Condi's Busy Weekend

In this photograph provided by FOX News Sunday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks about her recent trip to the Middle East during the taping of the show Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007 at the FOX studios in Washington. Rice said the U.S. would hold direct talks with Iran if Tehran suspended its nuclear program. Iran's president, however, pledged to move ahead with enrichment activity that Washington contends masks weapons development. (AP Photo/FOX News Sunday, Freddie Lee)

As a special, extra-glittery treat, click the above picture to experience the thrill of Condi energetically cuddling her softball-sized, spherical, invisible friend! Yay! Note: she wasn't really that green, but the lighting was really terrible. Why does Fox News hate Condi?

And this Obama guy? Heck, he's black enough for Condi, so he's black enough for you. What's that, you say? A member of the Bush Administration praising a Democrat? Don't worry, she wimped out at the last minute, no doubt saving herself lots of mean comments in the hallways at work:

Despite her praise, Rice ducked when asked whether Obama had the experience to be president.

"Oh, I'm not going to make that choice," she said. "The American people are going to make that choice."

Way to dodge that bullet, Dr. Ferragamo, but does that mean that she doesn't vote? And what else did Condi do this weekend before returning to Washington on Sunday to make the rounds of the morning shows? I'm guessing Peter MacKay. Here they are on Friday:

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, left, chats with Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay, right, before they start the Security, Prosperity and Partnership meeting in Ottawa, Friday, Feb. 23, 2007. (AP PHOTO/CP, Fred Chartrand)

So Saturday must have been their luv day, one which they no doubt spent wandering around Ottawa, visiting local chain coffee outlets and creating buzz in that quaint, primitive land. Whenever she goes to Canada, it's like a fairy tale*, don't you think?

And, finally, it's always exciting when the Diplomatrix discusses her own personal religious views, as noted by the Washington Post:

Responding to tough comments from Russian leaders about the United States and its missile defense plans, Rice showed she's a policy wonk at heart. A scholar of the Soviet Union, she dismissed the idea that a new Cold War is brewing. "I used to do this for a living, arms control -- you know, how many warheads could dance on the head of an SS-18," the intercontinental ballistic missile.

*Speaking of fairy tales, I'm so pleased that El Laberinto del Fauno, easily one of the best films I've ever seen, won three Academy Awards last night. It's too bad that Guillermo del Toro didn't win one himself, but it's a rarity that anything even vaguely fantastic is recognized.

Their Love Stretches Across the Gulf which Separates Their Podiums

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , right, walks with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay towards the podium for their joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Ohhh, tongues (mostly Canadian ones) are going to be wagging (again), because here's Condi quivering with excitement to be with her foxiest colleague, dreamy diplohunk Peter MacKay, once again. And I seriously doubt that Condi chose this occasion to trot out her hottest red suitlet merely because it was next in line on the rack in her voluminous closet. Look here, you can see the lusty electricity crackling in this otherwise standard dueling podiums shot:

See? She's even presenting him with her invisible, spherical object! And doesn't he look entranced? It's LUV. I hope they've gotten past that little incident where he publicly disavowed their torrid affair.

One issue: why didn't Condi have the sense to stage this photo-op at a nearby Starbuck's?

MacKay Publicly Calls Off Fake Relationship with Condi

Canuck diplohunk Peter Mackay made the world cry today:

HANOI (AFP) - Canada's foreign minister laughed off talk of resuming his close relationship with US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice as the two envoys prepared to meet at an Asia-Pacific summit.

"It's strictly professional and strictly platonic," Peter MacKay told AFP, blushing slightly when asked about prospects of a moonlight walk in Hanoi.

Sparks appeared to fly in September when Rice, 51, and MacKay, 40, shared warm moments during her visit to Canada, clasping hands and appearing to look deep into each other's eyes after a press conference.

*sniff* I hope he at least had the decency to text message Condi before declaring his lack of romantic interest in her so heartlessly. If this doesn't prove he's gay, I don't know what could.

Photo-Op Roundup!

