State Department

John McCain Losing All Respect And Credibility Over Benghazi–Susan Rice Controversy

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Senator John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 GOP Presidential nominee, once was treated with great respect, but it is apparent that he is now on a tirade against the Obama Administration in a way that reflects on him in a horrible manner.

McCain has totally politicized the tragedy of the death of Ambassador Chris Stevens, along with three others, in Benghazi, Libya, at the American Consulate in that city on September 11.

The fact that United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, in an interview on a Sunday talk show, gave information from the Central Intelligence Agency that turned out to be inaccurate, has been used as a weapon by McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, New York Congressman Peter King, and many other Republicans as an excuse to question Susan Rice’s qualifications to be a potential Secretary of State in the second term of Barack Obama, with McCain claiming that Rice is not very smart, and ridiculing her credentials in a very dismissive manner.

President Obama has come to her defense, and has made it clear that he might elevate Rice to the State Department, and has clearly expressed his disgust with McCain, Graham and others for their personal attack on a good public servant, who was simply reporting what the CIA head, David Petraeus, had told her the weekend after the tragic event.

McCain has said he would personally block her nomination to be Secretary of State, so there may be a confrontation in the making.

This massively insulting and stupid behavior by McCain brings a few ideas to mind.

1. Is McCain still showing resentment and envy because Barack Obama defeated him in 2008?

2. Does McCain realize how ridiculous he sounds, regarding Rice’s not being smart and having a lack of qualifications, when he had the temerity to give us Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate, creating the fear of this supremely unqualified woman being a heartbeat away from the Presidency, and still defends his terrible choice to this day?

3. Also, McCain’s increasingly erratic behavior, and his growing anger and rage, and irrational stands on many issues, can make one wonder if he is starting to lose it mentally, and is in early stages of Alzheimers Disease. It makes one thankful he did not win the Presidency four years ago, and also makes one remember the thought at that time that his well known temper tantrums could be a sign of mental illness, caused by his imprisonment and torture in North Vietnam forty years ago during the Vietnam War.

The point is that there is a case that can be made that John McCain has passed his prime, and should consider resigning, due to his advanced age and weird behavior!

A Fascinating Idea! Former Republican Senators Richard Lugar And Chuck Hagel As Secretary Of State And Secretary Of Defense In Second Obama Term!

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A fascinating idea has surfaced, which is very exciting in many ways.

It is clear that there will be a reshuffling of President Obama’s cabinet over the next few months, and two openings will certainly be likely in the State Department and the Defense Department.

For State, it has been suggested that Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and 2004 Democratic Presidential nominee, might take the post. Also, Susan Rice, United Nations Ambassador, is mentioned. Both would be wonderful in the position.

BUT there is a school of thought that IF President Obama wanted to show bipartisanship, he could do what Franklin D. Roosevelt did in World War II–pick Republicans who are intelligent, sane, responsible, and who are no longer serving in the Senate, to serve in his cabinet, and the State Department would offer a great location to put soon to be former Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, an acknowledged foreign policy expert, and a man who has worked well with Obama when they were both Senators, and went off to Russia to promote the safe collection of nuclear weapons stockpiles in 2005-2006. Lugar is a wonderful statesman, and would fill the job with excellence and professionalism. And he has been, like Kerry, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman in the past, and is still the ranking member of the committee until he leaves the Senate in January.

Additionally, as suggested earlier, former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a Vietnam War veteran and military expert, would be an excellent choice to serve in the Pentagon as Secretary of Defense. Always highly regarded and respected, Hagel would add stature to our Defense Department.

Such appointments would neutralize, to a great extent, Republican attacks on President Obama in the areas of foreign policy, national security, and defense policy.

If FDR could have Republicans Henry Stimson as Secretary of War, and Frank Knox as Secretary of the Navy in 1940 and after, why cannot Barack Obama make a smart move that would help his administration to succeed, and also promote bipartisanship, at a time when it is desperately needed?

John Kerry Preparing Barack Obama For Debate As Mitt Romney “Stand In”: Dress Rehearsal For Becoming Secretary Of State!

