Condoleezza "Mushroom Cloud" Rice—whose historic tenure as national security adviser and secretary of state was distinguished by 9/11, two wars, self-preserving dishonesty, and idiocy—was given the U.S. Military Academy's Thayer Award " for service in the national interest" last night.

Via AP:

The award is given to a U.S. citizen for outstanding service in the national interest that illustrates the academy's motto of "Duty, Honor, Country."

"For more than three decades and during some of America's more trying times, she has participated in shaping our Nation's development and implementation of foreign policy and national security strategies," according to Rice's award citation. "Interspersed with government service, Dr. Rice's contributions within America's academic, corporate, and social spheres have been far-reaching and, at times, groundbreaking."

Dr. Rice did, indeed, participate heavily "in shaping our Nation's development and implementation of foreign policy." Here is Dr. Rice giving her expert opinion on the eve of the first anniversary of 9/11 on why the United States should attack Iraq:

There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein's regime is a danger to the United States and to its allies, to our interests. It is also a danger that is gathering momentum, and it simply makes no sense to wait any longer to do something about the threat that is posed here. As the president has said, "The one option that we do not have is to do nothing."

...there will always be some uncertainty about how quickly he can acquire nuclear weapons. But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.

Here, at :26, is Dr. Rice in July 2001 telling CNN that Saddam Hussein wasn't dangerous to the United States at all.

And here is Dr. Rice reluctantly testifying to the bipartisan 9/11 Commission about the Bin Laden intelligence bulletin she received and dismissed in August 2001.

Here is the security that Rice has helped bring to Iraq today:

Here is Rice playing golf at Pebble Beach earlier this year with PGA star Phil Mickelson:

Previous recipients of West Point's Thayer Award have included paleoconservative presidential loser Barry Goldwater; Edward Teller, the "father of the hydrogen bomb" and inspiration for Dr. Strangelove; Henry Kissinger; Ronald Reagan; and George Bush, Sr.

[ Photo credits: AP Images]