Political transitions tend to focus on those newly elected and appointed but such periods also present us with an opportunity to sum up the accomplishments of those who are leaving government. Senior officials want to take advantage of the media's attention while it is still focused on them and everyone has a natural desire to try and shape what is written and broadcast about their time in office.
Thus, like her boss, President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is granting more than two dozen so-called "legacy" or "exit" interviews as she prepares to leave Washington and return to Stanford University. Among the traits both Mr. Bush and Dr. Rice share is a tendency to see the glass half full, to dwell on the positive which is clearly evident in the interviews.
"I'm so gratified that we are leaving a much better situation on Israeli-Palestinian issues than we found," Rice said in her interview with CBS Radio News. Talking to the Associated Press about the war in Iraq, Rice started a very long answer with a reference to the ouster of Saddam Hussein: "The removal of a tyrant is a pretty big thing."
