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Condoleezza Rice and History's "Long Arc"

Condi Rice appeared on the Tonight Show last night as her first post-White House event (click here to watch), and the always affable Jay Leno asked her some semi-political questions. Leno inquired about George Bush's historical legacy ("History has a long arc, and what is popular today and today’s headlines are rarely the same as history’s judgments") and whether or not she'd be giving the Obama administration public advice ("We owe them our loyalty and our silence while they do it"). Rice gave an utterly dignified and commendable interview for a general interest show. Of course, Leno's not pressing her on the torture meted out at Gitmo, but that's not really his job.

"I am so happy to get up in the morning, read the newspaper, and not think I have to do anything about what’s in it," Condi said last night. But as details of the torture tactics continue to emerge, reading the newspaper may not be so pleasurable, and history's judgment may not be so benign.