Susan Rice For Secretary Of State

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Is U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice an appropriate choice as President Obama's second-term secretary of State?

Nearly 100 House Republicans have come out against Rice, joining several prominent GOP senators. Meetings on Capitol Hill this week appear not to have helped her cause with them. They consider her either untrustworthy or incompetent, insinuating that she is too much of a partisan to represent the country as a whole on the world stage. But the Republicans should relent in their opposition.

I am no blind supporter of Rice. She is my friend and former colleague at the Brookings Institution, but I advised Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2007-08 primary campaign, while Rice co-led the Obama foreign policy team, and I supported the surge in Iraq, while Rice opposed it. Despite these battle scars, I consider Rice a person of high integrity and intelligence; she has a strong work ethic and a clear commitment to this country's security. There may be a valid debate as to whether Rice, or Sen. John F. Kerry, or someone else (Adm. Michael G. Mullen and another Clinton come to mind) should succeed Clinton as the nation's next top diplomat. But Rice is a solid candidate and would be a fine secretary of State.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-1129-ohanlon-susan-rice-gop-20121129,0,4156159.story

[blm]

1. unsurprised by neocon support.....

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/03/obama-makes-bedfellows-with-neocon-boffins.php

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Susan Rice Isn't A Neocon.The Author Of The OP Clearly States Their Ideological Differences/nt

[blm]

5. I respectfully disagree, Dem. She is a neocon in the Clinton-Lieberman mold.

I don't mind neocons as advisors to bring all views to the table, but, I don't want them as head of State Dept. I don't think HRC has done the stellar job that most Dems believe. I don't think Syria had to degenerate to the point of civil war and a SoS committed to true diplomacy in that region would have diverted it from becoming the clusterfvck it is now. People forget that Clinton sided with Bush-Cheney on Syria when they wanted to target it for military action. Calmer minds sought to prevent that from happening. She has done SOME good, I don't deny that, but I think someone more committed to diplomacy needs to be in that position, for a true change.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. If not Rice, then I agree "the other Clinton" would be perfect. Who can say no to WJC? nt

[bluestate10]

4. Mike Mullen is a name out of the blue that is interesting.

As Chairman of the Joint Chiefs under President Obama, he was a professional and a team player, although appointed to that post by President Bush. If President Obama is going to put a republican in charge of State or the UN, or Defense, Mullen would be an excellent choice. Mullen is currently part of a high level group that is investigating the Benghazi attack, that group was appointed by President Obama.

[TwilightGardener]

6. Yeah, I had not considered Mullen. He might work.