Tag Archives: Secretary of State

Susan Rice Will Run Foreign Policy From WH, Not State

Susan Rice, who withdrew from consideration as secretary of state after criticism over her Sunday talk show appearances right after the Benghazi terror attacks on 9/11/12 that left four Americans, including Amb. Chris Stevens, dead, is President Obama’s new national security adviser.  The job doesn’t require Senate confirmation, so Rice’s GOP enemies can’t do anything about it.  She who laughs last, laughs best.

The losers here — besides those GOP enemies — are John Kerry and the Syrian rebels.  Kerry because foreign policy will be concentrated at the White House now, giving him less power, and the rebels because Rice opposes intervention in the Syrian civil war, where the tide is turning in Assad’s favor.

Speaking of “power,” Obama is nominating Samantha Power to replace Rice at the U. N.

John Kerry, Phony

I’ve never liked John Kerry, I’ve always thought he was a big phony.

The man claims to be a Red Sox fan, and yet several years ago, when asked his favorite player, he said Manny Ortiz.  At the time, the Sox had Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, but there was no Manny Ortiz playing for any team.

Now he’s done it again.  He said how pleased he was to hear Red Sox favorite “Sweet Adeline” sung at Yankee Stadium last week after the Boston Marathon Bombings.  Maybe they sing “Sweet Adeline” at the Fenway Park where Manny Ortiz plays, but in the real world, they sing “Sweet Caroline.”

Kind of makes you wonder what dumb, ill-informed things he says to foreign leaders as our Secretary of State.

For GOP and Hillary, 2016 Is Now

I don’t think Hillary Clinton’s Benghazi testimony really told us anything new.

I see it as the GOP taking her deposition.  Just as in litigation, you hope to use something from a deposition transcript to embarrass or discredit a witness at trial, the GOP hoped, as Hillary exits the public stage for now, to get some sound bites they can use against her in 2016.

So much will happen between now and then in our War on Terror that Benghazi won’t matter at all in terms of who gets the Democratic nomination and who wins the next presidential election.  But nice try, GOP.

Powell Praises Hagel

Colin Powell is just such a class act and straight shooter.  Today on Meet the Press, he both rightly praised Chuck Hagel for DoD and criticized the Obama Administration’s poor handling of its choices so that they twist in the wind.

On the process:

“I think it was not handled well.  One of the problems, both with Ambassador [Susan] Rice and with Chuck Hagel, these sort of signals come out that, ‘This is who we are thinking about.’ And you’re left out there to dangle for weeks.  Well, if this is who you’re going to nominate, nominate them, and let’s get on with the process.”

On Hagel:

“I’m very supportive of the state of Israel.  So is Senator Hagel, and you’ll see that in the confirmation hearings, but it doesn’t mean you have to agree with every single position that the Israeli government takes.”

Kerry, Hagel, and the Empty Barn Jacket

President Obama has officially nominated John Kerry to be the next Secretary of State.  A happy day for defeated Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who is tap dancing against semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity clips as fast as he can, and who will now get another bite at the senatorial apple after his loss to Elizabeth Warren.

Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) has officially come out against former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska) for Secretary of Defense.  Cornyn is both a member of the Armed Services Committee and the GOP whip, so he’d be a major player in a Hagel confirmation.

Prez Picks His Battles

U. N. Ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration to replace Hillary as Secretary of State.  Grumpy old man John McCain effectively told Rice to get off his lawn.

So that means John Kerry.  So that means Scott Brown, the empty Barn Jacket, back in the Senate from MA.

It’s War

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) will block a Rice nomination for Secretary of State if Obama chooses to proceed:  “I would place a hold on anybody who wanted to be promoted  for any job who had a role in the Benghazi situation.

The battle against Rice has led to charges of sexism and racism.  That’s why they’re putting a New Hampshire woman out front, to try to deflect those charges.  Both McCain and “Butters” Graham are male, obviously, plus Butters is from South Carolina.