Grilled Rice

Up at the Senate right now, where Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is facing a very skeptical group of members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I believe the president’s strategy is not a solution, Secretary Rice," said chairman Joe Biden, D-Del. "I believe it’s a tragic mistake."

"From where i sit, Madame Secretary, you are not listening to the American people, you are not listening to the military, you are not listening to the Iraq Study Group," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. "Only you know who you are listening to. And you wonder why there is a dark cloud of skepticism, of pessimism in this nation."

But by far the most forceful and potent questions have come from the Republicans.

"I’ve gone along with the President on this and I bought into his dream," said Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, "and at this stage in the game, I don’t think it’s going to happen."

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, said the "speech given last night by this president represents the most dangerous foreign policy blunder in this country since Vietnam — if it’s carried out." Hagel said to ask our young men and women to sacrifice their lives to be put in the middle of a civil war is …morally wrong (and)…tactically, strategically, militarily wrong."

Ouch.

Rice of course had answers for all of these probings…more later and on World News with Charles Gibson this evening…

– jt