RUNNING FOR PRECEDENT

Condi Rice, the National Security Adviser, is stumping for Bush:

In the weeks leading up to the Nov. 2 election, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice has traveled across the country making speeches in key battleground states, including Oregon, Washington, North Carolina and Ohio. In the next five days, she also plans speeches in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida.

The frequency and location of her speeches differ sharply from those before this election year -- and appear to break with the long-standing precedent that the national security adviser try to avoid overt involvement in the presidential campaign. Her predecessors generally restricted themselves to an occasional speech, often in Washington, but counting next week's speeches, Rice will have made nine outside Washington since Labor Day.

Uhh, gee, why is Condoleeza Rice -- the head of national security -- taking time from her busy nation-securing schedule to stump for Bush?

Would it have anything to do with the fact that she's the only member of the entire administration who still polls remotely well?

And doesn't the National Security Advisor have better things to do, especially in the run-up to an election just three years after a large terrorist attack on our soil? Hmm reminds me of the September 8 headline at this site.