Worse US Secretary of State past 30 years

[LynneSin]

Poll question: Worse US Secretary of State past 30 years

There are sooooo many to choose from - who was the worse!!!

To be fair, I'm including ALL of the past Secretary of States under all of the presidents regardless of party. Time served is also listed. I did eliminate one minor one that served under Bush.

[MrBenchley]

1. Only one of these is on the lam

for war crimes...and that's Henry the K, who at this point cannot go abroad for fear of subpoenas and warrants....

[IrateCitizen]

2. This discussion begins and ends with Alexander Haig

While I'm no fan of Kissinger, and consider him to be little more than a modern-day Machiavelli, I do NOT consider the man to be any kind of "failure". Completely and utterly misguided, yes. But hardly a failure.

Al Haig, on the other hand, is a virtual laughingstock in addition to being one of the most soulless beings on the planet. If you've ever seen an interview with him, you will know what I am talking about. Just listening to him in the documentary, "The Trials of Henry Kissinger" confirmed that for me. When you look into his eyes all you see is complete blackness. :scared:

And just remember the whole, "I'm in charge!" thing after Reagan was shot.

[LynneSin]

8. It was Haig and the "I'm in Charge" quote that made me think of this poll

Especially with Bush and his "I'm in Charge" speeches about the Iraq war.

I think both of your points are valid, but Haig never caused the type of genocide that Kissinger's policies have created. We mourn about 9/11 but we forget that 30 years ago the United States created their own act of terrorism when we help overthrow democratically elected Salvador Allende in Chile (9/11/73) for that horrible dictator Augusto Pinochet.

Haig wins only for being the horrible, callus doofus that he was. But Kissinger wins because to me, he's a murderer.

[emad]

14. The laughingstock part is 110% true!

Al Haig couldn't distinguish a counter-intelligence story from a Star Trek episode. His strategic game play makes Boris Yeltsin seem like an inspired teetotaller with a prophetic vision.

[HFishbine]

3. Powell

Because he had credibility and prestige but sold out. Haig and Kissenger were terrible, but they made no pretense. Powell whored for bad policy and compromised his integrity too.

[eileen_d]

4. I love how you have "I liked them all" as a choice

Definitely, I have miniature ceramic "figurines" of each one! Collect them all!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. James A. Baker 3d- by a mile

Seeing his demonic face polluting the airwaves November 2000 brought it all back to me what an evil man he is. Who allowed Gulf War I to happen? :shrug: Nice diplomacy! NOT!

[RichM]

6. I deeply despise Baker now, but must admit, when he was in office, I had

no idea what an evil bastard he really was.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. Because he so stealthily did his "job"

which no doubt had a lot to do with directing money and contracts to the Bush cartel. I doubt April Glasspie worked in a vaccuum.

[emad]

7. Without meaning to diminish any of the above -

especially those rubbishing Al Haig and James Baker who were assholes of a calibre previously thought unimaginable - I have to go with Cyrus Vance because my mom sued him and won.....and her personal opinion on his paucity of integrity is what cheers me along when times are hard!

Having said that, it is gobsmacking unbelievable that Kissinger has evaded being banged up in the slammer...

[beyurslf]

9. I would like to say

Colin Powell but I think he is more "most disappointing." I liked him before this admin made him what he is today.

[Aidoneus]

11. tough to say..

none of them were good. I'd say the race to the bottom among these rogues is a toss-up between Kissinger, Baker, and Albright. :shrug:

No positive credit given to the rest, however, they're just bushleague bozos by comparison.

[Fenris]

12. Kissinger was the most wicked of them all, BUT

Since I have only one vote, I have to say Al Haig. How that man got THAT job is beyond me. If you don't know the line of succession PAST the V.P., you have no business in government.

[leftofthedial]

13. Kissinger just edges out Colonoscopy

for worst.

When Rect, um I mean Colin, is indicted for war crimes, it will be a dead heat.

[Iverson]

15. Who helped the most people to die?

One of them far outstrips the others, I think.

[LittleApple81]

16. Nit picking: shouldn't it be worst? and I voted for Kissinger. n/t

[LynneSin]

17. nitpicker

um, but you're right

and I can't edit out the typo!!

[Aristus]

18. Kissinger, Haig, Baker III, and Powell.

All bad. All the time. But Cyrus Vance, I at least have a tenuous personal connection to. His nephew was the Sergeant-Major of my battalion over in Germany. What a gaseous, louumouth, soulless, idiotic f*ckwad that sorry sack of shit was. Hated that m****rf****r!

[Cheviot]

19. I'm a little concerned about racism towards Powell

For years we've been wanting blacks to be allowed to reach high political office. We finally have one with Powell. I think he should be granted a bit of leeway here. After all, the trail he has blazed has been a very difficult one. Let's not roll back gains blacks have made.

[RichM]

20. His race is not the issue. The issue is that he's a liar & a shithead.

In general, one wants to see minorities do well, sure. This hardly means, however, that you "grant leeway" to people so unprincipled that they're happy & willing to carry water for the Bush gangsters. Condi Rice & Clarence Thomas & Michael Powell and Colin should all be recognized as being exactly what they are -- liars, weasels & bottomlessly corrupted reactionaries.

[LynneSin]

22. Sorry, not buying it

Don't pull a 'Rush' on the Colin Powell. He deserves no more leeway than any other Secretary of State.

If I'm correct, Madeline Albright was one of the first women to serve as 'Secretary of State'. Should I have given her some slack because she was a woman?

Colin Powell, like all those who served before him, should be judged based on his/her performance and NOT on the color of skin or chromosome makeup. Personally I think he's far from the worse when I consider the stupidity of Haig, the criminality of Kissinger and the illegalities of Baker. If Powell ever wants to recoup some of the admiration that he's had he should resign now. Powell will never be given the ability to best serve our country as long as the Bush Regime is pulling the strings!

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

21. Anybody who didn't vote for Kissinger

is obviously too young to remember him well. Pure freaking evil! Colin Powell is a beacon of enlightenment by comparison.

[pmbryant]

23. I voted for Kissinger

It helps that I just watched "The Trials of Henry Kissinger" last night on video.

:scared:

--Peter

[Unknown Known]

24. Kissinger, Baker & Schultz have to be the worst.

I am no fan of Haig, but I have recently been re-examining the attempted assassination of Reagan, and have decided that Haig's role in that has been historically misinterpreted.