Republicans got their scalp with Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration for Secretary of State. Not too much gloating here and they blame her 'dismal performance' in talking about Benghazi entirely.
United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration to replace outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She says Republican criticism – mostly unfounded – was the reason she will not risk a volatile Senate confirmation process.
Obama never officially submitted the Stanford University and Oxford educated diplomat's name for the top State Department job. However, her dismal performance when discussing the Sept. 11 attacks in Libya that left a U.S. Ambassador and three others dead virtually made her nomination a next-to-impossible task.
So John Kerry has officially been nominated, in accordance with Sen. Susan Collins' (R-Maine) wishes, who promised he'd sail through the confirmation process.
Republican senators vehemently and openly opposed the nomination of Rice and strongly favored Kerry. The Washington Post said that there was a “quiet effort [by Republicans] to push Kerry for the job.” Several Republican senators were vocal in their support for Kerry. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) said, “I think John Kerry would be an excellent appointment and would be easily confirmed by his colleagues.” Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said, “If the president wants an easy confirmation hearing and an easy confirmation process, what he would do is nominate John Kerry.”
Because, as we know, President Obama's main desire in selecting his cabinet is 'an easy confirmation process'.
And now President Obama's possible choice of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense is receiving similar pushback, with Marco Rubio threatening to place a hold on his nomination, as well as receiving criticism for anti-Israel and anti-gay stances.
So Republicans, whom do you suggest President Obama nominate, instead? Please - advise whom you would prefer as President Obama's Secretary of Defense.
Whether or not you agree with this choice, traditionally this has been the President's choice. The Republican obstruction of President Obama's choices for cabinet posts is historic, and extreme and is on par with their redefining the Presidency of the first black President of the United States.
The extremist maneuver erases decades, if not centuries, of Capitol Hill protocol with regards to allowing a newly elected president to confirm the secretary of state of his choosing.
As usual, the media ignores this Repubican obstructionism, resetting it as the 'new normal' for the Obama Presidency:
The coordinated, partisan campaign to attack and derail Rice's possible nomination is highly, highly unusual regarding a secretary of state. But you would never know it from watching and reading the press coverage, which depicts the battle as simply more political jockeying and part of a long-running partisan feud where both sides are to blame.
It's not. And the press ought to say so.
By contrast, Condoleeza Rice, who was an extremely flawed candidate by any measure, sailed through her nomination.
The aggressive GOP attempt to derail Rice's rise also runs counter to how Democrats confirmed Condoleeza Rice as secretary of state, despite outstanding questions about her involvement in selling and planning the Iraq War.
The Washington Post reported Condoleeza's nomination with the unmistakble subtext that she would be appointed and didn't even bother quoting any Demoractic reactions.
Historically it has been the President's prerogative to select his cabinet members. Al Haig's 6 no votes, and Condoleeza Rice's 13 no votes, were newsworthy. Chalres Krathaummer was very put out:
In this country, it is customary to allow the president to choose his own Cabinet so long as the nominee is minimally qualified.
But today, Sen. Kelly Ayotte threatened to put a hold on any nomination put forth by Obama if she didn't get more 'answers' on Benghazi.
Oddly, Krauthammer is silent about this scorched earth policy by the Republicans.
Throughout our history, the process has worked the same way. The President nominated his choice, and they were appointed. But not today. Not in President Obama's historic presidency.
12:54 PM PT: Sen. John Cornyn has announced he will oppose Hagel's nomination and urges the President to reconsider,
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the Republican whip, told me in a phone interview this morning he would oppose the nomination of Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense: “I can’t support a Hagel nomination if it comes,” he said. He is the first senator to expressly state he would oppose Hagel. He told me he thinks there would be substantial opposition to Hagel on both sides of the aisle. “I’ve heard prominent Democrats concerned about his position on Israel. Many Republican have said they did not want to prejudge. But it would be a bad move and one of the reasons I’ve taken the position [to oppose]. ‘Mr. President don’t do that. It would be a bad nomination.’”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...