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UN Ambassador Susan Rice to Meet With GOP Senators Following Their Objections to Her Replacing Clinton

Nov. 26, 2012 11:10pm Jason Howerton

UN Ambassador Susan Rice to Meet With GOP Senators After Their Objections to Her Replacing Clinton as Secretary of State

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaks with an aide during a meeting of the Security Council during the 67th U.N. General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012. (Credit: AP)

WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice will meet with senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday to answer a number of lingering questions about the Sept. 11 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, according to congressional aides. Rice’s circuit in Washington, D.C. includes meetings with some of her most outspoken critics, including Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Republican Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire.

As Obama nears a decision on who should be the country’s next top diplomat, Rice has emerged as the clear front-runner on a short list of candidates that many believe has been narrowed to just her and Sen. John Kerry, despite the intense criticism of her comments following the deadly Sept. 11 attack on a U.S. Consulate in Libya.

The closed-door meetings follow her first in-depth explanation of her Benghazi remarks that Republicans seized on as evidence of the administration’s mishandling of the attack that took the lives of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

Acting CIA Director Michael Morell will join Rice in her meetings with lawmakers.

A senior Senate aide said the administration was trying to measure the strength of the Republican opposition to a Rice nomination, sounding out the more moderate members of the Foreign Relations Committee such as Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who is in line to become the panel’s top Republican next year, and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.

During an interview on Monday, McCain said he would ask Rice “the same questions I’ve been talking about on every talk show in America.” Asked whether he thinks she’s still unfit for secretary of state and what he was hoping for, McCain interrupted and said, “I’m not hoping for anything. She asked to see me and I agreed to see her.”

Assessing the prospects for Rice before Obama makes any announcement would avoid the embarrassment of a protracted fight with the Senate early in the president’s second term.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., right, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, right, joined by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., center, and joined by Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., left, says he would do all he could to block the nomination of United Nations Amb. Susan Rice to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton because of comments she made after the deadly Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, at a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. President Barack Obama later responded in a press conference saying Rice’s critics should “go after me” not her if they have issues with the administration’s handling of the deadly attacks on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. (Credit: AP)

On talk shows the weekend following the attacks, Rice claims she relied on talking points provided by the intelligence community that described the attack as a spontaneous assault growing out of a protest of an anti-Muslim film. GOP critics say her remarks downplayed evidence of an obvious terrorist attack just weeks before the Nov. 6 election.

Republicans called her nomination doomed, leading to a vigorous defense of her by Obama in his first post-election news conference. But since then, GOP lawmakers seemed to have softened their views. McCain, who said earlier this month that would he do everything in his power to scuttle a Rice nomination, said on Sunday that he was willing to hear her out before making a decision. McCain ally Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has also eased his opposition and said he is usually deferential to presidential Cabinet picks.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, had issued a statement highly critical of Rice on the day of Obama’s news conference. He indicated Monday that perhaps she didn’t know what had transpired in Benghazi on the day of the attack.

“I assumed she had full knowledge of everything that went on. I’m not at all convinced of that now. She very well could have been thrown under the bus,” Inhofe said in an interview. He said she hadn’t requested a meeting but he would be glad to meet with her.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday that the administration appreciated McCain’s latest comments about Rice, but wouldn’t say whether the president saw them as an opening to make the nomination. “Ambassador Rice has done an excellent job at the United Nations and is highly qualified for any number of positions,” Carney said.

Several diplomats currently serving with Rice said that what she lacked in Clinton’s star power, she could make up with a blunter approach that demands attention and has marked her tenure thus far at the United Nations.

Rice, who at 48 is relatively young, has played the role of “conscience of the administration” on human rights and detainee issues and would bring “a certain edge” to the secretary of state job, according one colleague who has dealt with Rice on multiple issues over the past three years.

She “will not be going into the job as a star,” said Karl Inderfurth, a former U.S. ambassador and senior State Department official who worked closely with Rice in President Bill Clinton’s administration when she worked as a staff aide to the National Security Council and then as assistant secretary of state for African affairs. “She will be a rising star, though.”

“Hillary Clinton understood the politics of diplomacy: what the person across the table needs in order to sell something,” said Inderfurth, now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington. “Susan Rice’s background is different. What she’ll bring is her experience in multilateral engagement and the limitations thereof.”

