I'm listening to Air America right now. The meme is that Condi is incredibly dishonest, and Barbara Boxer is an honest, straight shooter for raking her over the coals. Thought I'd read the transcript and decide for myself.

Right out of the starting gate, Boxer berates Condi's apparent crass opportunism, for allegedly being happy about the tragedy of the tsunami:

Dr. Rice, before I get to my formal remarks, you no doubt will be confirmed -- that's at least what we think. And if you're going to become the voice of diplomacy -- this is just a helpful point -- when Senator Voinovich mentioned the issue of tsunami relief, you said -- your first words were, "The tsunami was a wonderful opportunity for us." Now, the tsunami was one of the worst tragedies of our lifetime -- one of the worst -- and it's going to have a 10-year impact on rebuilding that area. I was very disappointed in your statement. I think you blew the opportunity. You mention it as part of one sentence. And I would hope to work with you on this, because children are suffering, we're worried they're going to get in the sex trade. This thing is a disaster, a true natural disaster and a human disaster of great proportions...

How awful for Condi to think of the tsunami as "wonderful"!

Or wait, could it be that Barabara Boxer is being dishonest here? No! Un-possible! Well, let's look at the actual context of that conversation just to be sure:

VOINOVICH: ... I think what we're doing in the tsunami right now is wonderful. I think it's -- but we have got to show people that we love them, that we are for democracy, that we want them to enjoy the same thing but we haven't any hidden motives. What are you planning on doing in that area to respond to that?

RICE: Senator, first of all, I do agree that the tsunami was a wonderful opportunity to show not just the U.S. government, but the heart of the American people. And I think it has paid great dividends for us.

Oh dear! It was someone else who said the "wonderful" near "tsunami". How terrible, and unethical of Condi to echo his use of the word, when describing the act of aiding people. We should never say it is "wonderful" to see the nation rise up and help people in a time of crisis. That is, in fact terrible for people to do -- and shows the utter depravity of all those who helped out. How dare Condi fail to correct Voinovich on this point!

(Nor should we ever point out it is profitable to do the right thing!)

This is approximately as honest accusing someone who said it was as "good time to try to help our fellow man" of saying the tsunami was a "good time"!

So, at least on this point, I once again took Boxer's word for something, and ... surprise, surprise, it turns out she was taking a quote out of context in a way which changed the meaning. What is this world coming to?

Thanks, Captain Ed.