Obama Pushes Back On Susan Rice's Libya Critics

7 months ago

Commander-in-chief says outspoken senators have "got a problem with me" over UN ambassador attack

In his first news conference since re-election, President Barack Obama fired back at former presidential rival, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and his colleague Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) for their criticism of Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, over the incorrect information she gave to the public on the terror attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

"If Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham want to go after somebody, they should go after me," Obama told reporters on Wednesday. "I'm happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador? Who had nothing to do with Benghazi ... to besmirch her reputation? It's outrageous."

Obama warned that anyone attacking Rice, seemingly because she's being considered to replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, or "because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."

McCain and Graham took to the airwaves Wednesday morning to say they "don't trust" Rice and would "do everything in [their] power" to block her confirmation, should Obama choose to nominate her. The president said no final decisions have been made on the nominations for his second term cabinet.