McCain seeks seat on Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has expressed interest in joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next year, pending approval from GOP Senate leadership, setting up a marquee confirmation fight between the Arizona Republican and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice should she be nominated to succeed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, according to Foreign Policy.
McCain has been one of Rice's most relentless antagonists in the Senate, raising questions about her statements in the aftermath of the September 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The senator has called Rice "not very bright" and accused her of misleading the American public on the nature of those attacks to shield President Obama's administration from the political fallout.
Rice, in appearances on several Sunday talk shows shortly after the attack, portrayed the incident as the result of a spontaneous demonstration, not a premeditated terrorist attack. She has since indicated that her assessment was based on the best intelligence available at the time, arguing that as more information came in, her assessment changed.
- Amb. Rice says she gave the best information she had
- Who changed the Benghazi talking points?
- McCain: Rice still has explaining to do
McCain is wrapping up his term as the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and does not currently hold a seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. McCain spokesman Brian Rogers confirmed that "Senator McCain has expressed interest in joining the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but no final decisions on committee assignments have been made."
Popular in Politics
- FBI director acknowledges domestic drone use 146 Comments
- Obama and Berlin: Faded echoes meet new realities
- Obama on NSA programs: Americans "not getting the complete story" 259 Comments
- Immigration reform would cut deficit, analysis shows 82 Comments
- House Republicans pass 20-week limit on abortions 594 Comments
- Next up for Obama: Major effort on climate change
- IRS readying to pay $70M in employee bonuses, senator says
- GOP Sen. Murkowski backs same-sex marriage
You have turned this ordeal into a full-fledged character assassination against Amb. Rice. You are in essence making extraordinary accusations. It is now incumbent on you to provide some extraordinary proof.
You have become an embarrassment. Put up or shut up.
Buh-bye loser!
There's nothing going to change in this country until we get rid of all these old, worn out, political hacks, who worry more about their haircut then they do the country.