I am pleased to see Secretary Rice receive such an honor. Congrats!! For anyone whom would take this opportune time time to diminish this once in a lifetime event for her with politics should get themselves involved within the career field. Let's see how well you do to provide your idealism to the administration when you are not the one in the oval office. Is that a challenge?! I believe it is. Whom will take it?

Condi certainly would have boosted the chances of McCain if she was his running mate. Wonder what future Condi has in mind besides playing the piano. I suspect she will be Ambassador to some country.

her rhythm isn't very good

A lot of bad things has been said about Bush and his party, I'm one of those believers, "there's some good in the bad, and some bad in the good" Rice was good for Bush.

Rice, like Colin Powell, were the few good things that Bush did right by in his administration. They were pretty much under tight leash from the Bush administration, and had little recourse. Rice was offered these high profile positions within the Bush administration and it would have been foolish to turn them down, given the fact that they might never have been on the table again. I think Bush merely did this to give the appearance of inclusion but never really cared much. Had Obama come along before to offer them these positions they probably would much have rather been a part of his administration than Bush(remember that they were defending Bush's policies while clenching their mouths?)

The Queen didn't even stay for the whole performance?

Its so unbelievable how ones image gets tarnished when one work in a bad team...

I am not sure butI always surprized when i think about The secretary of state what she called The presedent "My Hasbond".

Wow! What a cool thing to do. It was an easy piece, but I'm sure she practiced and rehearsed it. Of course, ever since she was a teenager she's been on the stage with many top orchestras.

On Friday, I'm playing Mendelssohn's "Venetian Gondola Song No. 1" on piano in a small recital at the Maryland Hall in Annapolis - and I dream of an audience like Rice's some day.

Hear Hear JR.
No such thing as Queen of England.
Such Ignorance!

You should know how many dead people you were responsible for their death from you good american and poor IRAQI mr bush feel sorry you should sorrow .do not forget Almighty God hell for the people who lie to kill and kill music should be for the ones with clean hand not the butcher like you leir

This is a wonderful story about Connie, she is such a wonderful and kind person, it is too bad she did not have some one better that played her in the movie W. The actress was nothing like the real Ms. Rice. I am sure she will do well no matter where she goes from here. She should go on tour, I would sure like to see one of her concerts.

James Staley
Ann Arbor, Michigan

I am tired of all the crap from non supporters of the USA. I may not approve of who is in office, but I will support them and there right to speak freely. So, get off there back and shut up.

Putting politics aside, it is wonderful to see public figures like Ms. Rice exhibit Renaissance qualities in talent and intellect. Although It's not hard to recognize the genius of Johannes Brahms but only wish more Americans would support Classical music. Ms. Rice is a wonderful classical pianist. Hats off to Robert and Clara Schumann too.

Secretary Rice regularly plays privately with a small group of other accomplished amateur musicians in Washington. I'm sure that doing so has helped her cope while working under Shrub.

Better than drink and drugs.

Oh, and though the comments about the Queen's proper title are quite correct, she is often colloquially, if inaccurately, described as "The Queen of England" and everyone knows what is meant. Even the British do it, though they don't like it when foreigners do.

It never ceases to amaze me how people are using the internet to spew such hate. Come on people, Don't let hate over take your thinking. We are becoming the "United states of hate, one nation unto bitterness, with anger and hatred for all."

I always admire Secretary Rice. She has done good job in difficult time. She is the woman who is real qualified for President of United State. I hope she will be one day President of United State. She is not like Obama and she can stand her own feet but Obama will rely on other expertise in many cases.

I respect everyone's opinions but give me a break; put yourself in Dr. Rice position taking on the most delicate job as sec'y of state in this defficult time of power munger in unpridictable world. It totally different to agree on issue discussed but turn around and do otherwise by the world leaders, especially in countries where power is believe to a family right like in Cuba, Nigeria, Libya and countries alike. Dr. Rice has done well and she deserve to be honor for a job well done.

Susan Rice, Obama’s choice for US ambassador to the UN has a history under Bill Clinton that the Lefty media won’t discuss now.

"Bystanders to Genocide" in The Atlantic Monthly, Sep 2001. Authored by Samantha Power, an Obama adviser and someone who actually has a record of backing strong action against mass killings, the story does not reflect well on Susan Rice:

---At an interagency teleconference in late April, Susan Rice, a rising star on the NSC who worked under Richard Clarke, stunned a few of the officials present when she asked, "If we use the word 'genocide' and are seen as doing nothing, what will be the effect on the November [congressional] election?" Lieutenant Colonel Tony Marley remembers the incredulity of his colleagues at the State Department. "We could believe that people would wonder that," he says, "but not that they would actually voice it." Rice does not recall the incident but concedes, "If I said it, it was completely inappropriate, as well as irrelevant."---

If one believes that the United Nations is a hopelessly ineffective institution and wants to make sure it stays that way, then perhaps Obama has chosen an appropriate emissary: a woman who prefers to ponder the political implications of INACTION -- they're going to love her at Turtle Bay.

And we are suppose to give a flying screw about this article?