Susan Rice Withdraws Name From Consideration for Secretary Of State

[Rheo]

ABC News:

UN Ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration for Secretary of State, saying the criticism surrounding her comments on Benghazi had become an “irresponsible distraction.”

 

“I am fully confident that I could serve our country ably and effectively in that role,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama today. “However, if nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities.”

 

Read Susan Rice’s letter to President Obama

 

“That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country,” she added.

 

Rice has been criticized by Republicans for her response to questions about the terrorist attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.

“The position of Secretary of State should never be politicized,” Rice wrote. “As someone who grew up in an era of comparative bipartisanship and as a sitting U.S. national security official who has served in two U.S. Administrations, I am saddened that we have reached this point, even before you have decided whom to nominate. We cannot afford such an irresponsible distraction from the most pressing issues facing the American people.”

 

President Obama has accepted Rice’s decision to remove her name from the running.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Fox News:

DEVELOPING ...

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has removed her name from consideration for secretary of state, saying she does not want to put the administration through a "lengthy, disruptive and costly" confirmation process.

The move followed weeks of controversy on Capitol Hill over the possibility of her nomination, with Republicans threatening to block Rice from the post over concerns about her September comments on the Libya terror attack. Some lawmakers continue to charge that Rice misled the American people when she said on Sept. 16 that the attack was the result of a "spontaneous" demonstration spun out of control.

President Obama, in a written statement Thursday, called those claims "unfair and misleading" but said he accepts her decision.

"Her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first," Obama said.

ORIGINAL STORY ...

Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel has emerged as the leading contender to become President Obama's pick to serve as secretary of defense, according to several Democrats briefed on the process.

These same Democrats told Fox News that Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is now being talked up within the administration as a more likely nominee for secretary of state over Susan Rice, the current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

These sources, however, told Fox News that Rice is being talked up privately as a potential pick for national security adviser since that post would not require Senate confirmation. Rice's possible nomination as secretary of state has been highly controversial because of allegations that she misled the public about the Benghazi terror attack.

One top Democratic source familiar with the process said that naming Rice to the prestigious role of national security adviser would "save face" and make the Senate confirmation process much easier -- freeing the president up to spend more political capital on the budget battles with Republicans, instead of dealing with a threatened filibuster of Rice's nomination by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and others.

________

 

Susan Rice out of the running.

[Jill]

Sort of surprised that she announced this today. Rice should not take the fall for Benghazi, she lied about it for him and Obama is skating. Who now? Hagel? Kerry? Hillary's leaving in about a month.

[Valin]

Those darn Republicans hate Black women!....Oh Wait.

[Geee]

Sort of surprised that she announced this today. Rice should not take the fall for Benghazi, she lied about it for him and Obama is skating. Who now? Hagel? Kerry? Hillary's leaving in about a month.

 

They will nominate Hagel and make a big deal about him being a Republican and people who don't follow politics will say how nice it is that he is being bi-partisan, when we know that Hagel is as Republican as...................Crist

[Casino67]

The theme I am seeing is that Hagel goes to Defense and Kerry to State. Kerry wants it badly, probably one of the people spreading slime against Rice.

[Rheo]

Good grief. With those two added to this pathetic administration, we are hosed.

[Casino67]

Good grief. With those two added to this pathetic administration, we are hosed.

Good grief. With those two added to this pathetic administration, we are hosed.

 

Maybe after the 2014 elections, we can stop this kind of ridiculousness. Just pray no SCOTUS resigns or dies before then.

[SrWoodchuck]

It's great that she fell on her sword for Oblarney......may others in his cabal follow. She would have provided a great spectacle at a confirmation hearing....not just for her Benghazi lies, but for her mis-handling of the African consulate bombings in 1998, when she was involved up to her eyebrows @ "State."

 

We must "fine-tune" our message....so that Progs can't misunderstand....it's not the fact that she's a woman & black....it's her wealth, arrogance & socialist-progressive politics. We should be able to find some common ground there.