Friday, January 23, 2009

Condi's Last Hurrah (hopefully!)

Condoleeza Rice's boss ran up quite a "surge" of Chutzpah of the Week awards during his lame-duck period in the Oval Office. Her "chutzpah count" had fallen so far behind his that it seemed as if she had lost any interest in comradely competition. However, as a performing musician (of sorts), she seems to appreciate the effectiveness of a good coda. To continue that metaphor, in a gesture that could well constitute the mother of all harmonic modulations, she has shifted her presence from the austere pages of Foreign Affairs to that of Variety, for which Ted Johnson reported the following:

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has signed with the William Morris Agency, the first step in what is being called the “reinvention and evolution” of her career.

The agency said Rice will focus on books, lecture appearances, philanthropic activities and “new business initiatives in the media, sports and communications sectors.”

Rice will be represented by WMA chief Jim Wiatt and Wayne Kabak.

Kabak said that Rice will be writing two books: One will focus on her diplomatic career, and the other will be about her parents, the Rev. John Wesley Rice Jr. and Angelena Ray, whom her daughter has referred to as “educational evangelists” for their influence on pursuing academic excellence.

Apparently, Rice is more reluctant to give up the spotlight than her boss was, even if it means engaging William Morris in the interest of "reinvention and evolution." Considering her track record with the Bush Administration, the idea that she can "reinvent" herself as an entertainment commodity seems more than adequate grounds for assigning her a fifth (and hopefully final) Chutzpah of the Week award (which I hope that Wiatt and Kabak will keep in her portfolio).

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