“But the most important thing she brings to the table is her relationship with the president,” Inderfurth said.

Rice, like many other foreign policy experts of her generation, was shaped by the Clinton administration’s inability to prevent the genocide of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda 1994. Years later, she told a journalist: “I swore to myself that if I ever faced such a crisis again, I would come down on the side of dramatic action, going down in flames if that was required.”

That doesn’t mean the U.S. will change its policy of only providing humanitarian support to Syrian rebels fighting to overthrow the regime anytime soon. But Rice’s confirmation as the next secretary of state could alter the balance in an administration that has viewed humanitarian interventions with significant skepticism, given its rejection of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq.

An early supporter of Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Rice fell out with some of her Clinton administration-era NSC and State Department colleagues who urged her to support Hillary Clinton’s competing candidacy, including her own mentor, Madeleine Albright, and some of her top aides.

With the Clinton-Obama primary battle in full gear in April 2008, tension between the two camps was on public display at a ceremony and reception to unveil Albright’s official portrait in the State Department’s ornate 8th floor Benjamin Franklin room, according to several people present. At those events, Rice firmly brushed aside appeals that she switch allegiance, those present said.

Obama’s 2008 election brought with it the prospect that Rice, one of his campaign’s top foreign policy advisers, might be in line for the Cabinet job she is known to covet. Instead, however, Obama went with the surprise choice of Clinton and gave Rice the U.N. portfolio, although he attempted to deflect her disappointment by restoring the job to a Cabinet-level position.

But her sights remained set on the top job, according to people who know her.

Since arriving in New York, Rice can point to a series of diplomatic achievements – most notably the NATO-led air campaign that toppled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and tougher sanctions against Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programs.

But Rice has also been criticized – along with other Security Council leaders – for the failure of the U.N.’s most powerful body to take action to end the 19-month civil war in Syria.

She has also been criticized, especially by human rights groups, for being too protective of U.S. allies, namely Sri Lanka where the U.N. says up to 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians may have been killed in the final months of the country’s civil war that ended in May 2009, and Rwanda, which has been accused of backing the M23 rebel group that last week took control of the eastern Congo city of Goma.

As U.N. ambassador, she has gained a reputation for a sharp intellect and sharp elbows. She is not known for diplomatic finesse, rather for being aggressive – sometimes too aggressive – and using salty language on occasion. In private, she has a good sense of humor.

In a legendary exchange last December, Rice dismissed an appeal by Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who also isn’t afraid to speak out, for a Security Council investigation of civilian deaths in Libya from NATO’s bombing campaign as “a cheap stunt” to distract attention from the Syrian conflict.

“Oh, the bombast and bogus claims,” she told reporters.

Churkin responded by mocking Rice’s Stanford University degree, saying: “We hear that the Obama administration wants to establish a dialogue with the international community in the United Nations… If this is the intention, really this Stanford dictionary of expletives must be replaced by something more Victorian.”

Featured image via AFP/Getty

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Comments (32)

Balthazor
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:47pm
Well she’s got all the qualifications necessary for a high-ranking position in the US government: she’s not white and she’s not male.

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blazingaway
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:18pm
If these old white farts cave-in to this sneaky, idiotic Rice and her stupidity with that moronic video story then they’re every bit as worthless as she is.

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truthnstuff
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:47am
Another photo-op to get ready for the RINO cave. The GOP is getting more and more disgusting by the day. Come on Tea Party start a viable coalition with some back bone and push for 2014 and beyond. Surely there are enough principled conservatives to give the voters a real alternative. I fear the GOP is beyond saving.

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- NovemberTwentyseven
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:19pm
  Hillary is no prize, but Susan Rice is ten times worse. They should do everything they can to block her confirmation. Read fresh Political comentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
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paulwbrown
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 9:35am
If the ambassador really wanted to show some integrity and class, she would strongly and openly denounce the racists, particularly those in the black congressional caucus, who are accusing her critics of being racists. But what are the chances of that? The Obama regime has long played the race card with success.

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Mo Better
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 9:19am
The weak-kneed, spineless Republican morons, McLame, Grahamnesty and Ayotte are ahead of the curve – they willl all fold like cheap suits IN ADVANCE of any opposition on Susan “Butch” Rice.

This used to be a fairly decent country, but the leftists and self-aggrandizing politicians have finally killed it.

