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President Obama has not yet nominated U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice to succeed Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State, but Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) isn't waiting to throw a tantrum.
"She's not qualified," said McCain on CBS "This Morning," citing Rice's handling of the September attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead.
"Anyone who goes on national television in defiance of the facts five days later -- we're all responsible for what we say and what we do. I'm responsible to my voters. She is responsible to the Senate of the United States. We have our responsibilities for advice and consent," he added.
Asked if he would block a Rice nomination, potentially even filibustering her, McCain replied, "Yes." In other words, the failed Republican presidential candidate wouldn't only oppose Rice, he hopes to prevent the Senate from voting on the re-elected president's choice to head the State Department, regardless of the wishes of the majority.
Given the senator's record, foreign policy doesn't appear to be one of McCain's strong points, so it's not terribly surprising that he's confused about Rice and Benghazi. But the truth really isn't that complicated: Rice hasn't done anything wrong. She didn't "go on national television in defiance of the facts"; she went on national television and "very carefully, and very professionally, passed along what was, at the time, the considered judgment of the intelligence community."
Indeed, McCain continues to refer to the deadly attack in Benghazi as some kind of political fiasco, despite the fact that there's no meaningful evidence to back this up, short of Republican chest-pounding. The partisan hysteria -- complete with unhinged conspiracy theories -- is getting out of hand.
But let's take this one step further, and remind McCain of the not-too-distant past.
After George W. Bush won a second term in 2004, he wanted a different Rice -- then-NSA Condoleezza Rice -- to be Secretary of State. Rice, of course, had said all kinds of ridiculous things on national television in defiance of the facts, including several notorious references to "mushroom clouds."
Bush nominated her anyway. She was confirmed 85 to 13. McCain voted for her and Democrats made no effort to block Rice's confirmation vote. (Update: both Obama and Biden were in the Senate at the time, and both supported her confirmation.)
What's the difference eight years later? Susan Rice is more qualified for the job; she has actual experience in international diplomacy; and unlike Condoleezza Rice, the comments she made during television interviews actually reflected the judgment of the intelligence community.
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I have lost all respect for Senator McCain and desire the real McCain to come back.
I respect the man but his politics have clouded his reasoning.
The "real" McCain is what you see. The asswipe graduated at the bottom of his Annapolis class, yet the fact he was son and grandson of two Naval Aviation big-time Admirals got him into Pensacola where he graduated so low he was sent to Skyraiders (not a top pick, since it was obsolete), where he then managed to create a blackout across southern Spain while "flat hatting" when his tailhook caught and broke the main transmission wire in the country. Pop and Grandpop's reputation continued to protect him and he got jets, sent to Skyhawks. In 1967, he "played a joke" with a wet start (which shoots a flame 100 feet long behind the airplane), which caught two other planes on fire, killing their crews and eventually killing 177 of his fellow sailors on the USS Forrestal and putting the carrier into repair for 18 months at the height of the war. Pop and Grandpop's protection continued and he got sent quickly to another squadron, where he learned he wasn't going to be promoted past Lieutenant Commander due to professional incompetence. He then proved the professional incompetence by getting himself shot down by violating the main rule of being a bomber pilot: don't fly back over the target you just hit, they'll get you - which they did. He was then on the "POW fast track" and got promoted all the way to Captain while a POW. Came out and was given a Captain's position in charge of the Replacement Air Group for the Atlantic Fleet, and botched it. No third Admiral McCain. They sent him to D.C. where he found his calling as pimp to Congressmen who were voting on things the Navy wanted.
That "good" McCain was the result of a bullshhitt P.r. campaign that shows if you give otherwise-unemployables donuts with sprinkles and talk smack to them in the back of a bus, they'll think you're cool for not treating them as the wretches they are.
JOHN MCCAIN WAS BORN A WORTHLESS P.O.S. - anything to the contrary is baloney. He is living proof of the old saying "The first generation makes it, the second generation keeps it and the third generation loses it."
"...miles to go before I sleep..."I don't think so John McCain. I think it's time to enjoy retirement.
Thanks TC. I must admit it seems I know little about the man.
Of course since I was basically n F-troop , with eight inch howitzers!, I can appreciate how the service can sometimes give too much rope to fools. I am not sure who was happiest that I left -the Army or me. (although they did offer me 15,000 bucks to ,get this, sign up for the inactive list.I knew that was a life time commitment though so I declined to help that recruiter make his points)
Poor John McCain, he never did get over losing in 2008 did he? He needs to retire as senility is making him more cantankerous and mean spirited......