OMG, when I said "Condi's back!" I wasn't really prepared for the relentless barrage of posed photo-ops, dueling podiums and matching armchairs which followed. Let's catch up, OK? First up, France's Interior Minister:

France's Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy (L) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the State Department in Washington, September 12, 2006. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

And, yes, that's immediately after Condi returned from her romantic getaway with Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, as documented on Tuesday. People, I think the fact that Condi didn't even change her outfit kinda puts the kibosh on the whole romantic speculation thing, don't you? (According to the NY Times and Pony Pal™ Lulu, all of Canada is positively atwitter about all this.) But anyway, don't you love the pose with the French guy? It's like they're saying, "You're stupid! No, you're stupid!" Silly diplomats! You're both right!

Next up is the President of South Korea:

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, right, greets Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a meeting at the Blair House, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006, in Washington. Roh is in Washington Wednesday for meetings and sightseeing and is scheduled to meet with President Bush Thursday. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Ah yes, meetings and sightseeing. And here he is with one of Washington's most popular visitor attractions: Condi! But notice that this isn't Condi's plush palace at the State Department, but some dump called the Blair House, so they've had to make up for the lack of a fireplace, standard to the matching armchairs photo-op, with a selection of lovely bowls! Works for me.

Next on La Rice's dance card was the Polish Prime Minister, and he was kinda given the bum's rush, and was merely allowed to stand near the matching armchairs, not in them:

Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kacynski, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice deliver a brief statement, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006, at the State Department Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

Not much to say about this encounter. Cute li'l munchkin, isn't he? But get out of the way, Short-stuff, because Condi's got a date with some podiums:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, center, walks in before the start of her press conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni at the State Department, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006, in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

And who was her dueling podium date? Why, it's her Iraeli counterpart, the excitingly-named Tzipi Livni:

Clearly, Condi madly loves this woman, and that's even more proof that her fling with Peter MacKay was all a sham.

Whew! That's a lotta Condoleezza! And that doesn't even include today's photo-ops! Will Condi end the week with a bang, or is she all worn out and used up by this time? Stay tuned!

More Madcap Fun with Condi... Well, as Madcap as Canada Can Get, Anyway!

Condi Rice shows appreciation for Canada's support on 9-11 by buying Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay coffee and the donut of his choosing.

Thanks to Pony Pal™ David, who also supplied the superb caption above, I headed over to the Toronto Star and almost exploded with happiness to find this slideshow, thrillingly titled Condi's Canadian Adventure. I mean, seriously, could they have come up with a more superfantastic title? Have I been ghostwriting for them in my sleep? And because Foreign Minister Peter MacKay is such an urban sophisticate, he took Princess Secretary to Tim Horton's Coffee Shop, which I have been assured is, like, totally Canada's Starbuck's*, something unlike anything Condi's ever experienced, I'm sure. What could be more fun? I mean, seriously... what could be more fun?

Oh, and I'm assuming that she also talked to Mr. MacKay about all those ultra-important issues upon which we work so closely with Canada. Totally.

*So weird, because all this time I thought that Starbuck's was Canada's Starbuck's! Are you guys sure it isn't Canada's Dunkin' Donuts?

UPDATE: Yes, yes, this encounter has resulted in a cavalcade of speculation. Um... whenever Condi appears with a single guy, this happens... even when, like Jack Straw or George Bush, they're married.

Condi Hits Russia, but Who Cares?

Foreign ministers of the G8 countries and EU Commissioners, from left, front, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo d'Alema, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, Canadian Foreign Minister Peter MacKay, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and EU Foreign Policy Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner pose for a group photo prior to the session in Moscow, Thursday, June 29, 2006. Ministers gathered here for talks expected to focus on the Iranian nuclear standoff as well as the situation in Iraq, where the killing of four Russian Embassy staff members has added tension between Russia and the West. (AP Photo/ Alexander Nemenov, Pool )

...because look who's in the upper left: Austria's towering stilt-walker of diplomacy, Ursula Plassnik, with her biggest scarf EVER! OMG, how much do I love that woman?