"I wonder how long before the left-liberal set begins referring to these women as "The Witches 3"? Charmed, I'm sure."

We'll all watch and wait for that one.

Although I sense a bit of projection here.

Not a fan of Karen Hughes, but I've been impressed by Rice so far. Thought she was a lousy NSA, but perhaps she was boxed in by the Powell-Rumsfeld contretemps. Dina could be good. Not excited about the Veep's daughter.

Not a fan of Karen Hughes? What, are you kidding? She's amazing! She could sell sand in the Sahara, she's THAT good a salesman.

The question that springs to my (post)feminist mind is one that might get Larry Summers castrated--but I'm a girl and far from Cambridge so here goes--can these women LEAD? Can they lead a huge, dysfunctional organization, no less? The power they hold (at least the two majors) derives (as with most of us on the distaff side, sad to say) from relationships with a powerful (underratedly progressive) man. That does not automatically translate into leadership skills.

I think Condie stands a better chance than M. Albright at making her mark on State (had many friends and loved ones at Main State under her tenure, all attested to her lack of rapport or outreach to all below the top ranks--vastly different and less successful than Powell, by the way). But the chaos and backbiting at the NSC under her watch does not augur well. We'll see.

"Be careful what you wish for" sums up the essentially the entire Bush era.

"I want troops out of Saudi Arabia, the Iraqi embargo lifted, and the US to stop interfering in Palestine!"

"Go to the UN"
"Get authorization from Congress!"
"Investigate Valerie Plame leak!"

Clio,

The massive effect of one's relationship with the President on power relationships within the Washington bureaucracy is immutable, invariant, and utterly sexless.

But let's step out of the political angle and focus on the corporate/ organizational angle for a sec.

Indeed, if you're worried about the glass ceiling, this sort of thing is EXACTLY what you ought to be asking for. R. Don Steele explains why - and whether you like this or not, this is the reality for women AND men in any large organization.

What you're seeing is one potential political star (Condi), one trusted power player who can write her own ticket (Hughes), and one future top bureaucrat/ executive in the making (Powell- who is obviously NOT Colin's daughter given her origin details).

The biggest winner in all of this? Powell, even if this lands Rice a VP stint. Why? Because as of now, Ms. Powell is corporate CEO material. If you doubt that, read Steele, and consider:

• First, she will be building a wide net of media connections for herself, to go with the connections she already has to senior administration figures she helped hire. In the real world there's an implied "marker" there that isn't talked about, but it's real nonetheless. It's a trans-political, trans-gender, and omni-partisan phenomenon.

• Second, the connection she'll build will be international, in an age of globalized business and (increasingly) globalized politics.

• Finally, Rice has excellent odds of being Commissioner of the NFL if and when she's done with the politics thing. The level of corporate access that entails almost beggars the imagination. The Condi connection alone can write Dina Powell's carticket for the rest of her career - even if her performance at State turns out to be unspectacular, and even if this is the last thing Rice does in politics.

If glass ceilings worry you, this is how the real world works, and how that game is played. The women profiled here are all doing just fine thank you - and providing examples that ANY ambitious corporate climber, male or female, ought to play close attention to.

And Davebo - the stinger wasn't the moniker, but the TV reference. Though the use of the moniker wouldn't surprise, given the vicious racial caricatures that have been aimed at Ms. Rice and the general belief in Republican Eeeevil ™.

Personally, I was tickled by the metaphor of 3 women using their unusual powers in order to save the world amidst an ongoing battle between good and evil. If the moniker ever does get used, therefore, it may not echo in quite the manner intended.

One more semi-hidden "be careful what you wish for" illustration? Yes.

I wrote and sent this letter to President Bush a week ago and never received a reply.

President Bush:
My name is Robert Roy of Reno, Nevada. In early 2003 I wrote to you and asked for your help with an immigration matter and you referred me to Homeland Security. I am sorry to say I did nor receive any help from this department. The only reason I would bother you with this problem is the hopelessness of this situation because of the abuse of power by the immigration department.
Almost four years ago I met and married a Muslim woman in Morocco. My wife had endured a life of severe physical abuse from her father and her brother, beatings which resulted with one of her eyes being knocked out of it's socket at one time. I mention this only to explain the seriousness of the situation. Add to this is my wife's intention to become Christian after we married. Her brother attacked her again with the intent of serious harm, I had to fly back to Morocco and take her into hiding in her own country. She has been in hiding for almost four years, and her brother still looks for her.
My wife has been hospitalized twice in these last four years because of nervous breakdowns. She now lives in a housing compound that is protected by armed guards.
I have pleaded and begged the immigration department to allow her entry into the United States, but to no avail. The Immigration office in Reno has done all in their power to keep her out of the U.S. even though her application has been accepted by the National Visa center in New Hampshire. Our file was lost for one whole year in this Reno office, only to be found later in this same office on someone's desk. And now our file has been lost again and I have been told we will have to start our paperwork all over again. They have not asked for the copies that I have at home, neither have they explained why none of our paperwork was not put on computer files in their offices. There is something really bad going on in this Reno Immigration office and my wife and I are suffering for it. I am appealing to you President Bush for help in this matter because I do not want my wife to die. She is a wonderful person and a self taught painter, her paintings have been admired by many.
I have appealed to my Senators here in Nevada through their office employees. These employees seem to feel that all is normal and see no reason to bring this matter before the eyes of the senators. So we have senators, but we can't reach them. I have spent all my savings on this problem, I do not have the money to start all over again. The question is often asked " Why do we have eleven million illegal aliens in the U.S." People lose Hope, Faith and respect for the government.
I have worked hard, paid my taxes and with this immigration matter my wife and I have done everything needed in a proper way, and we have been treated in a very unchristian way, how do I explain this to my wife.
I saw you on the news today Mr. President, you stated that Immigration Law does not work and that people needed to be treated with compassion. I am asking for Christian Compassion from you President Bush, because no one else wants to help. My wife needs at this moment to experience Christian compassion and I should tell you I need, at this time in my life, to experience it also. I pray that you will help us in this matter, we have no one else to turn to. Please let my wife into the United States. Sincerely, Robert G. Roy