The Dike Bursts

The New York Times > Washington > Until Successor Is Confirmed, Powell Pledges to Work Hard

With a good (Ashcroft) comes a bad (Powell). Powell's departure will mark the loss of one of the last bastions of pacifism--Cheney's neocons will now likely harp unparried. Over the term of this last administration, Powell, like Whitman over at the EPA, has become less and less of vocal as a sign of visible dissent. Even if his real power influence was completely and utterly waning, his position as Secretary of State at least provided a symbolic barrier to relentless war mongering.

Now, I'm not totally against the Iraq war, and I think we needed to go to Afghanistan, and there's been a lot of good done there. Sudan, North Korea, and the ever more unstable Palestine scream for attention, but we are already stretched to thin. Personally, I have about 0 trust in Cheney, so even if the ends are somewhat rational, justifiable, and good, I fear the means. Powell is a huge loss, although quite predictable. A cautionary voice is silenced. Let's hope Rumsfeld doesn't jump on board the ship of state and steer that department towards courses of war.