Under fire, Rice out as potential nominee

Susan Rice will continue to serve as U.N. ambassador after dropping out of the running for secretary of state, President Barack Obama said.
Susan Rice will continue to serve as U.N. ambassador after dropping out of the running for secretary of state, President Barack Obama said.

— Susan Rice, the ambassador to the United Nations, has withdrawn her name from consideration for secretary of state in the face of relentless opposition from Republicans in Congress over her role in the aftermath of the deadly attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, Rice said she concluded that “the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly - to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities. The trade-off is simply not worth it to our country.”

Obama, who spoke with Rice on Thursday, said he accepted her request with regret, describing her as “an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant.”

He said she “will continue to serve as our ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my Cabinet and national security team.”

“While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, 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 in a statement.


RELATED ARTICLE

http://www.arkansas…">Text of Susan Rice’s letter to President Barack Obama

The president had steadfastly defended Rice from attacks that she misled the American public in televised appearances after the attack in Benghazi, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. And until Thursday, Obama seemed ready to face down Rice’s critics on Capitol Hill.

The most vociferous of them was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., but several other Republicans had joined in sharply questioning her suitability for the job.

One defender, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who has often been mentioned as another candidate to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state, was among the first Thursday to issue a statement reacting to Rice’s withdrawal.

“I’ve defended her publicly and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment,” Kerry said. “She’s an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant. Today’s announcement doesn’t change any of that. We should all be grateful that she will continue to serve and contribute at the highest level.

“As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction,” he added.

In a brief excerpt of an interview shown on the NBC News program Rock Center on Thursday evening, the network quoted Rice as saying that she “didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting, and very disruptive.”

The debate over Rice had been a significant distraction during the Obama administration’s transition between its first and second terms, as many changes in top positions are expected, and difficult negotiations over resolving the nation’s fiscal crisis are dominating the domestic agenda.

In the interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, Rice said, “We’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform, balanced deficit reduction, job creation - that’s what matters.”

It was unusual for so much attention to be focused on a potential nominee to a Cabinet post before any selection had been announced, and for the administration to put on a full-court press on behalf of the contender.

And it was unorthodox, too, for her to be sent to Capitol Hill to defend herself in meetings with her critics, who only extended and even broadened their attack on her credentials.

Some officials said they feared that Obama was limiting his own maneuvering room by engaging the critics so vehemently.

“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 and to besmirch her reputation, is outrageous,” the president said at a news conference shortly after the election.

“When they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she’s an easy target, then they’ve got a problem with me,” he continued. “And should I choose - if I think that she would be the best person to serve America in the capacity - the State Department, then I will nominate her.”

The Republican reaction was unrelenting when the White House circulated Rice’s name as a possible candidate last month. Sens. McCain and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and others said they would work actively against her candidacy because of the Benghazi episode. Other questions were raised about her investments overseas.

White House aides said the president is considering three possibilities to replace Leon Panetta as secretary of defense.

They include Chuck Hagel, a Republican who is former U.S. senator from Nebraska; Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter; and Michelle Flournoy, who was the highest-ranking woman at the Pentagon for most of the first Obama administration.

If nominated, Flournoy would be the first woman to run the Defense Department. She grew up in the Los Angeles area in the 1970s, when her father worked as a TV cinematographer at Paramount Studios, and graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1979.

Hagel, who has reportedly visited the White House in recent days, may be a more contentious choice. Some Republicans quickly began taking aim at Hagel for statements that they consider show a weak commitment to Israel and a reluctance to go to war with Iran over its nuclear program.

William Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, told a publication of the conservative Center for American Freedom that if Hagel is chosen, “Iran will get nuclear weapons and Israel will be thrown under the bus.”

A senior Republican Senate aide predicted that “with Rice out of the way and a Hagel nomination likely, all fire will be redirected against Hagel now. Given Hagel’s outrageous positions on Israel and Iran, a vote on Hagel will become a litmus test of American foreign policy for both Democrats and Republicans ... and I think 60 votes will be in doubt.”

Graham said in a statement that he respected Rice’s decision. He then pivoted to Benghazi, pledging to keep close scrutiny of the security breakdown even with Rice out of the spotlight.

“The story of Benghazi is a story of national-security failure, and we must work to prevent it from every happening again,” he said.

Information for this article was contributed by Mark Landler and John H. Cushman Jr. of The New York Times and by Paul Richter, Christi Parsons and Melanie Mason of the Tribune Washington Bureau.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 12/14/2012

Upcoming Events