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Sen. John McCain’s Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy

November 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Susan Rice%2C official State Dept photo portrait%2C 2009 Sen. John McCains Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy

Sen. John McCain’s Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It’s ironic how Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have the hatchet out for Dr. Susan Rice, who the former claims isn’t qualified for the Secretary of State job. Here are some of her accomplishments:  valedictorian, Stanford Phi Beta Kappa,  Rhodes Scholar,  Oxford Ph.D.  Dr. Susan Rice also served under the Clinton administration as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and also served on the staff of the National Security Council. McCain has had a longstanding war of sorts with Susan Rice.

She  attended Stanford University, where she received a Truman Scholarship  and graduated with a B.A. in history in 1986 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and attended New College Oxford where she earned a M. Phil in 1988 and PhD in 1990. Her dissertation, entitled “Commonwealth Initiative in Zimbabwe, 1979-1980: Implication for International Peacekeeping” was honored by the Chatham House-British International Studies Association as UK’s most distinguished in international relations.

Dr. Rice also served as a foreign policy aide to 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis and again in the 2004 presidential campaign of John Kerry. She was also a management consultant at McKinsey & Co. She was also managing director and principal at Intellibridge and worked at Brookings Institution as a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy and Global Economy and Development program.

Fox News (surprise, surprise) also has the hatchet out for her citing her “miserable” record at the U.N., claiming she skipped crucial meetings and undermined the Bush Administration. Well, considering their abysmal record on reporting the truth, I’ll pass on deeming this a credible position. Fox News contributor John Bolton was a bully at the U.N., but the network would never tell you the truth. It goes against their vendetta against President Obama.

John McCain and Lindsey Graham have just improved Susan Rice’s chances of being nominated and confirmed to replace Hillary Clinton.  Here’s two interesting takes on a possible Susan Rice nomination:

Bloomberg:  Obama’s “spirited defense” of Rice “has moved her a step closer to being named to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

First Read:  ”If you thought that Obama might decide to pass on nominating Susan Rice to be the next Secretary of State, think again. Yesterday’s confrontation might have been the best thing to happen to her chances of being nominated. The president is a pragmatist and is usually someone who likes to avoid confirmation fights for his appointees. But the more the GOP attacks Rice, the more dug in the White House and president might get.”

Now McCain’s bold veep pick Sarah Palin, attended five colleges in six years to get one Bachelor’s degree, can’t finish anything she starts, couldn’t name one periodical she regularly reads. couldn’t cite a Supreme Court case and saw Russia from her backyard. I can only sum up Sarah Palin’s accomplishment with the following cartoon:
gov palin i quit Sen. John McCains Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy

Sen. John McCain’s Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy, Compared to Sarah Palin’s Experience

Sen. John McCains Comment Susan Rice Unqualified for Secretary of State Position Smacks of Hypocrisy
Filed Under: Barack Obama, Race in America, U.S. Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Hillary Clinton Identifies Sean Smith, Killed Along with Ambassador Chris Stevens, 2 Others in Benghazi Embassy Attack

September 12, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement identifying Sean Smith, Foreign Service Information Management Officer as one of the four people killed, along with Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, in the rocket attack on their vehicle at the U.S. embassy in Benghazi, Libya, Tuesday.

Here is Clinton’s full statement:

It is with profound sadness that I share the news of the death of four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya yesterday. Among them were United States Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens and Foreign Service Information Management Officer, Sean Smith. We are still making next of kin notifications for the other two individuals. Our hearts go out to all their families and colleagues.

A 21 year veteran of the Foreign Service, Ambassador Stevens died last night from injuries he sustained in the attack on our office in Benghazi.

I had the privilege of swearing in Chris for his post in Libya only a few months ago. He spoke eloquently about his passion for service, for diplomacy and for the Libyan people. This assignment was only the latest in his more than two decades of dedication to advancing closer ties with the people of the Middle East and North Africa which began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As the conflict in Libya unfolded, Chris was one of the first Americans on the ground in Benghazi. He risked his own life to lend the Libyan people a helping hand to build the foundation for a new, free nation. He spent every day since helping to finish the work that he started. Chris was committed to advancing America’s values and interests, even when that meant putting himself in danger.

Sean Smith was a husband and a father of two, who joined the Department ten years ago. Like Chris, Sean was one of our best. Prior to arriving in Benghazi, he served in Baghdad, Pretoria, Montreal, and most recently The Hague.

All the Americans we lost in yesterday’s attacks made the ultimate sacrifice. We condemn this vicious and violent attack that took their lives, which they had committed to helping the Libyan people reach for a better future.

America’s diplomats and development experts stand on the front lines every day for our country. We are honored by the service of each and every one of them.