@TCinLA:
As much as I disrespect the man, the investigation into the accident suggests it was a misfired Zuni rocket that caused the explosion and destruction of the carrier, not anything McCain did.
Seconding Katherine. McCain's record is bad enough without inaccurately assigning blame for the Forrestal to him.
Sometimes I wish Obama was SOOOOO far to the left (like me) and just outright diss these white racist republicans. Watch some troll say "but we elected a black woman too" while disregard the fact she was not qualified and oh, by the way she was a REPUBLICAN. If not a republican and highly qualified let's b*tch and moan while fail to recognize our republican failures of foreign polices because RAWR BENGHAZI!!!
As if Republican obstruction wasn't bad enough before the election and for almost the entire last 4 years. Now REPUBLICANS ARE OBSTRUCTING the investigation of the Benghazi attack! It's bad enough that it happened at all so we need to get to the absolute truth before making base accusations and judging by political association. But to continually jump the gun and heap innuendo is irresponsible by Republicans and wrong for our future in all foreign and domestic diplomacy. To those who won't and refuse to listen. You're all idiots!
"We are all Georgians now"-McCain What's the difference between Sunnis and Shias again eh McCain? Did you get lost in one of your wife's houses again? How much longer do we have to have this goober's opinions thrust on us...from the Sunday talk shows too?
He was not only at the bottom of his class but would not have even passed except for who is daddy is...and since then has enriched himself off the government tit. Your sunglasses are on your head and your keys are in your hand...please retire from the job you no longer are capable of doing with any credibility.
Paul: I know that feelimg well - who was happier to see me go, the Navy or me. It was beee-yoo-ti-ful, watching the Marine gate guard at Treasure Island become small in the rear view mirror of the taxi taking me to Oakland International for the final leg of the trip home, a ciivilian still in a uniform (a situation I changed within 10 minutes of arrival back home - permanently).
What turned me around about the service was being a fly-on-the-wall of the incompetent drunk in charge of the two destroyers at the alleged Tonkin Gulf (non)Incident, the lie used to start the war in Vietnam (at least as regarded major American military presence).
McCain sold his soul in the 2008 election and sold it even further in his re-election campaign of 2010 regarding immigration reform. I, too wish for the return of the old John McCain. No longer a maverick -- that is, not going along with partisan craziness. His exposure to Sarah Palin must have damaged McCain's brain and destroyed his integrity gene. Now McCain is leading the partisan craziness.
The difference is that McCain lost in 2008 to the man who'll be nominating this Rice, and Mean Old Man McCain never forgets, never forgives, and is only too happy to vent his spite regardless of its cost to the nation.
It's a very, very good thing that McCain didn't become President
McCain lost in 2000 to the man who nominated Condaleeza Rice, but being a 'good' soldier', he forgave George W. Bush 'for the good of the party', even though W. cheated by promising donors who wanted to support McCain as well that his White House would be closed to them... This shut off the money spigot to McCain, who couldn't afford to stay in the race...
I wanted to support McCain in 2000, but by 2008, he'd morphed into Bush Redux...
oh come now...surely you're not expecting that the Republicans in Congress are going to let a few stubborn facts get in the way now.
Exactly, their minds are made up, don't confuse with facts!
In 2008 I respected John McCain, however, since he lost in 2008 he has become a Bitter Old Man and became part of the extreme right of his party. My condolences to his family for the death of a confident, considerate, independent man and to the birth of a whining, bitter, disrespectful old man.
Senator "I crashed my plane on a carrier and killed people" McFlame is not qualified to lecture anyone on responsibility.
Didn't crash the plane, but did kill people. See my post above. You have it right about what he is as a person.
"Get off my lawn!"
Isn't this guy dead yet? I'm serial..
while not wishing bad on anyone there are certain individuals who would be well served by taking their riches a enjoying a well deserved retirement .
Seriously senator haven't you watched the public decline of many respected politicians who hung on too long?
Dang it, you beat me.
I can't help but picture McCain standing on his porch, shaking his fist
Poor John McCain the day he stepped off his Straight Talk Express for the last time and gave up most of what he really believed for his partys platform he has been a worn out husk of a man. His street cred shot to hell. He has been a hack ever since.Spouting stuff he can not truly believe all in service to an organization so foolish as to be taken in by the Barracuda of Wasilla Ak.Its really a shame how some men will totally debase themselves for political power.
"gave up most of what he really believed" is a "fact not in evidence" given his incompetence in the Navy, his involvement in the Keating Five, etc. It's really impossible to discover what McCain has ever believed, other than whatever it was that made reporters like him at the moment.
