Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham added their names to the growing list of Republicans signaling strong opposition to the possibility of a nomination of U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to replace Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, also suggesting Republicans are not going to give President Obama any honeymoon period after his significant election victory. Senate Republicans are looking for every opportunity to go after "Watergate" style hearings into the handling of the attack on the "Benghazi debacle."
When asked about this during his news conference, an angry President Obama said if Senators McCain and Senator Graham want to go after his handling of the Benghazi consulate affair they should come after him, but to "birsmirch her (Susan Rice's) reputation is outrageous."
This is a major escalation of the issue since Meteor Blades wrote Cue the neocons. Resurrect the Swiftboaters. Rice, Kerry confirmations wouldn't be easy, earlier this morning.
Just as the President was asked about the remarks of Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte this morning and afternoon, I was about to report them. Garance Frank-Rute reports McCain says she is both unqualified, and behavior with regard to the Benghazi Consulate affair so compromised he would even lead a filibuster to oppose her nomination.
McCain had earlier Wednesday laid out his opposition to Rice on CBS's This Morning, saying that her remarks in the days after the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. State Department mission in Benghazi, Libya -- which McCain called a consulate -- showed that she was "not qualified" to lead America's diplomatic efforts. McCain indicted her for "not being very bright, because it was obvious that this was not a 'flash mob' and there was additional information by the time she went on every news show...in America." Rice, following the lead of the intelligence community, had gone on a number of Sunday talk shows and attributed the attack to outrage over an anti-Islam video produced by a Christian Egyptian expatriate based in California.
McCain was joined in his opposition at the conference, presented by The Atlantic and the Aspen Institute, by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Rice's handling of the situation revealed she was "a political choice with a political narrative," he said, and raised grave doubts about her credibility. "I don't trust her," Graham said.
Republicans see the nomination hearing cabinet post for the new term as the best opportunity to refocus their attempts to turn what Senator Lindsey Graham called the "Benghazi debacle."
From Jed Lewison's Liveblog of the President's news conference:
11:03 AM PT: ABC's Jon Karl wants to know if Obama would hypothetically continue forward with a hypothetical nomination of Susan Rice if Republicans hypothetically promised to hypothetically reject it.
11:06 AM PT: Obama: I don't comment on hypotheticals, but Susan Rice rocks. "If Senators McCain and Graham want to go after somebody, they should go after me." It's "outrageous" for them to "besmirch" her reputation. Rice was doing what the White House asked, he says.
11:07 AM PT: "If I think she would be the best person to serve American in the capacity of the State Department, then I will nominate her. That's not a determination I've made yet."
Also, from the Atlantic:
The senators' remarks were part of the daylong push for a joint investigation by senators into what Graham called the "Benghazi debacle." Graham and McCain were joined by New Hampshire Sen. Kelley Ayotte at a Capitol Hill news conference on Benghazi immediately following the Ideas Forum where they continued to press their case. "There is no credibility amongst most of us concerning the administration and the numerous controversies and contradictions that have been involved in their handling of this issue," McCain said. "It is essential for the Congress to conduct its own independent assessment."
"The American people deserve answers," he said, comparing the deaths of four Americans in the attack in Libya to Watergate and the Iran-Contra affair. "What did the president know? When did he know it? And what did he do about it?" Those were some of the key questions on which "the American people deserve answers," McCain said.
My original article also reported much material from the The Los Angeles Times on the other Republicans gearing up to exploit any hypothetical nomination hearings to replace Secretary of State Hilary Clinton at Secretary of State.
How cheesy for Republicans to try to exploit these hearing and try to turn them into pseuo-impeachment hearings which they do not have the substance for.
CNN reports and equally angry response from John McCain saying that he does intend to hold President Obama accountable for the Benghazi consulate affair, but I will add the specific documentation in an update.
11:55 AM PT: In a significant escalation Lindsey Graham fires back at President Obama saying he does hold President Obama accountable and intends to hold hearings to pursue it.
Sorry to use Fox New's
Greta Van Sustrands Blog" but this is just breaking and she is first up with the full text of the Senator Graham's confrontational response to the President remarks in the news conference.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made this statement in response to President Obama’s comments about Benghazi and Ambassador Susan Rice.
“Mr. President, don’t think for one minute I don’t hold you ultimately responsible for Benghazi. I think you failed as Commander in Chief before, during, and after the attack.
“We owe it to the American people and the victims of this attack to have full, fair hearings and accountability be assigned where appropriate. Given what I know now, I have no intention of promoting anyone who is up to their eyeballs in the Benghazi debacle.”
12:26 PM PT: http://www.cbsnews.com/...
CNN is reporting live Senator John McCain from the floor of the Senate spewing forth an ugly indictment of President Obama's handling of the Benghazi hearings. How sad. They are so caustic that CNN cut away saying that McCain is asking "What did the President know and when did he know it" comparing this incident to Watergate.
But, why would CNN cut away? I think they realize that we may be seeing John McCain melt down into senility right before how eyes. He has crossed the line with insufficient evidence, IMO. It remains to be seen if other Republicans will jump in or see the danger that McCain is overreacting.
The CBS link above has the video of the President's remarks.
12:37 PM PT: This is a blockquote that should be under the CBS link in the above update but my sticky notes workpad areas overflowed and I have to reset it losing 30 pages of notes so am carrying water one bucket at a time, Links vs content. Sorry, I'll fix this by next time. If anyone wants to embed the video here, and that of John McCain's sad and outrageous rant from the floor of the Senate while I reset I would be much appreciative. Thanks for your patience. I'm trying to give you this hot of the press, and don't see anyone else out with it yet.
President Obama is making a strong defense of America's U.N. ambassador Susan Rice over comments she made about recent violence in Benghazi, calling recent Republican attacks on her reputation "outrageous" and promising that they won't deter him from tapping her to be Secretary of State if he chooses.
Mr. Obama, speaking to reporters in the first press conference since his re-election, praised Rice for serving U.S. interests in the U.N. with "toughness and grace," and argued forcefully that her reputation has been unfairly "besmirched" by the right.
Obama on Susan Rice: "She has done exemplary work"
"Let me say specifically about Susan Rice: She has done exemplary work. She has represented the U.S. and our interests in the U.N. with skill and professionalism and toughness and grace," said Mr. Obama. "If Senator McCain and Senator Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me. And I'm happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador? Who had nothing to do with Benghazi? And was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received? To besmirch her reputation is outrageous."