Condoleezza Rice on Obama and Future Plans

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Bush administration’s highest-ranking African American official, is hailing the election of the first black US President, an is pledging to do all she can to make the transition smooth for the incoming Obama administration. 

Today Rice called President-elect Obama “inspirational” adding “this is a country that has been through a long journey in terms of overcoming wounds and making race not the factor in our lives.  That work is not done, but yesterday was obviously an extraordinary step forward.”

Rice was here in California two weeks ago at the Governor and First Lady’s Women Conference in Long Beach. At a luncheon Q & A, said she will not seek public office. She plans to go back to Stanford University and teach.

 

She also says she will write “a book or two” about American foreign policy as well as a book about her parents who “sacrificed everything” for her education.

Speaking of education, Rice called the topic her chief concern.  She called education – kindergarten through 12^th grade – “the greatest national security threat facing American today.