U.N. Ambassador Nominee Gives Evasive Answer When Asked if America Committed or Sponsored Atrocities in Rwanda

Samantha Power, President Barack Obama's nominee to be ambassador to the United Nations, was evasive in her answers Wednesday when asked by Sen. Marco Rubio whether the United States had "committed" crimes in Rwanda.

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"Which ones did the United States commit or sponsor that you were referring to?" Rubio (R-Fla.) asked.

"I think this is the greatest country on Earth. We have nothing to apologize for," Power responded.

Rubio tried again, to which Power stated, "I will not apologize for America, I will stand very proudly if confirmed behind the U.S. placard."

Power has in the past criticized the U.S. for not doing more to stop the Rwandan genocide during the Clinton administration.

Power had told Rubio she was very "moved" during a visit to Rwanda and by Clinton's subsequent open regret about not doing more to intervene.

“It moved me, and I probably very much overstated the case in that article,” Power said Wednesday. Still, when pressed by Rubio about specific crimes the United States had sponsored, she repeated only that the U.S. was the greatest country and the world leader on human rights.

Freelance journalist Charles C. Johnson has covered Power extensively and joined us on Wednesday's BlazeCast to talk about her confirmation:

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