john kerry, a sitting senator who would give up a valuable seat to accept?

and agreeing with Obama's decision.

It sucks, but sometimes, you've got to make a hard decision.

Recommended.

I had just logged on to pose a similar question.

If people stopped smearing everyone under consideration by the President. Every name mentioned launches a witchhunt.

Ray McGovern: Say No to Susan Rice: Here's Why
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021928492

Don’t jump to conclusions about Susan Rice
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2012/12/13/dont-jump-to-conclusions-about-susan-rice/

I fully expect everyone to begin smearing Kerry...again.

but if nominated, he will sail through.

touting him as a good choice! The word "hypocrisy" truly has become a synonym for "Republican".

Rice is not so wonderful that she was worth the distraction and the huge expenditure of political capital.

Never even crossed my mind.

her defense recently or strongly...they saw which way the wind was blowing and Rice knew she didn't have the support.

When did that occur?

I presume she was asked. To some extent, regardless of the exact order, if they wanted her they probably could have persuaded her. The end result, regardless of order, is that she's out.

This administration is a top up loyalty only.


Everyone else gets cut from the raft as soon as any repug has a tissy.

News at 11.

Having Rice withdraw from consideration eliminates an unnecessary distraction. What will Graham and McCain have to bellyache about now? Truth be told, the greater majority of the electorate really could not care less who is named SoS. This ends the news cycle on this kerfuffle, and that's a net gain.

(hand raised)

A confirmation hearing would only have highlighted the Benghazi issue more than it already is/will be. And, as you put it: The administration absolutely does not want that at all.

just get him out of the AFC East so the Jets can finally get to the Superbowl.

That should be just enough to start a flame war.

I think he wanted someone with more recognized gravitas. We'll see who he ends up choosing, but Rice was no Clinton, as far as our allies would be concerned. The value of having the wife of a former U.S. president lobby nations around the world cannot be overstated. I think choices like John Kerry would provide someone who is recognizable on the international circuit, trusted, and with noticeable influence. I'm not sure Rice provided that.

I do think the president signaled that he wanted someone else and gave Rice the opportunity to withdraw, rather than have it appear he passed her up. Standard stuff. I don't see why holding that opinion should be some untoward thing worthy of derision or ridicule. It could be that Mass. and the president have worked out a way to keep Kerry's seat or have reassured the president about the risk of the open seat challenged by the republicans.

Also, McCain is a nobody. He had almost no influence in the last election and he's mostly a sad joke in the Senate that Democrats riff off of. What currency is a McCain 'victory?'

And, yes, he could have won with Rice.

i.e. until Kerry is officially nominated.

The deaths occurred there at an embassy, the official State Dept. headquarters of the US ambassador. I kept listening for State's explanations from the day the very sad news came on, and personally thought it was part of the embassy demonstrations across the mid-east map, but nothing came from State except a statement of regret about the deaths.

I understand that Mrs. Clinton will testify (finally) next week. I wonder why Rice was asked about it to begin with on Meet the Press.

It seems that shady describes the entire affair very accurately.

and thought Romney was a shoo-in in 2012.

So.

going over I think

I think that this was her decision alone. President Obama was very openly supportive of her when the Republicans started up their shenanigans but I think, in the end, she decided that she didn't want to force the WH into a long, drawn out battle that would unnecessarily distract everybody from other more important things. In short, she was thinking of the big picture- the country- instead of herself, like most of the people on our team. I don't know what the Republicans' goals were in trying to defeat Rice for the position but I hope that it rings like a hollow victory to them.

I suspect that they discussed it and I wonder if he really was planning on nominating her. There was a lot of hoopla from talkingheadville but he never said, one way or the other, what he was thinking. I think she was given the Sunday talk show rounds to keep the eye off of a lot of details while the CIA head was being neatly removed from all considerations via a pile of fodder in the form of a tawdry "affair". He got off easy.