State Department in Disarray

First it was Alberto Gonzales.  Now Condoleezza Rice may be next.  Congress has every reason to question the managerial skills of the former Bush National Security Adviser, whose State Department is now suffering from a state of disorganization.

This morning, the Washington Post summarized the confusion at the State Department in the three years since she took the post:

Nearly three years later, Rice is under fire from inside and outsidethe State Department for a range of crises that are largely managerialin nature -- the failure to monitor private security guards in Iraq , the delays in opening the huge U.S. Embassy under construction in Baghdad,and the resistance of some Foreign Service officers to being forced toserve there. Over the summer, the department also fell woefully shortin processing passport applications, resulting in ruined vacation plansfor many Americans.

Within the department, Rice is viewed by many rank-and-file employeesas an aloof manager who relies on a tight circle of aides, leaving herout of touch with the rest of the staff, in contrast to herpredecessor, Colin L. Powell ,a retired Army general who won praise from workers for treating them asthough they were his "troops." At her last town hall meeting withemployees 2 1/2 years ago, Rice told staffers: "I consider myself thechief management officer of this department." But a poll by theAmerican Foreign Service Association indicated that an overwhelmingmajority did not feel that Rice was their advocate.

Relying on a tight circle of aides, eh?  That sounds familiar.  That angers the career professionals at State:

The latest controversy about forced assignments to Iraq has onlyheightened internal resentment of Rice's management style. "Ipersonally do not like the ultimatum-giving," said one Foreign Serviceofficer. "It is not what State is about."

This pretty much puts Condoleezza Rice out of the running for the Republican VP slot.