President Obama was notified of Chris Stevens’ death this morning. He was notified last night that the ambassador was unaccounted for, the White House said. A White House official said Obama was informed of the situation in Libya multiple times Tuesday evening by National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Talking Points Memo reports. I guess Mitt Romney wanted the president to fly over to Libya to figure out what happened, right? This is no time for partisan bullsh*t.

Filed Under: Presidential Election, US embassy protests Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Trying to Sabotage Obama Reelection Bid by Being a Bully

September 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
300px Benjamin Netanyahu portrait Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Trying to Sabotage Obama Reelection Bid by Being a Bully

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Trying to Sabotage Obama Reelection Bid by Being a Bully (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to sabotage Obama’s reelection bid by crying like a baby. He denounced American and British efforts to restrain his country from striking Iran, saying that no-one had a “moral right” to prevent his country from acting against a mortal threat, the Telegraph reports. Last time I checked Bibi Netanyahu wasn’t our president and we don’t answer to him, well maybe Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan do.

If he believes his country has a moral right to defend itself, then, does he want a meeting with President Obama? Why not put his money where his mouth and unilaterally strike Iran, with the understanding that he’s in this by himself. You see, we have no money to fight another war. It’s just that simple. So, yes, I don’t blame President Obama for snubbing his request for a meeting.

Mitt Romney is so busy kissing his ass that he can’t stop and figure out that America cannot afford to fight another war. Netanyahu would love to see no-one else than Mitt Romney become the next president so Romney can become his puppet. Netanyahu seems to be forgetting one huge detail — the U.S. gives his country a shitload of money, so no, we don’t have to become servile to them. It should be the other way around. Thanks to Mitt Romney’s fawning over him, he now thinks he has the ace in his back pocket.

UPDATE#1 (09/11/12):  President Obama spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu by telephone today and affirmed his commitment to Israel and a nuclear-weapon free Iran. Politico reports. He also said the White House was not asked for a meeting with the Israeli prime minister.  I still say Bibi Netanyahu is trying to bully the president on starting another war. 

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Trying to Sabotage Obama Reelection Bid by Being a Bully
Filed Under: Middle East, Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , ,

#Romneyshambles, If You Loved George W. Bush, Then You Will Also Love Mitt Romney

July 31, 2012 by Leave a Comment

The Financial Times has a great article at Mitt Romney’s “tough talk,” mainly to appease the ultra right wing, including the fabulously rich. The problem is Mitt Romney, who governed as a moderate in Massachusetts, is trying to be “severely conservative” to the point of sounding ridiculous:

Mr Romney has already called Russia, America’s “number one geopolitical foe”, and promised to designate China a “currency manipulator” on his first day in office – a move that could be a prelude to trade sanctions. In Israel, over the weekend, he came close to encouraging an attack on Iran.

[...]

Does Mr Romney believe all this good and evil, moral clarity stuff that he is tossing out for the Republican faithful? Who knows. I suspect that, after years of campaigning, Mr Romney himself struggles to remember what he actually believes. My guess is that his inner core, if he has one, would incline him to a coldly pragmatic foreign policy rather close to that of Mr Obama. Mr Romney is an establishment man and his campaign does not suggest he is driven by unbending principle.

The trouble is that campaign rhetoric cannot all be wiped away, like an Etch A Sketch, the moment that the candidate wins the White House. Mr Romney is currently staking out positions that would pursue him into office – to the detriment of America and the world. Source

If I recall correctly, the tough talk from George W. Bush got us no where. We invaded Iraq on a lie, allowed Osama bin Laden to escape Afghanistan into Pakistan and presided over the near-collapse of Wall Street and the mortgage meltdown.  We were widely reviled on the international stage after George W. Bush’s two terms in office. So much so, that an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at Bush during a trip to Iraq. The ultimate sign of disrespect.

A trade war with China, a confrontation with Russia and war with Iran will certainly have far-reaching implications, worse than the tough economic climate we are dealing with. The biggest problem Mitt Romney faces is not being able to connect with Joe Six Pack. Just the Sheldon Adelson types. Even Ronald Reagan recognized he needed to mend fences with Russia, not continue the animosity.

Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

More Mitt Romney Gaffes, Forced to Backtrack After Questioning Britain’s Ability to Host Olympics

July 26, 2012 by Leave a Comment
london olympics 2012 300x159 More Mitt Romney Gaffes, Forced to Backtrack After Questioning Britains Ability to Host Olympics

More Mitt Romney Gaffes, Forced to Backtrack After Questioning Britain’s Ability to Host Olympics

More Mitt Romney Gaffes:  Mitt Romney is creating quite a name for himself in Great Britain as a somewhat out-of-touch presidential candidate. First, he previously criticized whether Britain was fit to stage the summer games and awkwardly referred to Labor Leader Ed Miliband as “Mr. Leader” at the Houses of Parliament. Um, is this the guy who has an in-depth  understanding of the “Anglo-Saxon” heritage the US shares with the UK? MSNBC also reports on the gaffe with Ed Miliband. Of course, Mitt Romney backtracked on criticizing the British, saying that “as the sporting events begin, we all forget the organizers and focus on the athletes,’ the Daily Mail reports. This flip-flop comes one day after he told NBC News, that ‘disconcerting’ events surrounding Olympics preparations meant ‘it’s hard to know just how well it will turn out.’ Nice Mittens, just keep on talking teabag!

