Aides: Obama “genuinely conflicted” between Rice and Kerry for State
President Obama is said to be “genuinely conflicted” about whether to nominate his favored candidate, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, or Sen. John Kerry as his next secretary of State, two aides said. Rice faces stiff resistance from some Republican senators — as well as grumbling among some foreign-policy elites who question her suitability — yet the GOP objections may backfire, making the president even more likely to nominate her so as not to be seen as backing down.
White House officials say only the president knows at this point whom he will choose to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, who has indicated she will depart before the second term begins. Obama, who told Bloomberg TV on Tuesday that he has not yet made his decision, may be putting it off so as not to disrupt the critical negotiations currently underway over avoiding the year-end “fiscal cliff.”
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Hard to pick between 2 losers
Dingbat63 on December 5, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Golly..how hard it must all be for him. He needs a vacation.
Mimzey on December 5, 2012 at 10:09 AM
Awwwwwwww….so sad. Maybe you can have Bill Ayers write in your diary about it. (I kid, I kid)
Robert_Paulson on December 5, 2012 at 10:11 AM
A rock and a hard place?
Fallon on December 5, 2012 at 10:11 AM
How about neither?
The Rogue Tomato on December 5, 2012 at 10:13 AM
I’m conflicted, too. Neither one of them should be SoS. They have both deliberately misled the American people concerning conflicts the US was involved in, and in which Americans died. Rice most recently.
So which would be less bad? Probably Senator Lurch. And at least Lurch would be out of the Senate, though his replacement likely won’t be any better. But it’s almost a coin toss.
farsighted on December 5, 2012 at 10:13 AM
Honestly, between Kerry and Rice, how does Rice win out if not for her quid pro quo on Benghazi?
blammm on December 5, 2012 at 10:14 AM
.
.
Oh, the pathos!
Cue the dramatic music.
Set the mood lighting to “Angst.”
Prepare to recite soul wrenching soliloquies!
.
How can we mere mortals understand how difficult it is to be President Obama?
LincolntheHun on December 5, 2012 at 10:16 AM
I’d go with Kerry. He’s safe, “clubbable”, and goofy enough to present basketballs to Kim Jong-un
Punchenko on December 5, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Ebony or Ivory…
right2bright on December 5, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Between the two? If there is really not a “none of the above” option, I think Kerry would be the better choice. At least he has not recently gone on national television and directly lied to the American people about a failure of this administration so bad it lead to the deaths of our people.
Plus, at least if you appoint Kerry, it opens up his seat, and we have a chance to put a Republican in there. Even if it’s a longshot and even if we end up with a moderate like Scott Brown, that’s still a shot at being one step closer to a Republican majority.
However, my instinct is that Obama will pick Rice. She went out and lied for him, he’s itching to stick it to the Republicans who have opposed her, and he wouldn’t want to risk losing Kerry’s Senate seat.
Shump on December 5, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Look who’s evolving on an issue again!
Way to slink out of that Susan Rice debacle and throw her under the bus without making it look like you’re casting off an albatross.
The Schaef on December 5, 2012 at 10:19 AM
With either Rice or Kerry as Secretary of State the entire nation will be in mortal danger. I am sure Vietnam is pulling for Kerry, while the Islamists are pulling for Rice.
SC.Charlie on December 5, 2012 at 10:20 AM
These two islam-pandering commies are virtually identical in every way – SO, the deciding factor will be race and gender. But, it doesn’t really matter – either will be a disaster – but no more of a disaster than fat, old, islam-pandering, commie Hillary has been. The rapid destruction of America will continue, unabated – obama will fulfill his mission, with the help of whomever he installs as his S.O.S..
Pork-Chop on December 5, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Coconut or Ketchup..
Mimzey on December 5, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Mutt or Jeff…Dumb or Dumber…Heckle or Jeckyl..
Does it really matter, except to tweak the dems, whatever choice they make it will be horrible…
right2bright on December 5, 2012 at 10:22 AM
ya know, Kerry fought in Vietnam…
right2bright on December 5, 2012 at 10:23 AM
If Obama selects Kerry over Rice, isn’t that sexist AND racist? War on women!!!!!
