Posted by
Wes Fowler on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 9:18:33 AM
In memory of Boris Yeltsin, who died this week, I'd like to share a story I read in the book "
Condi: the Condoleezza Rice Story" about the day Boris met Condi.
Dr. Rice served as an advisor to Bush 41 . She was considered his point person for Soviet Union issues. Boris Yeltsin came to Washington for a meeting with the Administration. He thought he'd be meeting with the President, but he was scheduled to meet with a cabinet member instead. Dr. Rice was sent to meet Yeltsin's limo at the entrance of the building where the meeting would take place.
Yeltsin was shocked that the limo had not stopped at the entrance of the Executive Office . When the door opened, he said to Condi , "This is not the way to the President's office!"
Condi replied, "You don't have an appointment with the President. " She explained he was to meet with a cabinet member.
Yeltsin became a diva and said "I am only going to meet with the President. I am not leaving this car until I am taken to meet the President!"
Condi replied, "Well you might as well turn around and go back to the hotel because you are not meeting with the President."
Yeltsin sat in the car and pouted in silence for 5 minutes. Condi stood outside the car , silent for 5 minutes. When he saw that she would not budge, he reluctantly agreed to meet with the cabinet member. He got out of the car and Dr. Rice grabbed him by the elbow and escorted him to the office .
Dr. Rice made quite an impression on Boris Yeltsin that day. Anyone who can stand up to stubborn foreign leaders should be
President.