If President Obama is sure Susan Rice is the ideal person to head his foreign policy team in his second term, he should go ahead and nominate her as secretary of state, even at some political cost. Presidents deserve considerable latitude in choosing their top appointees, and getting the right candidate in a post as important this one is worth a fight. But is Rice indeed that candidate? While her much-criticized comments after an attack on a US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, shouldn’t in themselves disqualify her from serving as secretary of state, neither do they reflect well on her leadership qualities.
Unless Obama moves swiftly to nominate Rice, currently the US ambassador to the United Nations, she should announce that she is withdrawing herself from consideration, and Obama should choose his next secretary of state from the pool of other promising candidates, which includes Massachusetts Senator John Kerry.
Comments
Rice has more problems than comments about foreign policy. A review of her stock portfolio is causing concern about conflicts of interests among environmental groups.
I don't buy the heat Rice is getting for relaying the info she was provided. There must be something else going on here. She has been described as "abrasive". That's shorthand for "PITA".
I'm curious how exactly her comments on the attack don't "reflect well on her leadership qualities." She was given talking points that had been vetted to make sure she didn't divulge any classified information. If she had gone off these talking points and revealed classified information would that have shown her to be a real leader?
As a WSJ article pointed out recently, Susan Rice has been a foreign policy disaster since the Clinton administration. Her actions have contributed to the death of millions in Rwanda and the Congo. Her role as White House propagandist after the death of our Libyan ambassador is not her greatest offense.
There is no doubt in my mind that Susan Rice would be qualified for the position of Secretary of State. My personal preferences would be Jon Huntsman or, first and foremost, John Kerry. The unfortunate thing about all of this is that John McCain is carrying on a personal vendetta about this. He just can't get over having lost in 2008 and he'll carry this battle to the edges of hell. Poor, deluded man. Time he retired - his day is over! Unfortunately, anyone other than Susan Rice looks like the President is knuckling under to the lunatic fringe. Our President is a cool commander in chief and he'll make the right decision. I would prefer, however, that Ms. Rice gracefully withdraw her name. End of a non-issue issue!
Go with Senator Kerry who is the better nominee and better qualified.
The blood over Rice insn't wort the capital to be paid.
Kerry should be the yop pick anyway.