Playing 'Match Up' Diplomacy With Condi

Sept. 14, 2006 — -- "Pondi?!"

It may not have the catchy appeal of other star couple nicknames like Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' "Tomkat" or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's "Brangelina," but the name "Pondi" has been suggested on some blogs to describe the apparently fictitious love affair between Secretary of State Condoleezza "Condi" Rice and Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay.

Rice returned Tuesday from a two-day trip to Canada to thank Canadians for the assistance they offered to Americans stranded there on Sept. 11, 2001.

While in Canada, Rice toured the town of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with Foreign Minister MacKay, and then traveled with him to his home district 90 minutes away.

That leg of the trip provided the juiciest fodder for gossip, not only for bloggers, but also The New York Times.

The Times published a rare tongue-in-cheek cover story Wednesday about a love affair that the article itself admitted was "baseless" speculation.

Conspiracy theorists licked their chops after hearing delicious quotes that, when taken out of context, seemed only to reinforce the rumors about the two single leaders.

"Something else I've learned about Secretary Rice is she loves the cool Atlantic breezes here in Nova Scotia, and she left the window open last night," MacKay said to reporters.

Rice said that MacKay had taken her to meet his parents the night before.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, however, was quick to deny any romantic interludes between Rice and MacKay.

"She has a good working relationship, professional relationship, with Foreign Minister MacKay and a lot of her counterparts," he said.

Nevertheless, the blogosphere has been awash with theories of a romance of global proportions.

"Question is," one posting said, "is he taking his title of Minister of Foreign Affairs a little too literally?"

Not even the age gap between the two leaders was enough to discourage some theorists -- Rice is 51; MacKay, 40.

"She's single. He's single," said Scott Feschuk, a Canadian columnist.

"She's the global face of the world's greatest economic and military superpower. He … also has a face," Feschuk said.

Yes, but some write that MacKay's is no ordinary face.

Even The New York Times reporter seemed smitten by one of Canada's most eligible bachelors, pointing out that "he has a tan and the build of someone who spends his time on the rugby field," adding that MacKay is "the closest thing to eye candy on the diplomatic circuit."

It appears that Rice is taking the rumors in stride.

When asked whether Rice had read the Times article about her and MacKay, McCormack chuckled and said, "She had a good laugh when she read it."