For the same reason she interviewed Colin Powell.

I disagree that one must be elected to be considered a politician. When someone is a political appointee they place themselves in the middle of the firestorm of all that is political.

Colin Powell has never been considered a died-in-the-wool conservative, but has held what could arguably be the highest political appointment of any black man in US history. Condi's position is equal in its level within the cabinet, and I certainly think her role has been of more critical importance than that of Joslyn Elders... and yet so far I've not seen Rice mentioned in anything I've read about this book.

Thomas spent a number of years working with the EEOC, which certainly is a political hot button of an agency, and that involvement was part of what put him on the map prior to his appointment - by a politician and confirmed by a host of policicians - as he came to have a role in the leadership of our government.

I can't imagine her book is *just* about black people who go out and get votes. If Powell is in it, it's obviously about black people in positions of power within the government who may or may not have run for office.

So yeah... I think Condi and Clarence have a place in that book.

Unless, of course, it's just about *liberal* black officials.