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While it's probably safe to say I am not the biggest Bubba-2 supporter to be found on FR,firing Powell is something Bubba-2 CAN'T do. He could get away with firing Laura quicker than firing Powell. The most obvious reason for this is that Powell is black,but the real reason is that Bubba-2 can't afford to create a political martyr out of Powell. Powell probably has wet dreams about Bubba-2 firing him. Armitage is not only a guy who CAN be fired,but a guy that SHOULD be fired.

Well, obviously the best course of action would be to make life so difficult and otherwise unenjoyable for Powell that he resigns himself. Then Bush steps out and makes a magnanimous statement that "it is with great regret that I accept Colin Powell's resignation." The way you do that is by getting Bush to reject most of Powell's advice and go with the recommendations of the Rummy faction. Unfortunately, Bush is not that sophisticated. The problem with Powell is not so much that he is Secretary of State, but that he is able to persuade Bush to do the wrong thing and pursue policies of Communist and terrorist appeasement when Bush would have otherwise been pressured by the recommendations of his other advisors like Rumsfeld to take a forceful stand against Communist tyranny/terrorism. That said, I would certainly like to see Armitage replaced by Bolton as the Deputy Secretary of State because then Bolton, a closet member of the Rummy faction himself, could takeover from Powell when Powell is on international travel and urge Bush to make all the right decisions in line with Rumsfeld. The problem is that you kind of got to wait for a suitable pretext to get rid of Armitage. Once Armitage was gone, Powell, a good friend of his, would scream bloody murder and then resign soon after.

The problem is that you kind of got to wait for a suitable pretext to get rid of Armitage.

A pretext isn't needed,when a real reason may lay at hand. Check out Armitage's bio. I have been told he claims to have been a SEAL in VN who had 4 tours there,yet people who knew him in VN don't seem to remember this. I've also been told (second hand) that a couple of SEALS are supposed to have checked and can't find any record of him ever being a SEAL. IF this is true,that's all the reason needed. I wasn't a SEAL and have no way of checking this on my own,so I've pinged a couple of real SEALS here on FR to see what they think.

What say you about the above,harpseal and Travis? Was I told right,or was I told wrong?

Once Armitage was gone, Powell, a good friend of his, would scream bloody murder and then resign soon after.

Maybe. In MY opinion he will be looking for a reason to resign in late 2003,but I think he will be looking for a more dramatic reason than his buddy being fired. It would have to be something connected to foreign relations to give him the "legs" he would need to make the tv talk show and book circuit. I've always predicted he would resign over a public disagreement with Bubba-2 over something like food and medicine for Africa. Time will tell.