There's been nothing believable, so far, in the Republican attacks on Susan Rice. But there is one very disturbing discovery about her that puts her out of the running for the post of Secretary of State. Way worse than the white-on-Rice mess created by McCain et al. This is terminal.
The controversy surrounding Rice, a former management consultant who was an early supporter of Obama, has increased scrutiny of her personal affairs.
On Wednesday, a Web site run by the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council noted that Rice and her husband own millions of dollars worth of stock in Canadian energy and pipeline companies that would benefit from the construction of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline; if she became secretary of state, one of the first decisions she would have to make would probably involve Keystone’s permit.
The ownership stakes, listed on her financial disclosure form for 2011 and reported on the Web site of the council’s OnEarth magazine, include between $300,000 and $600,000 in TransCanada, the owner and developer of the Keystone XL pipeline.
The couple also own more than $1.25 million worth of stock in each of three companies involved in projects to extract crude from Canada’s oil sands region. They own a stake in the Canadian railway that runs to that region, as well as shares in Canadian banks said to be involved in financing the pipeline project. ...WaPo
End of story. Onward and upward.
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Well, maybe not end of story.
Politico reports that federal officials whose stock holdings conflict with their duties are required to sell the stock, recuse themselves, or set up a qualified trust. In 2008 Rice said in a letter attached to her disclosure forms that she would “not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that has a direct and predictable effect on my financial interests.” While President George W. Bush issued an executive order making the secretary of state responsible for approving pipelines that cross the U.S. border, Kleeb suggested that the administration could also avoid a conflict of interest if Obama shifts that duty to another agency. ...Daily Intel
And in the end, says Daily Intel, she's Obama's pick for the job.
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Political reality, according to a report in The Hill, means Susan Rice may well achieve the vote she needs.
Susan Rice’s bridge-building visit to Capitol Hill this week left Republicans divided on her possible nomination as secretary of State.
While some Republicans appear outright opposed to Rice replacing Hillary Clinton, there are enough GOP senators who are open to voting for her. Should President Obama nominate her, Rice would need only a handful of GOP votes to overcome a filibuster if all Democrats back her. ...
... Privately, some Republicans say they'd prefer to avoid a bitter political fight over Rice, an African-American woman who is viewed as qualified and competent. ...The Hill
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