Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wowed the Europeans on her first trip abroad

* Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wowed the Europeans on her first trip abroad. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder looked positively smitten, and anyone who has ever been around Rice will understand why. Her charm offensive, however, came with a flash of steel, as she didn't give an inch on President Bush's agenda.

What a relief to have a secretary of state actively engaged in selling U.S. policy abroad rather than trying to undermine it at home, as her predecessor often did. But we still worry, given some of her early personnel decisions, that Rice may risk getting captured over the long run by the Foggy Bottom bureaucracy. That it is why it so important to make sure that committed, serious conservatives like John Bolton--currently undersecretary for arms control--feature prominently in the second term. For now, however, all we can say is: Bravo, Madame Secretary.

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