posted July 30, 2005 12:57 AM            

Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women" in the world was released late Thursday and topping the list was Condoleezza Rice.

America's first female African-American secretary of state was dubbed the most powerful woman in the world by the nation's most respected business magazine.

"She advises the leader of the world's largest superpower and has an unparalleled level of trust with and access to the president," Forbes says in explaining her selection, adding that "she has served two other U.S. presidents, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. For all of these reasons, and more, Rice, 50, is the most powerful woman in the world."

The magazine also notes that Condi is a potential 2008 presidential candidate as a "long shot."

Still, history could be in the making.

"... a run by Rice for the presidency would make history in the U.S.," Forbes says.

The Forbes rankings are made using a complex formula based on a composite of visibility (measured by press citations) and economic impact.

The latter, in turn, reflects three things: résumé (a prime minister is more powerful than a senator); the size of the economic sphere over which a leader holds sway; and a multiplier that aims to make different economic yardsticks comparable. For example, a politician is assigned a GDP number but gets a low multiplier, while a foundation executive is assigned the foundation's assets but gets a high multiplier.

Forbes editors did their tabulations and here is how the big girls stack up:

The Top Ten

1. Condoleezza Rice

2. Wu Yi, China's vice premier for health

3. Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's prime minister

4. Gloria Arroyo, Phillipines' president

5. Margaret Whitman, eBay CEO

6. Anne Mulcahy, Xerox CEO

7. Sallie Krawcheck, Citigroup CFO

8. Brenda Barnes, Sara Lee CEO

9. Oprah Winfrey, 'nuf said

10. Melinda Gates, Bill's wife

posted July 30, 2005 01:02 AM            

Lately shes been playing up the humanitarian angle which is working well for her. Her aqua rising pulls it off perfectly. She's actually pretty brave tramping around in refugee camps in Africa, I would be afraid of getting shot.

Now that shes attained so much power, we can be assured her scorpio sun will hold onto, shes been bucking some of bushes ideology lately, advocating six party talks with north korea, etc.. I love a woman that knows how to say no to a man.