POLITICS Colin Powell: The Incredible Shrinking Secretary of State

Although he absented himself from the Republican Convention and the Olympics, Secretary Powell did manage to drag himself out of bed on a Sunday Morning up for George Stephanopoulos' chatfest, to show, at the very least, that he is still somewhat relevant.

Although it appears that Powell is trying to make his stand on Sudan, to make Darfur his legacy as, perhaps, he is viewed, at least from The Corsair's rarefied media perch, the weakest Secretary of State in modern history (Did the Bushies ever really give Powell the keys to the car? Was he just some charming dusky window dressing after all? Has there ever been a time in recent memory when a Defense Secretary stands so much taller than the Secretary of State, usually the number 3 person in the Executive Branch?).

Stephanopoulos, with that dark Mediterranean gemlike gleam about the eyes kept trying to draw the Secretary into the 2004 campaign. Powell deftly avoided the Greek Assassin, saying that it was against "tradition" for State to get involved in the campaign.

And, as to what that sinister 2 mile high cloud above North Korea was last week, the Secretary piped in, "We're not sure what that was."

But, apparently, it wasn't nuclear.

Also on The Greek Assassin's hit list was uber Power Broker, Citigroup moneyman Robert Rubin, The Democrat Who Knows About Money (what's he doing in the elephant party, anyhoo?). From his office, next to a globe, under soft, carmelized light, oozing unselfconscious Wall Street Power, Rubin did his best audition for either the Fed Reserve Chief or Secretary of State (watch out Senator Biden and Diane Sawyer's ex sweetie-pie, Ambassador Holbrooke, there's a new man in town) under a possible Kerry Administration, he railed against, "an horrendous fiscal policy in the past 31/2 years."

And, in a subtly worded, Rortyan defense of Liberalism and the Eastern Establishment blue-state mindset, subtly praised Kerry for his "thoughtfulness," and his ability to "see a problem from all sides."

Too true, but Kerry doesn't talk to God, like Bushie The Younger.

And, rounding out The Greek Assassin was an allusion to the former crack smoking Mayor of DC, Marion "Bitch Set Me Up" Barry, who is running for a seat on the DC City Council on Tuesday as a trial run for a possible ascention back into the Mayor's office in two years. Hmm: is his campaign slogan: "Beam Me Up, Scotty"?

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