On the issue of Iran it seems clear that she has been on the side of the angels and against Cheney's hardliners who would have attacked Iran already if it was up to them.

That's not to absolve her of responsibility for this administration's record.  But it's not hard for me to imagine that she'd be valuable to talk to.

"Condoleezza Rice testified this morning before the 9/11 commission. Or as they're calling it in Washington -- 'The Passion of the Rice'. ... She did a great job. It is not easy raising your right hand while you're trying to cover your ass at the same time." --Jay Leno

I'll bet it's even tighter this year.

the other things is rice isn't an evil person.  I'm quite certain she is very much the genius in her own right currently employed by a dolt.  which happens.

Here's an interesting tidbit from the wiki...

Early political views

Rice was a Democrat until 1982 when she changed her political affiliation to Republican after growing averse to former President Jimmy Carter's foreign policy.[17] She also cited influence from her father, John Wesley, in this decision, who himself switched from Democrat to Republican after being denied voting registration by the Democratic registrar. In her words to the 2000 Republican National Convention, "My father joined our party because the Democrats in Jim Crow Alabama of 1952 would not register him to vote. The Republicans did."[18]

However, despite her party switch, Rice served as foreign policy advisor to the presidential campaign of Democratic U.S. Senator Gary Hart of Colorado during the 1984 primaries.[19]

on the one hand, if one is inclined to see this as more than just a political gesture of bi-partisanship, i have no problem with Obama consulting someone who rejected Carter's foriegn policy agenda.  

And I can't.  I really wish I could cause it's getting better, but it isn't and it taints every positive attitude that might remain in my heart and mind about politics.

And that's anyone out there who DOES believe Obama should not be consulting with Rice and would be ripping Clinton much worse if Clinton did the same thing herself (even though I don't think she'd have to).

But my honest feeling is Obama should not be criticized for consulting with Rice.  I support it.  It doesn't mean he's going to adopt the ideology, but fact remains Rice still has a perspective and has access to info and long term agendas that Obama should, at the very least, listen.  If only to reject.

I really should be a lot more outraged about Obama taking advice from Condi considering his whole schtick about how people who voted yes on the AUMF lack judgment.

Because, now this is going to be fairly shocking to some of you, Condi happens to be AA, and this coupled with her bang-up job on FP is going to lead some to believe Obama is consulting her merely because she is AA. Not me; I won't jump to that conclusion immediately, I think he's trying for that 'non-partisan' angle myself.*

Anyway, I'm sure he's got non-reacial reasons for talking with Condi, but they're going to have to be more than just logical, especially with certain elements of our population. They're going to have to be pretty darned compelling. Appearances are everything, as he is very aware much aware of, and he should have seen / known this was coming.

Hopefully his campaign won't attack those who criticize Condi as being reacist, or he can count on losing at least 3-4 % in the next poll.

She is about the most out-of-her/his-depth diplomat we've had in decades. Her "expertise" is Soviet (not Russian, but Soviet) culture and politics. Another example of the utter imbecility of Bush that he chose her -- and promoted her then kept her on -- when the key diplomatic challenges facing the nation so clearly fell outside her areas of expertise.

Cheney and his imps couldn't have begged for a more perfect foil for their machinations.