His comment to NBC: ‘There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the – private security firm not having enough people the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging. He also questioned whether British people would get behind the Games.

But when asked by British media directly, he sang another tune:  ’It is impossible for absolutely no mistakes to occur. Of course there will be errors from time to time, but those are all overshadowed by the extraordinary demonstrations of courage, character and determination by the athletes.’

Actually, British PM David Cameron hit back after Romney’s jab, by urging the country to “put its best foot forward” and ensure they are remembered as “the friendly Games,” the Guardian reports.

 ”In terms of people coming together, the torch relay demonstrated that this is not a London Games, this is not an England Games but this is a United Kingdom Games. We’ll show the world we’ve not only come together as a United Kingdom but are extremely good at welcoming people from across the world.” Cameron said he was going to make this point to Romney when he met him later on Thursday. Source:  Guardian

To be honest, the London Olympics have been dogged with security issues, but do you risk insulting the British while yukking it with their leaders a day later? Seems like Mitt Romney is always spouting off at the mouth only to come back and explain his comments. That goes for his surrogates too, like Cuban-born John Sununu saying President Obama needs to learn to be an American or his unnamed adviser saying Obama doesn’t understand the whole Anglo-Saxon heritage thingy. Keep talking Mitt, keep talking. The world will see how qualified you are to lead the most powerful country in the world.

The British aren’t the only ones pissed at Mitt Romney. It seems that the U.S. press corps that traveled with him are too after they were snubbed during his meeting with Miliband. He didn’t take any questions from them, only the British reporters.

Romney’s press-corps faux pas: During his meeting with Miliband, according to the pool report, Romney answered questions from British reporters but did not take any questions from the American reporters, which isn’t protocol. In fact, it’s considered a bit of an insult to the U.S reporters who are following the presumptive GOP presidential nominee overseas. Source

London Mayor Boris Johnson derided Mitt Romney saying, There’s a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we’re ready. Are we ready? Are we ready? Yes we are!”

Here’s the reaction on Twitter to Mitt Romney’s insult of the British:

Even London mayor Boris Johnson derided Mitt Romney over his insult:

Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mitt Romney Promises to Confront China on Day One as New U.S. President, Laughable!

May 24, 2012 by 2 Comments

Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney is out with Day One, Part 2 I of a new campaign ad. It’s laughable that he names confronting China as one of his tasks on the first day in office. Um, Mitt, you have it backward — we are up to our necks in debt to China and the debtor is slave to the lender. In other words, confronting China is laughable, at best.

“There will be more to do on Day One: deficit reductions, stand up to China, and repeal job-killing regulations,” the tag line to the ad says.

Um, I am with Colin Powell, Mitt Romney has no clue on foreign policy and that’s sort of like his unrealistic pledge to reduce unemployment to six percent nationally. I thought Rush Limbaugh was the conservative windbag, but I think Mitt Romney is an even bigger one.

Filed Under: Presidential Election Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Time’s New Cover Declares Israel’s PM “King Bibi,” a Conqueror Deciding on Whether to “Make Peace or War”

May 18, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Just when you thought the Time magazine cover of a mother breast feeding her three year old son was disgusting, the magazine has managed to irk many, yet again. Their latest cover declares Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “King Bibi,” a conqueror who is going to decide whether to “make peace–or war.” Here is the cover:

time magazine king bibi netanyahu cover Times New Cover Declares Israels PM King Bibi, a Conqueror Deciding on Whether to Make Peace or War

Time's New Cover Declares Israel's PM "King Bibi," a Conqueror Going to Decide "Make Peace or War" (Time Magazine)

It seems like Time is trying to top Newsweek for it’s “First Gay President” cover of President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage. Here’s the reaction from Twitter:

Filed Under: International News, Middle East Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bill Kristol: Mitt Romney’s Attack on Obama Over Handling of Chinese Dissident are “Foolish”

May 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
chen guangcheng Bill Kristol: Mitt Romneys Attack on Obama Over Handling of Chinese Dissident are Foolish

Bill Kristol: Mitt Romney's Attack on Obama Over Handling of Chinese Dissident are "Foolish" (Reuters)