Point taken. Ibelieve what made reporters like him at the time was that he seemed to be interested in the issues and not the horse race.But perhaps sadly your right there never really was aStraight Talk Express just ashort lived dream we all had.
Or totally debase themselves for a great pair of legs and power.
McCain has made a career out of going on the Sunday morning news shows in defiance of the facts.
He is clearly in his dotage; time for this one to retire. As far as his credibility, after picking Palin as his running mate? None. Zero. Nada. Thanks for playing, and thanks for your service; it's time to go now, old man.
McCain threatens to filibuster Susan Rice
That sounds kinda freaky...can I filibuster Susan Rice next?
What happened to the McCain that defended Obama?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwRWpOEmMCQ
Um, didn't Rice report information given to her by the CIA? What was she supposed to say? "The CIA said this, but consider the source...." Uh huh.
I suppose McCain is a voice to those who think we should smack people around before negotiating, the stick before the carrot. I hope all those people wander off to retirement soon. Well, those people and the ones who salivate over the amount of commerce that war generates. Yum.
As I watched McCain on TV this morning, that exact thought crossed my mind when he stated that she should have known what she was saying was false. What was she supposed to say? "Our best intelligence at the moment says X, but that just doesn't make sense, does it?" Talk about setting up an intragovernmental battle between the intelligence community and the administration! McCain surely didn't think through what he was alleging -- he was just venting, and pitifully at that. I was glad to see Obama call him out later. I hope this is a fight he doesn't back down on.
McCain is a clown. His legacy continues to erode underneath the weight of is hardcore right wing hawk behavior.
I hope he's not thinking about running again for the Senate in 2016. He cannot win in 2016. The changing demographics in Arizona and Hillary's national coattails will be too much to overcome.
The failed presidential candidate who wants us to bomb Iran is complaining about Rice being confirmed for Secretary of State? Bizarre.
There's just never a death panel around when you need one.
Senator McCain - go to the back bench and get off my lawn! He can't stand the idea of a world without a war. Remember he was a substandard fighter pilot who crashed way too often....
Keep it up, Cranky McCain. Give Democrats one more good reason to reform the filibuster and the popular support to do so -- not to mention burnishing your party's unreconstructed image by pursuing a baseless vendetta against the first African American woman to be nominated for the job. Sore losers, sir, are never attractive.
Condoleeza Rice was not A-A??
Oops. I guess I never think of her as A-A because she was so thoroughly Bushie.
Oops. I guess I never think of her as A-A because she was so thoroughly Bushie.
These are the words of a bitter man of the Grand Old Party, who didn't get to play war again like he wanted to.
Maybe his and other members on the right have a problem with her because she really does understand the meaning of "diplomacy" and is quite willing and able to use it in her position!
Honest to GOD...can McCAIN not remember all the 'mistakes' or 'misstatements' HE'S MADE? What a buffoon. He and Graham both...'I don't TRUST her'...well we don't trust YOU and the rest of your 'caucus' that hasn't done a damn thing to move this country forward.
John McCain thought Sarah Palin was qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. Let's just say his abilities as a talent evaluator are open to question.
McCain is becoming the old man who always yells at kids to get out of his yard.
If this is what it takes to convince 51 Senators to get rid of the filibuster, then by all means let the senior Senator from Arizona throw his tantrum.
The House used to allow filibusters too, and got rid of them when they were abused.
Let the majorities in each house govern AND be held responsible for their actions.
No more filibusters! No more anonymous holds!
What is the benefit to having trolls like the senior senators from Arizona and Kentucky hold up the U.S. Senate because they place party politics ahead of the national interest?
Here, here! If I needed any further evidence that the filibuster should, at the very least, be abolished completely for presidential nominees and judicial appointments, here it is -- a pitiful, senile, war-mongering old fool announces his intention to filibuster a qualified nominee in order to spread slanders and conspiracy theories about a tragedy in which Americans DIED!
I hope Obama doesn't back down on Susan Rice if she's to be his nominee and the Republicans throw a fit. She's smart, professional, and worldly and unlike what he did with Elizabeth Warren, he needs to stand firmly behind her and not back down.
Republicans...
Proving once again that Zombies can talk...
Leaving aside his obvious bufoonery and inflated delusions of granduer, I wonder what McCain wants from Obama. His threat to filibuster Rice is a bargaining chip. He may have his own SecState nominee in mind.
Or he'll agree to Kerry as SecDef and call off the already gathering Swiftboarders. But make no mistake McCain wants something as a way to prove he's still relevant.