Condoleezza

WASHINGTON - National security adviser Condoleezza Rice defended the emphatic statements she made in the run-up to the Iraq war that Saddam Husssein was rebuilding his nuclear weapons program, as a news report said that prominent officials had voiced doubts much earlier about the evidence behind her claims. Rice acknowledged that she knew in 2002 of a "dispute" among intelligence officials about a central piece of evidence she and other senior Bush administration officials were using to justify the war - that Hussein was trying to obtain high-strength aluminum tubes to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.

WASHINGTON -- Fellow Republicans increased pressure yesterday on national security adviser Condoleezza Rice to testify publicly under oath before the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks, with one panel member saying the White House was making "a political blunder." Rice, in a prime-time television interview, reiterated the White House argument that the president's top advisers should not be forced to testify in public. "We have absolutely nothing to hide," she insisted. "I've already spent four hours with the commission.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of state nominee Condoleezza Rice defended herself yesterday against sharp, at times withering, criticism of her past statements on Iraq as she resisted providing an exit strategy for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the war-torn country. Rice, at a confirmation hearing, was largely unflappable - if occasionally uncomfortable - as members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee peppered her with questions on a broad spectrum of international trouble spots. But the issue of how to disengage from Iraq remained the center of gravity for the nearly nine-hour interrogation session.

Commission member Richard Ben-Veniste: Did you tell the president, at any time prior to August 6, of the existence of al-Qaida cells in the United States? National security adviser Condoleezza Rice: First, let me just make certain ... Ben-Veniste: If you could just answer that question because I only have a very limited ... Rice: I understand, commissioner, but it's important ... Ben-Veniste: Did you tell the president ... Rice: ... that I also address ... (Applause) It's also important that, commissioner, that I address the other issues that you have raised.

If you're like me, you're excited about Condi Rice's upcoming appearance on NBC's sitcom "30 Rock. "  After all, what's not to like? One of America's smartest people on the country's funniest TV show = endless possibilities.  We know that Condi had a brief affair with Jack Donaghy (played by Alec Baldwin). But why limit the former secretary of state to a love interest role? With her intelligence, talent and concert pianist skills, there have got to be more ways for Condi to help the "30 Rock" cast than merely becoming yet another notch in Donaghy's belt.  Condi could do anything from saving "TGS" to saving the country. So I started brainstorming and here's what I came up with.  Here are my top five picks for what Condi should do on "30 Rock":  5)

There was a showdown of epic proportions tonight on "30 Rock. "  Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made her long-awaited appearance on the show and did not disappoint.  After exchanging barbs with ex-boyfriend Jack Donaghy who's played by Alec Baldwin -- Jack apologized for "drinking with Karl Rove on Valentine's Day" and Rice confessed the identity of her favorite movie: "'Mars Attacks!' is awesome" -- the duo engaged in a music battle.  It was piano vs. flute and no chords were barred.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would allow a foreign country, Israel, to discriminate against select groups of American citizens - including Americans who have expressed criticism of its policies. Disappointingly, the bill, S.B. 462 (also known as the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013), is co-sponsored by Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin. Those who stand to be most affected by this piece of legislation are Arab Americans and Muslim Americans. However, it may also apply to individuals who wish to visit or work in Israel and/or the Palestinian territories that Israel has occupied since 1967.

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice will offer long-awaited testimony today before the national commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Will she rebut Richard A. Clarke, President George W. Bush's former counterterrorism adviser, who sharply criticized her last month for allegedly neglecting concerns about al-Qaida? Will she argue that President Bush was truly focused on terrorism before the attacks? Whatever tack she takes, the book on Rice suggests today's will be a performance worth watching.

In September 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the eulogy for three of the four girls killed in the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. What King could not know was that within earshot of the blast, just blocks away at her father's church, was another little black girl, a friend of the youngest victim, who 42 years later would be on the verge of becoming America's foremost diplomat. This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, marking what would have been his 76th birthday, is tomorrow.

Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice took a day off from work last week to be treated at Georgetown University Hospital for what news organizations described as minor surgery. In fact, Rice, 50, President Bush's national security adviser, underwent a surgical procedure to treat noncancerous tumors of the uterus. These tumors, called fibroids, are one of the largest health issues facing American women today, with nearly half of all women older than 35 afflicted. While the tumors are almost always noncancerous, they range in severity from hardly noticeable to very painful.