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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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Jeez, are half the country panzy-azz whiners or what?
Susan Rice is an asset. John McCain is an asshat.
Taking "advise and consent" to another level.
It's up to the president to decide who to nominate.
The Rs smell blood (or throwing chum) in the water. I think there are questions about this, but really. Do we need a show on global stage for political reasons?
I really think McCain, Graham, Chafis, Issa, whomever are on a witch hunt. We need to have a Sec. of State that is loyal to America and the President can trust.
The politics are evident.
This should be your sign, people. McCain said it, they will probably be closed session hearings.
This matter should not be played out on assumptions or attacking Susan Rice. Blatant politics.
Heh-heh!
The president has just defended Ambassador Rice and said in the press conference today that if John McCain or Lindsey Graham have a problem with the reporting from Ms. Rice on Benghazi they should take it up with him, the president!!
This will look very bad when the right wing freaks over a lady of color who has done nothing wrong.
Thank you, John, for helping in advance to make the case for filibuster reform.
I wish someone would ask McCain if he'd support Sarah Palin as Secretary of Energy.
McCain hates the fact he lost to Obama, Ms. Rice, a woman of color, is everything McCain is not.
He and Graham are cheer leading the Goebbailes network witch hunt, because they have little chattel left after tossing (tossers) for the last cycle.
The same security briefings which the WH and DOD, DOS had, these two faced senators also had access to.
"she's not qualified"???
is this the same s.o.b. who tried to inflict sarah palin on us?
Mc Cain and Graham are shills for Roger Goebbailes, they think this is Watergate, trying to gin up the base with a false narrative, repeated often enough to become a meme. Similar to Fast and Furious.
So he keeps/defends her and waits for Reed and filibuster reform, makes a stand for that as well. Two birds with one stone.
I would love for the Republicans' heads to explode with Obama appointment overload: Rice at State, Kerry at Defense, and, ta-da, Eric Holder for his first Supreme Court nominee this term. Fast and Furious that. To quote Willard: Hahaha. Hahaha. Hahaha.
"My lawn! MY lawn!!!! Offit!!! Offit!!!! Getoffitgawdammit get off my lawwwwwnnn!!!!!"
And that was the chair he was talking to.
John dear, come along it's time to have your poopy diapers changed. Once a war hero now a cantankerous old curmudgeon! He should have stopped while he was ahead. Sad
Ol' Johnny must be hoppin' mad that his nemesis Barack won reelection, so he lashing out again.
It's time for this bitter, old, senile, sore loser, to leave the stage.
Some person writes an op-ed or opinion based, conspiracy riddled piece on a right-wing website, stating the conspiracies as fact. Some host or guest/contributor goes on air on Fox News stating this conspiracy as fact and even making it more elaborate sometimes. Then those guests/contributors or Fox News viewers take those "facts" to other news networks. The internet explodes with articles containing all those "facts".
I've been noticing it a lot more often the last few months, especially with Benghazi. I've had to disabuse my brother of the notion that Obama watching the attack live and decided no to send reinforcement/told them to stand down. That one started with an op-ed piece by a Forbes contributor by the name of Larry Bell, in which he read(or maybe just skimmed) a CBS report and wrote his own conjecture as fact.
Since I don't listen to those bombastic mouthpieces, I was wondering where they get their info. Now I take a peek behind the curtain, occasionally.
The folks are really being misled, a lot. They should wean themselves slowly as not to cause a shock regarding the fact based world. It's not painful, just take that step. Ask was there a landslide for Romney, or not?
Here is the truth: No, it was 332 to 206 by electoral college, which is in the Constitution. The popular vote was
OBAMA ---------- ROMNEY
62,610,003 --------59,133,398
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/who-won-the-popular-vote-2012_n_2087038.html
The Senate gained Dem seats, the House lost a few seats only due to gerrymandering.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/why-did-the-republicans-w_b_2110673.html
When it comes to McCain, one question will always come up. "will he EVER, except the fact that he lost, in 08, to a better man, or will he continue to pout about it" This threats only shows how small minded he really is, and stop threats to filibuster. Filibusters by his party was part of the problem this country has had, for to long. JOHN McCAIN "when will you ever grow up" . When you became a POW, was it by your choice? Did you give up easely? because you where affraid? Becaues you sure looking affraid now!
McCain has excessively bad character. Sore loser and a bully.
It really breaks my heart to see what John McCain is turning into. He appears to be so bitter. I have such respect for the man who served our country, and the man who stood up to his group and said the President was an a good American and they just differed on policy. But it seems like the longer he stays in the political game the more bitter he becomes. He knows Susan Rice had nothing to do with what happen in Lybia, but he so bitter he cannot get pass losing. He must stop behaving like the angry old man who lost the election in 2008, and 2012, get over it!!
If you would look back on McCain in the years BP (before Palin) he was a mediocre Senator at best. He is now a Senile bitter man who has lost all touch with reality. He is a danger to this country.
Sad to say what McCain lost to the North Vietnamese as POW for over 5 years.
Sadder still is the U.S. Senate, is all dressed up with unlimited self-defined rules ready to wield Constitutional power, but instead of taking the risk and making the effort to heal the staggered economy, the budget and everything else, the Senate has to play filibuster in the same way that Peter Pan's Tootles (Mitch McConnell) lost his marbles,
To the Bitter End. What a Legacy. For his long, long career, McCain will be remembered for 3 things 1) Prominent member of the Keating Five 2) Pointing to Sarah Palin and telling the world she was qualified to be President of the United States and 3) Abandoning every single one of his 'core principles' when they became politically inconvenient.
Some people just don't know to quit while they're ahead. Getting old is very sad, especially when you become a mean and bitter person.....someone needs to tell Mr. McCain that it's time to go home and rest.
Talk about wasteing tax payers money. He needs to retire and let some women in that can handle the job.
I hope they make this cranky old man stand up for hours and and hours and hours and really filibuster. I am sick of the pseudo filibusters. When they are just being jerks, they ought to have to pay a price.
I hope they make this cranky old man stand up for hours and and hours and hours and really filibuster. I am sick of the pseudo filibusters. When they are just being jerks, they ought to have to pay a price.