Bono plays editor, Condi acid rock

On Tuesday, the liberal British newspaper The Independent handed over editing duties to rock star activist Bono to promote his Red campaign. The rest of Fleet Street wasn’t overly impressed with the effort. But Bono just about got by with a little help from his friends, including Condoleezza Rice who supplied the paper with her top ten tunes. (And no, the national anthem in Spanish isn’t on the list.) Unsurprisingly, considering that Rice is an accomplished classical pianist, 5 of the tracks are classical but her contemporary choices are rather unexpected. Who would have guessed that the secretary “loved acid rock in college – and I still do”? Equally, I’m a little taken aback that Elton John’s “Rocket Man” reminds her of her first boyfriend. (The funniest thing about her choices is that, ever the diplomat, she picks U2 but neglects to mention any songs by the band).

Spare a thought for Jack Straw, though. Clearly Condi’s trip to Blackburn with him didn’t make enough of an impression on her to force the Beatles’ “Day in the Life” into her top ten. Straw, who absolved Condi of blame for his sacking in an interview with The Times, might have been able to provide her with a U2 song: “With or Without You.”