Go ahead and nominate Susan Rice

Carmine A. DiFazio, 
North Las Vegas

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012 | 2 a.m.

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice likely will be President Barack Obama’s nominee to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. This is old news. Rice was rumored for months to be Clinton’s likely replacement. She was constantly shadowing Clinton, who made it widely known that she wanted to resign, possibly before the Democratic National Convention in September.

On Sept. 16, Rice, at the behest of the White House, went on a number of Sunday talk shows to say that a spontaneous demonstration over a YouTube video led to the attack on the consulate and CIA Annex in Benghazi, Libya, which ultimately resulted in the murders of four American heroes, including Ambassador Chris Stevens and three members of his staff. Common knowledge and information before, during and after Rice’s appearances on the Sunday talk shows prove Rice wrong.

In his first news conference after re-election, President Barack Obama called out Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham for criticizing Rice’s accounts. The president neglected to mention that Sen. Kelly Ayotte joined the chorus of criticism of Rice. Obama went a step further. He challenged the senators to go after him instead. They obliged.

Rice deserves to be nominated and have a hearing. She deserves to be judged and criticized for the position, just like any nominee would be. Obama needs to keep personal issues out of it. If not, then he shouldn’t nominate her.