Condi: Want a Terror Attack? Abandon Afghanistan

If the GOP is serious about overcoming its current status as the party of naysayers and talk-show cranks, it should try to get Condoleezza Rice back in the game, writes Nina Easton for Fortune. At a recent women's summit, Rice earned a standing ovation from a diverse crowd after proving she can intelligently, and forcefully, attack Democratic positions without resorting to name-calling.

She laid it out for liberals who want to pull out of Afghanistan: “If you want another terrorist attack in the US, abandon Afghanistan—it’s that simple.” Rice said. And on Obama’s hopes to engage Tehran: "The problem is that engagement is a tactic not a strategy. You have to ask yourself what the end is. When you go into the room, you had better have sticks as well as carrots."