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Ducky657
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 8:30am
Distraction, Division, Deception! The President of the Divided States of America has used these tactics to become a two term failure. His tactics are effective because the GOP is as schizo as the Dems. You wouldn’t pick this lady to run a daycare but because we have mush heads like John McCain in the Senate they will walk hand-in-hand down the primrose path together! I have heard many people say she is very intelligent–we need a SOS who can discern the truth–she has shown she can’t!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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azcowboy1
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:51am
Well, The choice is Susan Rice or John Kerry. I think we should amend the constitution and let Bidon do both jobs. lmao

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loveoursoldiers
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:24am
typical sleazeball Obama move to get a sleaze ball operative in place by lying in secret so she doesn’t get grilled and have to lie in public.
If those three agree no to be silent and not ask probing questions then that is the end of the USA.. it means we have noone to do the right thing to protect us from a total takeover
I am totally disgusted with the caving
Do they have dirt on these three that they will threaten to drop if they don’t play the Chicago way?
Jarrett must have been very busy going through their personal records

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NealPatrick
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:17am
The Dear Leader wants her to replace Hillary, so it shall be. This isn’t my country any more, it’s Obamerica and she will make a fine, racist Secretary of State for Dear Leader’s failing socialist utopia.

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Full_Fathom_Five
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:09am
And the GOP is still wondering why it lost the last presidential bid. What a bunch of gutless wonders! Were the tables turned, with a Republican nominee in the same scenario, the Far Left propaganda machine would be running at one-hundred percent capacity, spewing out every piece of garbage–real and imagined–concerning the person. But not the GOP. Never the GOP. It has willingly sterilized itself on the altar of political sanitation.

The French Philosopher Voltaire wrote that he was not in favor of having Christians in the military. Why? Because in Voltaire’s opinion, when the going got rough, the Christians would pray instead of fight! Now before I get a thousand responses to this comment, I should say that I believe that Voltaire was a total ass–he was as much an anti Christian SOB as he was an antiSemitic SOB–and history has more than proved him wrong. However, were he alive today, I believe he would be more than justified in using the words “GOP leadership” in place of the word “Christian.” And in this case, history–at least of the recent variety–would indeed be on his side!

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- naughtycal
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 8:38am
  When our politician bow to the liberal propaganda machine THEY CEASE TO BE OUR REPRESENTATIVE…….the founders of this nation faced the same anti-Americanism in mainstream papers but kept pushing and their perseverance paid off in the biggest way possible………It’s time for the rise of Son of the Patriots, time to squash tyranny of the socialist movement on all fronts.It’s time to push not just draw lines in the sand. It’s time for seccesion or Revolution
  
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truthsurfer
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:03am
This nasty ho couldnt get a job picking up trash in the ghettos in the real world but ass a democrap she slithers up the ranks of diversity.

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 6:29am
We’ll get her jammed down our throats too, just like 0bama. And they’ll laugh…

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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 6:28am
Someone PLEASE call the Hanoi Hilton and tell them to get McCain’s room ready again. He can bunk with John Kerry.

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NHwinter
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 6:20am
Obama and Egypt’s Morsi are doing the same things. Replacing the old guard with their people even in the military. Morsi declares himself above the law and the new dictator, our new dictator comes next. All the king’s men are lining up.

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GO-FOR-LIBERTY
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 6:18am
Nothing will happen. Scaredy cats all. So sad by-by America!

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Diane TX
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 4:51am
It’s all so sad. It seems that the “average America Citizen” has already become the characters in the movie “Idiocracy”. This movie takes place in the year 2025, and there is a great drought because Gatorade® is used instead of water for the crops.

Susan Rice “claims” that the “intelligence community” told her that Benghazi happened because of the dumb video, BUT ex-CIA head, Petraeus, has testified that they knew within hours that it was Islamic, terrorist attack.

Her appointment is nothing but a crony appointment “owned” to her from Obama. Being an outright liar is not a qualification for Secretary of State, nor is being born Black or a female.

Returning to how dumb the average American voter is. Fifty-one percent actually voted for higher taxes on “the rich”. The “rich” being those having earned income of $200,000 a year or more. That’s not rich in my book, but I’m not as stupid as the 51%.

Furthermore, Obama is against parents transferring their wealth to their children, (unless the children are Black or Brown, of course),. Estate taxes are going way up, and that also means that you’ll be taxed more on regular Bank dividends (as paltry as they are.)

