Desperately Defending Susan
Troy Senik, Ed. ·
November 15, 2012 at 12:00am
At his East Room press conference earlier today, President Obama got a question regarding Senators McCain and Graham's statement (see my post below) that they intend to block a potential nomination for U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to serve as the next Secretary of State.
The response is notable for two reasons: (1) Obama seems to be arguing that Rice shouldn't be held accountable for not knowing what the hell she was talking about because nobody else in the administration knew what the hell they were talking about either. (2) The "they have a problem with me" line marks the president's final descent into becoming a character from a third-rate Aaron Sorkin screenplay.
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Jul '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Ignorance: the best defense. After racism.
Jun '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Sounds like the president considers his victory a mandate to do anything he wants. Hubris has destroyed greater men than him.
Time for the Republicans to play hardball.
To Troy's point, hasn't the Obama presidency always looked like an Aaron Sorkin drama? The difference is that this third rate drama has consequences.
Edited on November 15, 2012 at 12:14amJul '12
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Too much besmirching and disgorging going on in politics these days.
Mar '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
He can't handle the truth!
May '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Obama in press conference: Amb. Rice went on TV Sept.16th at the request of the White House and gave her best understanding of the intelligence that was provided for her. / Obama in debate (assisted by Candy Crowley): I called the Benghazi attack terrorism in the Rose Garden on Sept.12th. / Translation: I sent her out to peddle a false story, so don't blame her!
Sep '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Its getting awfully crowded under the bus. Given the current environment "full blown" is a problematic turn of phrase. Perhaps she's entitled to diplomatic immunity? A czar appointment?
Jun '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Well, it's a positive thing to say, "Look, I'm the boss, if you want to blame someone, blame me." But as Troy is suggesting, that only begs the question.
Sep '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Listen to what Obama said - She gave her UNDERSTANDING of the intelligence briefing she received. This is going to be a story of honest misunderstanding. Intelligence said one thing, but was not quite as specific as they might have been, but Rice's understanding of it was something different.
Aug '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
I also thought Graham's response was very good:
Jul '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
I think we can safely conclude that the President prefers to wash his Rice.
Since that little mystery has been wrapped up maybe I won't have to hear anymore about this "Benghazi" place. Wherever that is.
Jul '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Pleading from behind.
Aug '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
This also tells you that he just doesn't want to talk about Benghazi. I can almost hear him saying "It's a sex scandal now! Let's talk about that!"
Aug '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
So, I've always wondered: when The One gives a press conference, does the White House provide the kneepads, or does the press have to bring their own?
Apr '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
So, the deaths of Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens have gone from 'not optimal' to 'a problem' but the real travesty is that anyone is critical of 'the U.N. Ambassador'. Got it.
Edited on November 16, 2012 at 6:37amMar '12
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
The most striking part to me is the suggestion that mean Republicans are bullying this fine, upstanding, WOMAN because they think she is an "easy target" and they aren't man enough to face him. Attention MSM - this is what a "dog whistle"sounds like.
Chalk up another way it's going to be a long four years....
Jul '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
DrewInWisconsin:
This also tells you that he just doesn't want to talk about Benghazi. I can almost hear him saying "It's a sex scandal now! Let's talk about that!"
Drew, I think Pseud explained this administration's longstanding policy on Troy's other thread.
Edited on November 15, 2012 at 5:06amMay '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
tabula rasa: Sounds like the president considers his victory a mandate to do anything he wants. Hubris has destroyed greater men than him.
Time for the Republicans to play hardball.
To Troy's point, hasn't the Obama presidency always looked like an Aaron Sorkin drama? The difference is that this third rate drama has consequences. · 5 hours ago
Edited 5 hours ago
First, isn't pretty much anyone a "greater man than him"?
Second, I'm going to give Sorkin his due. Only Newsroom is a third rate drama. And I use the word "drama" advisedly. I use the words "third rate" with enthusiasm and gusto. But I admit, West Wing was pretty good.
Oct '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Obama emphasizes that Rice "had nothing to do with Benghazi." So why was she (his words) "making an appearance at the request of the White House" on all the Sunday talk shows specifically to speak about Benghazi? Why didn't he say "I sent her"?
He thinks he is cleverly reinforcing his six-degrees-of separation strategy to anything that smacks of his personal accountability. Of course, the lapdog media failed with the obvious follow-up:
'Mr. President, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that you sent Ambassador Rice, instead of implying it was your staff that did so? And if she had nothing to do with the topic she was sent to speak about, why didn't you send someone who knew what they were talking about? Your critics charge it was because you were deliberately obfuscating the truth, since the Benghazi attack undermined your Administration's claims concerning al Qaeda, you were woefully unprepared for an attack for which ample warning existed, and you failed to respond with force that might have saved four American lives, including your own Ambassador.'
Is that so hard a question for a crack White House correspondent to think of?
Oct '10
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
Once a community-organizing thug, always a community-organizing thug. For all his alleged intelligence, he sure hasn't figured out how to adjust his rhetoric for the office he holds. He can't help but speak in the c-o thug vernacular.
He's a thug, and a not-particularly-bright one at that.
Dec '11
Re: Desperately Defending Susan
The problem with Rice is that she is too stupid or gullible to be in government at a rank higher than a clerk. The "Innocence of Muslims" video and resulting protest does not pass the smell test. No thinking person could have entertained this theory for more than a few minutes. This is assuming that she is honest.