a fabulous commnet by Rhoda about Susan Rice:Rhoda 2 commnets collapsed Collapse ExpandHello, POU! I hope everything is going well with everyone; and lamh I read about your move. Good luck and congratulations! So, just got online to read the paper and some blogs and the Susan Rice story about her ties to Kagame and blaming her for issues in Rwanda makes it clear IMO that the Clintonistas don’t want a woman in the SoS position for one reason. It diminishes Hillary,I was watching Meet the Press and as everyone is falling all over themselves to praise Hillary Helene Cooper accidentally told the truth: she couldn’t think of anything Hillary herself has done as SoS to distinguish herself. Think about it. She had Holbrooke running the talks to end the war in Afghanistan. She hasn’t touched the Isreal/Palestine issue (and the administration has backed off from there). She was on the wrong side of ending the war in Afghanistan. She was against the Bin Laden raid. She was isolated in Foggy Bottom. And POTUS sent John Kerry out to speak for him in Iran, in Afghanistan, and in Iraq frequently. She blew the Russian reset thing big time.She’s been a decent Secretary of State; but she’s done nothing to make a name for herself because she’s been incredibly cautious and I’d argue she doesn’t have the President’s ear or share his values on a lot of decisions. Meanwhile, Rice does. Susan Rice is close to POUTS. She has his trust. And she has been on the winning side of many policy fights; which is why Hillary’s camp particularly loathes her. POTUS made the UN Secretary a cabinet chair so she reports directly to him and not Hillary as has been the case before.They are worried in a second term POTUS will go all out to deal with the Israel/Palestine situation (and in backing Israel so hard he’ll have real chits to play at home), that he will engage deeply on trade issues with China and Asia, that the European Union (which is facing a deep crisis) will be a major diplomatic and economic challenge for America, and that doesn’t even delve into Iran and the overtures for diplomacy as well as the Arab Spring fallout. These are a consequential four years and they’re worried that Susan Rice will make a name for herself a’la Kissinger and with Hillary likely running in 2016 that is a problem. They fear a challenger saying Hillary did a good job; but look Susan Rice did better. Given how she didn’t make a name for herself in the senate and we’ve got tape of Sinbad clowning her in ’07; Hillary has a lot of vulnerabilities going into a primary that are masked right now. But the Clintonaistas see and know them; and they’re trying to burnish her legacy by having Kerry follow her. The comparisons then won’t be as clear or odious to them; and if brought up can be spun as sexist. That’s my opinion; but I think POTUS is going to give Susan Rice the job. Just as he did Geithner when everyone and their mother tried to take him down. I don’t know what’s going to happen in four years. But you can put me down in the anyone but Hillary bandwagon.