Mitt Romney attacked President Obama on Thursday over the administration’s handling of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, saying that was “a dark day for freedom and it’s a day of shame for the Obama administration.” We all know Mitt Romney was just talking out of his ass because Hillary Clinton was able to strike a deal with the Chinese government to allow the dissident to come to America on a fellowship at New York University. Bill Kristol during an appearance on Fox News, called Romney’s attack on Obama on the Chen case, “foolish:”

KRISTOL: I’m happy to be critical of the Obama administration as anyone is, but I think this is fast moving story. And if I were advising Governor Romney, I’d say you don’t need to get in the middle of this story. If this turns out badly, and it would be a terrible thing, it will turn out badly. People will know. … To inject yourself into the middle of this way with a fast moving target I think is foolish. [...]

There is no need to butt into a fast moving story when the secretary of state is in Beijing with delicate negotiations and say it’s a day of shame for the Obama administration. Hillary Clinton is waking up right now. Let’s see if she can pull this off in the next 12 hours or so. Source: Think Progress

This is a prime example of why Mitt Romney is like Seamus on the top of his station wagon or like a deer caught between two headlights — no clue on the gravity of the situation the American government faced with China on this dissident. President Obama and Hillary Clinton couldn’t just swoop in and remove this man and his family for China. There are laws to follow and it’s just not right, considering how indebted we are to the Chinese. Mitt Romney seems to think if he is elected our next president he can call the shots with China. Um, no, we owe them trillions. The lender is slave master over the borrower. You know, like he was at Bain Capital to all those people who lost their jobs under his watch.

Here’s the clip:

Filed Under: Mitt Romney, President Obama Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shouldn’t Conservatives Take a Second Look at GOP Presidential Hopeful Jon Huntsman?

December 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Shouldn’t conservatives take a second look at GOP presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman, who is by far the most conservative candidate of the slate of presidential candidates and has the most foreign policy experience?

Ambassador Jon Huntsman Shouldnt Conservatives Take a Second Look at GOP Presidential Hopeful Jon Huntsman?

Shouldn't Conservatives Take a Second Look at Jon Huntsman (Wikipedia)

Shouldn’t conservatives take a second look at GOP presidential hopeful former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman? After all, he is far more conservative than cheating Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. In fact, he is the only candidate that is staunchly pro-life and has REAL foreign policy experience. I have long maintained that he is the Republican candidate with the best chance of beating President Barack Obama in the general election. The truth is, Jon Huntsman shouldn’t  be a lower tier candidate. That should be Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul. Jon Huntsman shouldn’t be pulling in single digit poll figures. He should be in double digits, that’s based on what he brings to the table. Above all, he appeals to centrists and independents.

Conservative pundit George Will is even making the case for Jon Huntsman. During an appearance on the “Laura Ingraham Show,” he said, ”I think if you look at Jon Huntsman’s record, what he’s laid out, his proposals for taxes and the economy, his opposition to No Child Left Behind, you could make a case that he deserves a searching second look from conservatives. Huntsman’s position on foreign policy is the most conservative. That is, it is the most modest in assessing the need and ability of the United States to control distant events.”

Jon Huntsman’s record as governor is more conservative than anything Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney have ever done. While I don’t share his support of Paul Ryan’s deficit reduction plan, I will give him props for his jobs plan, which was touted by the Wall Street Journal: ”Mr. Huntsman’s proposal is as impressive as any to date in the GOP Presidential field, and certainly better than what we’ve seen from the front-runners.” More to his credit, he went out on a limb and called for the end of the collusion and market distortion of the “too big to fail” mantra.

If I was a betting person, with $10,000 to spare like Mitt Romney, I would bet that on Jon Huntsman being a viable GOP presidential nominee. While I don’t care much for his Mormon faith, I do care more about the path on which this country is heading. I can’t blame President Obama for much of what is going on, but I can blame him for being so vacillating and not being more forceful or understanding the awesome power he wields as the leader of the most powerful country in the world. President Obama should have learned by now, that you can’t be everybody’s friend and that the buck truly stops with him. Not John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi or Sen. Harry Reid. So, with that said, I would love to see Jon Huntsman as the GOP presidential nominee. God knows he doesn’t bring the baggage of Newt Gingrich or the flip-flopping history of Mitt Romney.

The article was cross-posted at The Moderate Voice.

Filed Under: Jon Huntsman Tagged With: , , , ,

Herman Cain: ‘I’m Not Supposed To Know Anything About Foreign Policy’

November 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Quote of the Day:  ”I’m Not Supposed To Know Anything About Foreign Policy.’

–Herman Cain, Talking Points Memo

pixel Herman Cain: Im Not Supposed To Know Anything About Foreign Policy
Filed Under: Herman Cain, Presidential Election Tagged With: , ,
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