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Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is acting as a “stand in” for Mitt Romney in the Barack Obama preparations for the Presidential debates, beginning on Wednesday of this week.

Kerry knows Romney very well, as Romney served as Governor of Massachusetts, and Kerry has come to understand him very well as a result, including all of his shortcomings, so is a perfect “stand in” to prepare Obama for what Romney might do and say in the upcoming Presidential debates.

It is extremely ironic that Kerry was often accused of being a “flip flopper” during his own Presidential run in 2004, and was also described as being stiff, awkward, and aloof, just as Romney is perceived, except to a far greater extent in the case of Romney!

Kerry helping Obama can be seen as a dress rehearsal for his becoming Secretary of State in a second Obama Administration, once Hillary Clinton retires early next year. With his exceptional leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his 28 years service in the Senate, Kerry is an outstanding front runner for leadership in the State Department for the future!

The Future Secretary Of State: Senator John Kerry Or UN Ambassador Susan Rice?

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The sudden introduction of foreign policy into the Presidential campaign of 2012, due to the events in the Middle East this week, bring attention on who might be Secretary of State in a second Obama Presidency.

Hillary Clinton has reminded us once again of her brilliance, courage, and statesmanship in her four years as Secretary of State. But every indication is that she will be leaving early next year, and therefore, if Barack Obama is reelected, one of the major questions to be resolved earlier, rather than later, is who shall be her successor. in the State Department.

The two front runners are Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Susan Rice, the United Nations Ambassador!

Rice has been on television today, trying to explain and defend the Middle East policy of the Obama Administration against attacks by the Republican opposition, including Presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Kerry has had a lot of attention due to his magnificent presentation at the Democratic National Convention a week and a half ago! His expertise in foreign policy is seen as unmatched, and he comes across as more authoritative and legitimate than even when he ran for President in 2004.

Rice has been a loyal supporter of Obama, and has done her job well, but the appointment of Kerry seems more politically smart, if for no other reason that if the Senate goes Republican or the Democrats keep the majority but cannot gain much in seats, and it might be a more evenly divided Senate with a Democratic majority, the issue of Senatorial courtesy will play a role, making the nomination of Kerry more likely to go through without controversy, that that of Susan Rice.

Kerry, with his massive experience on the subject, trumps Rice, who is good, but not seen as on the same level of excellence as Kerry!

The Night Of Bill Clinton: The High Point Of His Post Presidency Tonight At The Democratic National Convention

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Former President Bill Clinton will be the center of attention this evening when he delivers the nominating speech for President Barack Obama.

Having gone through the hell of being President and having strong GOP opposition, and being impeached by the Republican House on flimsy grounds, Bill Clinton has survived heart surgery, promoted the Clinton Initiative, and become popular to the point that over 60 percent of the American people, in a public opinion poll, have a favorable view of him, and even the Republicans have rewritten history, and now tend to speak of him favorably, as part of their tactic to attack Barack Obama.

This is a first, for a former President, to give the nominating speech for one of his successors, but Bill Clinton is a master wordsmith, and his speech tonight will boost Obama greatly.

In a way, it is quite amazing that this is happening, as four years ago, there was bad blood between Obama and both Bill and Hillary Clinton, due to the struggle for the Democratic Presidential nomination, but Hillary ended up as an exceptional Secretary of State for President Obama, and the Clintons now have a good relationship with Obama.

What this might mean for Obama and any plans of Hillary Clinton to run for President as his successor is unknown, but certainly the Clintons will remain in the public eye, even after Hillary Clinton leaves the cabinet in 2013, for a well deserved rest, and to consider her future!

The Split Personality John McCain: Reasonable On Michele Bachmann, Irrational On Cybersecurity!

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Arizona Senator John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee for President, is a very complex man, who can be seen as having displayed courage, principle, and decency at times, but also a very nasty, temperamental, unreasonable, and irrational man at times.

So recently, McCain demonstrated the “good” side, by condemning Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann for labeling Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, as linked to Islamic terrorism, with no evidence or proof of such activity, and therefore acting like a new Joseph McCarthy. McCain has opened up a bitter debate about the controversial Bachmann, with Speaker of the House John Boehner supporting what he said, while House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has supported Bachmann.

