, but I like him," Rice said in comments monitored by Reuters on a television feed.

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