The morons are now running the Country. Free birth control and abortions for females and serfdom for all. Have fun paying all those Obama taxes.

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Theblackbook
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 1:25am
Should have known this would happen. Can you say….can the real sellouts please stand up? Politics as usual. When will it ever change. Susan Rice should be resigning along with Clinton, not being handed a new title!

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- johnpaulkuchtajr
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 2:52am
  Stick a fork in the Republican party – they’re done.
  
  This is the biggest fraud they’ve perpetrated in quite some time. Pretending to be as outraged over Benghazi as the average citizen is and then showing their true Republicrat colors. Why did Romney get 5 million fewer votes than the lackluster McCain? Probably a mixture of the fraud being waged by the Obama machine; but, I think that many people couldn’t see enough of a difference between the two candidates.
  
  Here’s my question to all you Blazers: What’s it going to take? When will we have had too much?
  
  They’ve killed border agents, ambassadors and CIA agents. They’ve ruined the economy and continue to do so. Maybe when they start walking up to citizens and shooting us in the head, Americans will have had enough?
  
  “Remember Benghazi”
  
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TrUe.AmEriCaN
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:18am
Susan Rice is not suitable to be Secretary Of State by any means!

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- Bill Rowland
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 4:01am
  MS Rice is supposed to be an intelligent politically saavy individual. If she went on the talk shows thinking she was telling the truth she is to naive and to dumb to be our Secretary of State. Surely anyone with average intelligence knew it was a terrorist action and not a spontaneous riot.
  
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TrUe.AmEriCaN
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:16am
And those senators meeting with this piece of dog dung should be thrown out on their useless back ends! It is way past time that we start holding our Republican feet to the fire for their foolishness and caving to the whims of the Obama administration and democratic party. McCain, Graham, McConnell and all the others…………………….They no longer work for the greater good, they work to line their pockets and feed their egos……………………….We need to send them packing!

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Delores at CH WV
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:08am
It is a terrible mistake to promote her to Sec. of State.

She would be in line for the Presidency.

She is not fit after her behavior at the UN. She failed to do the important part to support Israeli speeches at the UN.

She went to lunch just as Obama went to dinner and left the Israeli Leader at the door. By cutting Israel, these two sent a big message to the Muslim Brotherhood and our friend Israel.

She set the stage for more conflict by showing her support for the Muslim Brotherhood when she knew the truth about 4 dead men in Libya. She was just following the talking points that her leader sent her to push. She chose her behavior and now she has to pay the price of Liars.

It will be a fatal mistake to allow this woman to hold the power of the Sec. Of State. Look what the Senate did by approving Eric Holder? He like Obama thinks he is above the law. And, it seems she will too!

Rogue Senators will find themselves without voters in their party if they don’t wise up and show some Honor to We the People. Approve this Marxist and you will end up back in AZ and etc. sooner rather than later. If you love your country as you claim, then vote NO for this woman of little character.

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jojopier
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:08am
She’ll probably try to convince them not to ask any “hard” questions about Benghazi at her confirmation hearing.

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taintso
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:02am
Susan Rice is a Parrot, she had no business on the talk shows, should have been Obummer, Clapper, or Hillary. But instead they sent out a stooge, and her reward will be Sect. of State?

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- RIGHT_WHERE_IT_HURTS
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 7:15am
  Dear God, I’m a Three Stooges fan from way back. Kudos.
  
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raoul del norte
Posted on November 26, 2012 at 11:46pm
One more step to the one world govt. Soros and Obama are shilling … US out of the UN and UN out of the US!

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Im_not_crazy92
Posted on November 26, 2012 at 11:42pm
Just let he ruin her career. Hillary realizes what a mess she’s gotten herself into and wants out. Besides, she has to get ready for 2016. Lol.

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- taintso
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:18am
  What is she going to do in 2016? Obummer will be dictator by then.
  
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- nzkiwi
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 3:37am
  @ I’m not crazy
  
  That’s my pick as well. Various stories in the recent past have pointed to Mrs Clinton wishing to run in 2016 with the support of her husband.
  
  I think she expects the next four years to be a mess and she is separating herself from the likely fallout.
  
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possom
Posted on November 26, 2012 at 11:28pm
She’s a liar so she’ll fit right in.

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