farewell to Powell, Condi and Ridge?

A just-issued AP article states (re: Bush's getting started on 2nd term):

Time and energy also will be consumed dealing with the inevitable rash of Cabinet departures, likely to include at least Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

With new bin Laden tapes showing up seemingly every day, how is Dubya going to handle the loss of the Sec. of State, the national sec. advisor, and the DHS secretary all at once? Any thoughts who might be able to jump in and (quickly) fill their shoes without needing time for a learning curve?


source

**edit** Could the reason for their departures be that they were asked to leave? Remember, in one of the debates Bush stated that he had made mistakes on "some people I appointed." It's really no surprise that Powell's leaving, but Condi and Tom Ridge? Hmm....

[edit on 11/4/2004 by sandge]

Rumsfield and Asscrack will be gone soon. Rumsfield is involved in a class action lawsuit against Saccarin and Asscrack is just a bad apple. I would say Bush will be starting over from scratch which means more chaos.

Just heard on CNN that Ashcroft will be resigning.
Possible conflicts with the Patriot Act. Go fingure?
Health issues also.

Halliburton is sinking into a multitude of scandals which will hopefully sever to wake alot of folks up as to what kind of crooks are dictating our foriegn policy. Enron went down in flames, unfortunately america forgot Cheney and Bush when they dragged Kenneth Lay to court.

Good points, all.

However, to borrow one of my grandfather's expressions, this country is "ass deep in alligators." How are we going to handle getting an entirely new administration up to speed in the middle of "Shrub's War"?

The only replacement for Powell I could come up with would be Armitage, but there's no way he'll stick around if Powell leaves.

For Condi... maybe Dubya will stay true to form and loot Daddy's old cabinet. Brent Scowcroft, anyone?

As for DHS -- who in their right mind would want *that* job?

Originally posted by GrndLkNatv
Rumsfield and Asscrack will be gone soon. Rumsfield is involved in a class action lawsuit against Saccarin and Asscrack is just a bad apple. I would say Bush will be starting over from scratch which means more chaos.

I have to give it to you that post make me laught until my stomach ached.

Actualy I am glad that Asscrack is gone even when I was in favor of bush back in 2000 I did not like his appoitment.

They are thinking about bringing Gulliani.

For Powell he was just a poppet, I used to respect him before the war I lost my faith in him after.

Condi, well she was just an attractive package for the black voter, so now that bush has nothing to lose she can go back to her job with the bush family business, ( in oil) occurs, they are going to need her after bush privatize Iraq oil and give it to the american oil corporations.

Well I have to say that Powell has been a major disappointment as SOS. He started out with a lot of promise, but his refusal to stand up to Rumsfeld blunted his impact. His political career may be over.

Ridge has done nothing worthwhile that I can see, other than issuing the occasional color coded announcement.

Tommy Thompson is another purely political appointment that has not panned out that well.