This battle could cause splits at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, a month from now, but McCain is not backing off.

Now, McCain, however, is showing his irrational, unreasonable side by leading the fight against strong legislation to protect computer systems that are responsible for operating the nation’s critical infrastructure!

There are dangers of a crippling cyberattack by terrorists, but McCain is supporting the business community that does not wish to have stronger government regulation to enforce minimum standards on systems that run power plants, air traffic control systems, dams and similar facilities.

Opposition to the Homeland Security Department setting minimum standards of cybersecurity creates a scenario of the possibility of mass casualties or great economic calamity if such a cyberattack were to occur. The US Chambers of Commerce, one of the leading critics of the Obama Administration, is the leader in fighting greater government oversight, and McCain and other Republicans are their willing servants, sad to say!

McCain is acting totally irrational on this matter, and has opened a rift with two Senators usually his best friends, Republican Susan Collins of Maine, and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, with Lieberman and McCain becoming engaged in an openly angry exchange at a private meeting of senators and staff members. McCain actually shouted at Lieberman, showing again his infamous temper!

It makes one happy that McCain did not win the Presidency in 2008, but even without winning, he unleashed on America the nightmare of Sarah Palin, who will simply not go away!

So we can applaud McCain when he is right, as on Michele Bachmann’s McCarthyism, but we must condemn him for kowtowing to business interests on the cybersecurity matter!

Irionically, if a cyberattack were to occur, who would get blamed, at least originally? Barack Obama and the national government, even though they are trying to bring about a security system that makes sense, but that conservatives and big business interests are determined to prevent!

Two Distinguished Women Set Records: Hillary Clinton And Susan Collins

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America is fortunate to have some women leaders in government who make us proud!

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently visited her 100th nation in her role as our chief foreign policy expert in the past three and a half years, surpassing the first woman Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in that regard!

And Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, just about the ONLY Republican to applaud in the US Senate after the retirement this year of her colleague, Olympia Snowe, and Indiana Republican Richard Lugar, set an amazing record.

Since she came to the Senate in 1997, she has never missed a roll call vote, and just cast her 5,000th vote, quire an achievement.

So in the midst of cynicism about politics, let us salute Clinton and Collins for a job well done, and wish for more such cases among both women and men in our government!

The”Old” John McCain Is Back: A Man Of “Decency” And “Principle”: Fighting Revival Of McCarthyism!

Ronald 2 Comments

Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, the 2008 GOP Presidential nominee, has waxed hot and cold in recent years, causing mourning among his legions of fans across the political aisle.

But now there are signs of the “old” John McCain, the man who thrilled many back in 2000 when he lost the GOP Presidential nomination to George W. Bush, as he has come out against a revival of “McCarthyism”, a use of political rhetoric to promote fear, anxiety and hate against innocent victims.

Just as the infamous Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin labeled a lot of innocent people as “Communists” six decades ago, now we have a group of Republican House members led by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, who have accused an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of being linked to Islamic terrorism.

The victim of this attack is Huma Abedin, who has been a top aide to Clinton for many years, and also happens to be the wife of disgraced former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner. She is accused by Bachmann and four others of having relatives, including her deceased father, being linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.

McCain, in a Senate speech, denounced Bachmann and the other Republican House members of “guilt by association” and said the accusations have “no logic, no basis, no merit”, and unfairly besmirch a dedicated public servant. The speech reminds many of Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine, who denounced Senator McCarthy’s tactics in 1950, a true “profile in courage”!

Bachmann needs to be drummed out of Congress as a menace to normal political discourse, and is certainly on the short list of Republicans targeted to be defeated this November. Her leaving Congress would be a contribution to American unity!

It should also be pointed out that even Speaker of the House John Boehner has criticized the attacks on Abedin as unjustifiable, but that has not stopped Bachmann from now expanding the attack by accusing fellow Minnesota Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison of being leagued with the Muslim Brotherhood himself, as he is the first Muslim member of Congress.

If this reckless behavior continues, a move to censure Bachmann should be considered, just as it was conducted on McCarthy in 1954, leading to his ultimate downfall as a respectable political leader!

