Speaking of Incompetence.

So Powell is gone, and will apparently, pending Senate confirmation,

be replaced with Condi "Bin Laden determined to stike in the US" Rice.
I guess if we are going to have a third string presnident, he may as well be surrounded by second stringers and yes (wo)men.

US President George W Bush has chosen national security adviser Condoleezza Rice as his new secretary of state, senior US officials in Washington say.

Ms Rice, 50, a close confidante of Mr Bush, could be named on Tuesday to succeed Colin Powell, US media report.

As the first black female secretary of state she would win a place in the history books, correspondents say.

Well there you go, one for the History books. If no other reason I guess this is fantastic, though I am not sure history will remember her stint at the NSA too fondly.

Mr Powell, 67, resigned on Monday. He said it had always been his intention to serve only one term.

His resignation was announced along with three other cabinet members, bringing to six the number of key figures to leave the 15-member cabinet.

'Driven and highly ambitious'

US media networks have said that Ms Rice has accepted the offer and a formal announcement is expected on Tuesday.

Ms Rice is a trusted member of President's Bush innermost circle - some describe her as almost family, the BBC's Jill McGivering in Washington says. She is also said to share many of his views, and is described as driven and highly ambitious, our correspondent says.

Ms Rice is seen as a more abrasive character than UN ambassador John Danforth who was earlier also tipped as a possible successor to Mr Powell, analysts say.

Is it just me or is anyone else believe that last thing that we need at this time is more Sandpaper in the State Department? I guess that we have decided to abandon the carrot and rely soley on the stick to steer the ship of State.