what did they gain by blocking Susan Rice?

[InstigatinMofo]

the fight over Susan Rice was just another stupid partisan fight over nothing, and the Republicans won because they had the power to block her nomination in the Senate. This was just a defeated party scoring points against their enemy, a Democratic president, and they gained absolute nothing as far as US foreign policy is concerned.

In fact they lost - for a handful of photo-ops and smears on the Sunday talk shows, and making their enemy look weak, they actually got a Secretary of State who is more likely to support what they don't want. For example, John Kerry is in favour of getting rid of the antiquated and failed embargo on Cuba. And of course, the right could defeat Susan Rice; whereas they can't defeat Kerry, because he is a long-time senator; and the Senate is an "old boys' club" where someone like Kerry will sail through regardless of his politics.

the Israel lobby is teaming up with the neocon right to prevent President Obama from choosing his Secretary of Defence. Now comes Chuck Hagel, a Republican Senator who would normally also be easy to confirm in the Senate, as Obama's choice for Secretary of Defence. But unlike in the case of Susan Rice, there are real, substantive objections to real substantive positions he has held: he was an early critic of the Iraq war; he wants to get out of Afghanistan, soon; he does not want a war with Iran; and he has supported cuts in military spending. This makes him neocon enemy number one, someone who must be crushed.

[shitcunt]

They didn't block her. She pulled out before she was ever nominated. I wish we got her under oath. At least with Kerry we get a shot as his seat.

[racerx]

They didn't block her. She pulled out before she was ever nominated. I wish we got her under oath. At least with Kerry we get a shot as his seat.

who is "we" ?

[InstigatinMofo]

They didn't block her.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/14/go...ad-state-dept/

http://thegrio.com/2012/11/14/republ...tary-of-state/

If Rice were nominated and her nomination came to the Senate floor for a vote, it seems highly likely that with Democrats holding the majority in the new Congress, she’d be confirmed.

But her Republican opponents could use the Senate rules to try to prevent her nomination from coming to a floor vote.
A “hold” is an informal procedure by which a senator signals to his or her floor leader that he or she doesn’t want a bill or nomination to come to the floor. Holds have been used for years by senators to indicate that a nomination is so unacceptable to them that they’d try to filibuster it -- to stop it through endless debate -- if necessary.

“I would hold her nomination until I had additional answers to questions, and then I will render judgment," Ayotte told reporters after meeting with Rice.
When Graham was asked by Defense News if he would place a hold on Rice’s nomination, he said, “Oh, absolutely. I would place a hold on anybody who wanted to be promoted to any job who had a role in the Benghazi situation.” Graham’s office confirmed that account.

[shitcunt]

http://dailycaller.com/2012/11/14/go...ad-state-dept/

http://thegrio.com/2012/11/14/republ...tary-of-state/

If Rice were nominated and her nomination came to the Senate floor for a vote, it seems highly likely that with Democrats holding the majority in the new Congress, she’d be confirmed.

But her Republican opponents could use the Senate rules to try to prevent her nomination from coming to a floor vote.
A “hold” is an informal procedure by which a senator signals to his or her floor leader that he or she doesn’t want a bill or nomination to come to the floor. Holds have been used for years by senators to indicate that a nomination is so unacceptable to them that they’d try to filibuster it -- to stop it through endless debate -- if necessary.

“I would hold her nomination until I had additional answers to questions, and then I will render judgment," Ayotte told reporters after meeting with Rice.
When Graham was asked by Defense News if he would place a hold on Rice’s nomination, he said, “Oh, absolutely. I would place a hold on anybody who wanted to be promoted to any job who had a role in the Benghazi situation.” Graham’s office confirmed that account.

So any senator can just say they are gonna block someone and its over? She backed out because they were gonna scrutinize her. Not what I would expect from someone with nothing to hide.

[InstigatinMofo]

So any senator can just say they are gonna block someone and its over? She backed out because they were gonna scrutinize her. Not what I would expect from someone with nothing to hide.

m'kay

[SiriusDawg]

They gained more fame for being lunatics that love conspiracy theories of birth certificates and super-secret-top-secret secrets.

[FlaFlaFlunkie]

what did they gain by blocking Susan Rice?

Maybe they knew that Obama's second choice was the Brunette Frankenstein, from Massachusetts, knowing that once Kerry leaves his Senate seat, AN ELECTION has to be held to fill his seat and it's likely that Scott Brown (a republican) will win that seat.

If true, it's ingenious.

[FlaFlaFlunkie]

So any senator can just say they are gonna block someone and its over? She backed out because they were gonna scrutinize her. Not what I would expect from someone with nothing to hide.

Well, if we're going to have this conversation honestly, you have to acknowledge that John McCain has had a bug up his ass over Susan Rice for years.