Speculation On 2016 Presidential Election Beginning: Early Speculation For Hillary Clinton And Jeb Bush!

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Despite the ups and downs of a Presidential election campaign, most observers sense that Barack Obama is likely to win a second term in the White House.

If that is assumed to be likely, it allows for speculation as to what might happen in 2016, and early thoughts are with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Both have been vetted in most aspects of their lives and careers, although certainly other information will arise as time goes by, but both are very famous and experienced, and of course, have the “sex appeal” of being the wife of a former President and the son and brother of two former Presidents, almost like having two royal families.

Hillary Clinton will be 69 years old in 2016, and will have come off two years of retirement, if her plans to leave the State Department at the beginning of the next term comes about. She will have had the eight years in the White House under her husband, Bill Clinton, as an activist First Lady, one of the standouts in that unelected office. She will also have had eight active years in the US Senate, a vigorous experience as a Presidential candidate in 2008, and four stupendous years as Secretary of State, embellishing her foreign policy credentials. With the growing emphasis on women’s rights, and her speech at the Women’s World Summit last weekend, this would be the time to start planning for another Presidential campaign, and no one would ever question her energy, her intelligence, and her breadth of knowledge and expertise. This is no Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann for certain!

At the same time, Jeb Bush would be 63 years old, with eight years as Florida Governor, the fourth largest state in America, and a record of handling hurricane crises on a very professional level, and demonstrating intelligence, depth, and knowledge on a Presidential scale, without all of the faults and shortcomings of the present GOP Presidential field.

Bush could have entered the race this year, but chose not to, with the major reason being thought to be his secret belief that it would be better to run when the Presidency was open, rather than running against an incumbent President. Also, he is well aware that the name BUSH is still unpopular after the eight years of his brother George W. Bush in the White House.

But Bush comes across as serious and a front runner for 2016, as it would be eight years after his brother’s terms of office and 24 years after his father’s one term of office. Of course, it is highly unlikely that his parents would be here to see their second son become President, an unbelievable distinction were it to happen, but one never knows what might happen, as with modern health treatments available to former Presidents, the best there are, George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush would be 93 and 92 in 2016, and it certainly is possible they could both still be with us.

Imagine a race between Clinton and Bush, bringing back memories of a full generation, 20 years of Bush-Clinton-Bush, and possibly resulting in either a sequence of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama-Clinton OR Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama-Bush! What confusion for students studying history in the future with either of the above chronological successions of the Presidents!

At the same time, there would be the desire of a younger and newer generation to challenge both Clinton and Bush, including Governor Martin O’Malley of Maryland and Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York at the minimum for the Democrats; and Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal at the minimum for the Republicans.

Needless to say, one can be assured there would be somewhere between ten and a dozen candidates seeking the Presidency on both sides of the political equation!

But experience and family connection could be the winning combination!

Barack Obama And Promotion Of Gay Rights Abroad: An Extension Of Jimmy Carter’s Human Rights Initiative!

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A few weeks ago, President Barack Obama took a major step forward in the promotion of human rights abroad, an expansion of the vision of former President Jimmy Carter in and out of office since the late 1970s.

Both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced early in December that the American government would use all of the tools of American diplomacy, including foreign aid, to promote gay rights around the world.

This includes fighting efforts in other nations to criminalize homosexual conduct, and to abuse or overlook abuse against gay men, lesbians bisexuals, and transgender people.

Hillary Clinton connected gay rights to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by 48 nations after World War II. The goal is to stop nations from making it a crime to be gay.

Several nations have made strides in this regard recently, including South Africa, Colombia, Argentina, Nepal, and Mongolia. Much of Europe and China have taken being gay off the list of legal prohibitions.

But at the same time, many Muslim nations in particular still ban homosexuality and punish and discriminate against gays, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uganda, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia as leading examples.

And of course, Republicans in general attacked the idea of including gay rights as part of a foreign policy vision, and many of the potential nominees for the Presidency make it clear they would like to reverse the progress made in America in recent years.

So the battle for human rights for gays is far from over!