There was an interesting, if brief, moment of zen on last night's Bill Maher HBO show, when Maher raised the question of Condi Rice supposedly testing the waters to be picked as John McCain's running mate.
Jason Alexander chortled but then Dana Priest of The Washington Post -- who won a second Pulitzer this week and is usually very careful in her public comments -- joined with Richard Clarke in thoroughly mocking the very idea of McCain getting a Condi fix.
"Maybe political reporters don't have anything better to write about," Priest observed. "She probably will go down in the history books as one of the worst secretaries of state ever." And that is really saying something, given the long, checkered history of the position.
But Clarke seconded the idea, and Priest continued, "and the worst national security adviser, where she was completely ineffective."
Clarke again endorsed that assessment, and added, puckishly, "So the answer is -- please Condi, run."
Maher then pointed out that the only reason this would even be considered is that the GOP might want her, with Obama on the other side, to "black up" the ticket. But, he added, with some claiming that Obama is "not black enough," what would they make of Condi?
Greg Mitchell's new book is So Wrong for So Long: How the Press, the Pundits -- and the President -- Failed on Iraq. It has been hailed by our own Susan G, Bill Moyers, Glenn Greenwald and others, and features a preface by Bruce Springsteen.