Sen. McCain says he'll block U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice from becoming Secretary of State, if she's selected, because of her statements characterizing the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya as a spontaneous demonstration days after the incident.
"It was obvious to one and all that this was not a "spontaneous demonstration" because in real time they saw that there was no demonstration," said McCain. "Everybody knew that it was an al Qaeda attack and she continued to tell the world through all the talk shows that it was a "spontaneous demonstration" sparked by a video. That's not competence in my view."
Critics point out that McCain and other Republicans defended Condoleezza Rice after she made a case for invading Iraq based on false intelligence about weapons of mass destruction when she was National Security Adviser. Anderson asked the senator if there's a double standard. "I think these are two entirely different cases," said McCain.
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Filed under: John McCain • Libya |
President Obama fires back at Senator John McCain after he criticizes Ambassador Susan Rice over her statements about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Anderson Cooper is Keeping Them Honest.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: Keeping Them Honest • President Barack Obama • Senator John McCain |
Anderson Cooper looks at the timeline of events leading to David Patraeus resigning, and why the White House says the president didn’t know about it sooner.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: David Petraeus • Keeping Them Honest • President Barack Obama |
The role Egypt's new government plays in the violence between Israel and Hamas could affect the outcome of the conflict.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: Egypt • Hamas • Israel |
A man who got a face tattoo of Mitt Romney's campaign logo says he has no regrets. We face facts, on the RidicuList.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: The RidicuList |
For one woman involved in the Petraeus scandal, records show a history of lawsuits and the creation of a charity that never donated. CNN's Drew Griffin reports.
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Post by: Drew Griffin Filed under: David Petraeus |
CNN's Gary Tuchman heads to King County, Texas, where President Obama won only five votes.
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Post by: Gary Tuchman Filed under: 2012 Election • Mitt Romney • President Barack Obama |
Reporter's Note: President Obama held a press conference today. I wrote a letter. Our work is done.
Dear Mr. President,
Well, all that post-election talk of bipartisan cooperation lasted about as long as a turtle crossing the interstate. I watched your presser this afternoon, and I’ve heard the reactions, and honestly it’s like the election never happened. Everything seems precisely the same as it was before the vote.
You’re talking past the Republicans. They’re talking past you. If any voter had been marooned on an island for the past year, he’d wonder if his whole experience was a dream because nothing here is different. It’s like the calendar pages just stopped turning.
Sigh.
I know a lot of Americans genuinely hoped for something better. Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike. Of course, your fans will furiously insist any return to the status quo gridlock is all the fault of Republicans; that the GOP is unbending, “the party of no,” and composed of spoilers who just want to obstruct any idea you put forward. Those who favor the Repubs will counter that you are showing no real leadership, avoiding making the hard calls about the budget, and wasting time blaming the other side instead of producing solutions.
Yadda yadda yadda. Like I said, nothing has changed.
And not to be too cynical (although I guess I am) but I don’t think anything is going to change either. The words you exchanged with your foes today did not sound like respectful disagreement, but rather open warfare. For that to end, one side or the other (or more likely both) has to be willing to stop engaging every point of contention. And right now I don’t see any inclination that way.
So best of luck with whatever you have planned. It’s looks like it is going to be, as they say, a bumpy ride.
Call if you have a few minutes.
Regards,
Tom
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Filed under: Letters to the President • Opinion • President Barack Obama • T1 • Tom Foreman |
Editor's note: Anderson Cooper interviews Sen. John McCain about why he is calling for an investigation into the deadly attacks in Benghazi, Libya. Watch AC360° at 8 and 10 p.m. ET.
At a White House news conference today, President Obama had a message for Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain: Don't go after Ambassador Susan Rice. The president was responding to their criticism of Rice's characterization of the September 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The senators also vowed to try to block her nomination as Secretary of State, if she is chosen by Obama.
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Post by: Ella Chick Filed under: John McCain • Libya • President Barack Obama |
Anderson Cooper breaks down who's who in the growing scandal surrounding David Petraeus' affair with his biographer. Another four-star general is now connected to the controversy, and new information about what the FBI was doing at Paula Broadwell's house Monday night.
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Post by: Anderson Cooper Filed under: CIA • David Petraeus • FBI • Keeping Them Honest |
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