WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — Shaking up
his national security team, President Barack Obama tapped diplomat
Susan Rice as his national security adviser, defying Republicans who
have vigorously criticized her faulty explanation about the attack on
Americans in Benghazi, Libya.
“Susan is the consummate public servant
– a patriot who puts her country first,” Obama said while announcing
Rice’s appointment Wednesday during a Rose Garden ceremony.
U.S.
President Barack Obama speaks as former aide Samantha Power (L), U.S.
Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice (R) and incumbent National
Security Adviser Tom Donilon (2L) listen during a personnel announcement
at the Rose Garden of the White House June 5, 2013 in Washington, DC.
President Obama has nominated Rice to succeed Donilon to become the next
National Security Adviser. Obama has also nominated Power to succeed
Rice for her position to the UN. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“She has a great tennis game and a pretty good basketball game,” he later joked.
Rice will take over the top national
security post from Tom Donilon, who is resigning after four years in the
White House. Obama lauded the 58-year-old Donilon for having “shaped
every single national security policy of my presidency,” including the
renewed U.S. focus on ties with Asia.
“Tom has been instrumental every step
of the way,” Obama said, adding that he believes Donilon “helped restore
our nation’s prestige and standing in the world.”
Obama also announced the nomination of
former aide Samantha Power to replace Rice as U.S. ambassador to the
United Nations. Power is a human rights advocate and expert on genocide.
Obama ”strongly [urged] that the Senate confirm her without delay.”
President
Obama has nominated Rice to succeed Donilon to become the next National
Security Adviser. Obama has also nominated Samantha Power to succeed
Rice for her position to the UN. (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
For Rice – a longtime Obama ally and
close confidante of the president – the appointment is a bit of
redemption after she was forced to withdraw from consideration as
Obama’s second-term secretary of State amid criticism of her handling of
the Benghazi attacks. Rice said at the time that she did not want her
confirmation hearing to become a distraction for the White House. The
national security post does not require Senate confirmation.
Neither Obama nor Rice mentioned the
Benghazi controversy during Wednesday’s ceremony. Rice said she looked
forward to working with lawmakers from both parties “to protect the
United States, advance our global leadership and promote the values
Americans hold dear.”
Rice’s selection was greeted by a
muted response from some Republicans who had earlier accused her of
being part of an administration cover-up in the Benghazi attacks.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, one of
Rice’s harshest critics, wrote on Twitter Wednesday that he disagreed
with her appointment but would “make every effort” to work with her on
important matters. And Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the top Republican on
the foreign relations committee, said he had spoken with Rice and looked
forward “to working with her on shaping important foreign policy and
national security issues.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/05/obama-formally-names-susan-rice-as-national-security-adviser-urges-senate-to-confirm-new-u-n-ambassador/
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