BardMan on December 5, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Picking between 2 serial liars – must be tough!
Good Lt on December 5, 2012 at 10:29 AM
Which one provides more opportunity to demagogue Republicans?
forest on December 5, 2012 at 10:30 AM
dumb and dumber…. yea I understand the conflict.
Tilly on December 5, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Is this phrasing a joke? What, preezy was discussing the “critical negotiations” on the golf course with BJ Clinton?
onlineanalyst on December 5, 2012 at 10:38 AM
This is a pretty good analysis, and why in general Republicans should prefer Kerry to Rice. Scott Brown would probably run again in the election replace Kerry, and I think he would likely win. He had a majority approval rating when he was voted out, and now that the White House and senate are both “safely” back in the Democrats’ hands, MA voters won’t have to fear a unified Republican government.
Also, while Kerry is of course pretty far left, he also has a huge ego. If he’s head of State, you can be sure that the person whose interests he will be most concerned with advancing is John Kerry. Rice, on the other hand, looks like much more of an Obama loyalist and will probably see her primary role as advancing his agenda.
The flip side of this is that, for the same reasons, Obama probably vastly prefers Rice to Kerry. The problem, of course, is that Kerry will have a much easier time being confirmed.
sadarj on December 5, 2012 at 10:42 AM
I’d go with the one who is more genuinely and authentically anti-American.
Darn. Now I’m conflicted too.
CorporatePiggy on December 5, 2012 at 10:51 AM
A nimrod and a slacker…
rich801 on December 5, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Yeah, decisions. Which will help me disarm/diminish America faster?
bob77 on December 5, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Kerry hit himself with a grenade launcher to get a Purple Heart that he subsequently threw away while comparing our troops to Ghengis Khan. At least his history of flip-flopping should moderate some of his anti-American proclivities. Rice, I suspect, is a down the line commie and thinks nothing of helping her boss cover up murderous attacks for political gain. It’s a pretty safe bet that Kerry would do the same, but we already know for certain that Rice will.
The Count on December 5, 2012 at 11:23 AM
That stupid look on his face does not necessarily mean that he’s conflicted. He’s just in way over his head.
UltimateBob on December 5, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Barky should travel to the UK more. Its possible to mix rice and curry, and eat ‘em.
tommy71 on December 5, 2012 at 11:46 AM
So if Kerry got the job, who would be his replacement in the Senate?
albill on December 5, 2012 at 11:49 AM
I am leaning towards Kerry just because he adds an extra “buffoon” factor to the Obama White House team, plus he would be easier to criticize & make fun of because we would not get the “racist” and “just because she’s a woman” backlash every time someone said something negative about Rice.
albill on December 5, 2012 at 11:53 AM
Lurch will have a long face if he doesn’t get selected.
Dingbat63 on December 5, 2012 at 11:58 AM
You guys are looking at this all wrong. You’re thinking in terms of abilities and liabilities, whereas the Democrats are seeing an old white guy vs. a younger black woman. Other considerations pale in comparison. (So to speak.)
Socratease on December 5, 2012 at 12:45 PM
That’s a new one
However, if Kerry gets chosen, we know he pays for his own valet. That could be a plus.
We can also be fairly certain he won’t make a guy in uniform serve him Winter Soldier hors d’oeuvres
When one considers what happened at Benghazi, and Rice’s lack of concern, Kerry comes across as more connected. I know if he got to State, he would dive right in and have an investigation of what happened at Benghazi. He couldn’t do it earlier, because his hands are tied as a Senator
entagor on December 5, 2012 at 12:55 PM
Picking between these two would be tough. I mean, who the hell
wants to deal with either of them??
I think Obama should make a BOLD choice….
Say Reverend Wright.
AMERICA’S CHICKEN’S HAVE COME HOME TO ROOOOOOOOOOOOST!!!!!
ToddPA on December 5, 2012 at 1:02 PM
What are you talking about? Susan Rice is personally worth at least $20 million. I think either one of them could afford to pay for their own valet. (Or, in Kerry’s case, his wife could.)
Socratease on December 5, 2012 at 5:00 PM