Revisionist History – Boxer Style

Senator Barbara Boxer reached a whole new level of spin this weekend, when she portrayed herself as the victim of a mean-spirited attack by Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice.

"She turned and attacked me," the California Democrat told CNN's "Late Edition" in describing the confrontation during the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

"I gave Dr. Rice many opportunities to address specific issues. Instead, she said I was impugning her integrity," Mrs. Boxer said.

Well, Senator, let’s take a look at that exchange.

"I personally believe — this is my personal view — that your loyalty to the mission you were given, to sell this war, overwhelmed your respect for the truth," Mrs. Boxer told Miss Rice, who has been President Bush's national security adviser since 2001.

Miss Rice responded that she "never, ever lost respect for the truth in the service of anything. It is not my nature. It is not my character."

"And I would hope that we can have this conversation and discuss what happened before and what went on before and what I said without impugning my credibility or my integrity," Miss Rice said.

Well, looks to me like you did impugn her integrity. What else would you call a statement that her loyalty to the president “overwhelmed [her] respect for the truth”? You clearly were saying that Dr. Rice is a liar. Quite frankly, you deserved to be slapped down.

And will somebody tell the folks over at the Washington Times that when referring to Condoleezza Rice it should use “Dr. Rice” rather than “Miss Rice,” since the woman does have an earned doctorate.