Close to 100 Republican members of the US House of Representatives have
signed a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, expressing firm
opposition to the potential nomination of UN envoy Susan Rice as the next
secretary of state.
The Monday letter, signed by 97 representatives, comes after Obama strongly
defended Rice in a news conference last week following his reelection and
amid growing reports that the current US representative at the United
Nations is the president’s top choice to succeed Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, who is reportedly no longer interested in remaining in the Obama
administration due to her purported 2016 presidential ambitions.
“Though Ambassador Rice has been our representative to the UN, we believe
her misleading statements over the days and weeks following the attack on
our embassy in Libya that led to the deaths of Ambassador [Christopher]
Stevens and three other Americans caused irreparable damage to her
credibility both at home and around the world,” the Republicans wrote in
their letter to Obama.
The letter by the Republicans comes despite the fact that House members
have no role in confirming cabinet secretaries, since it is the US Senate,
as a matter of procedure, which votes on confirmation of administration
cabinet nominees.
Rice has come under harsh criticism by Republicans for her initial
statement that the deadly September 11 incident at the American Consulate
in Benghazi, Libya came as a spontaneous anti-American protest rally
following the release of an anti-Islam video that was produced in the US.
The Obama administration, however, claimed later that the attack had been
pre-planned.
In his press conference last Wednesday, Obama lashed out at two Republican
Senators leading the criticisms against Rice.
“If Senator [John] McCain and Senator [Lindsey] 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 UN 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. And, you know, we’re after an election now,” Obama said.
Despite Obama’s insistence that he had not yet made a final decision on
Rice’s nomination, Democrat observers have emphasized that it would be
difficult for Obama to pick a different candidate at this point since it
would signal a weakness on his part in facing Senate Republicans that seem
eager to challenge him.
MFB/HMV
*Letter by US Republican House members to Obama*
Though Ambassador Rice has been our representative to the UN, we believe
her misleading statements over the days and weeks following the attack on
our embassy in Libya that led to the deaths of Ambassador Stevens and three
other Americans caused irreparable damage to her credibility both at home
and around the world.”
Received on Wed Nov 21 2012 - 20:47:40 EST
