Obama steamed over Susan Rice

The United State President, Barack Obama didn’t appear riled up on Wednesday by a sex scandal that claimed his CIA director. Nor even the looming fiscal showdown that could plunge the economy into a recession in USA economy. What annoyed Barak Obama more was, Republican attacks on United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice. At a news conference which was meant to signal The President understands voters are sick of Washington bickering, the president’s voice dripped with contempt over his efforts by his 2008 Republican rival known as, Sen. John McCain, to blame Rice for the administration’s handling of the Benghazi killings. “If Sen. McCain and Sen. [Lindsey] Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” Obama said during his first news conference since Election Day. “And 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 and was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received, and to besmirch her reputation is outrageous". It was the standout moment in an otherwise sedate meeting with the White House press corps. The usually calm, disciplined president gave way to the Obama who gets peeved at what he views as silly political games. And in doing so, Obama served up a blunt reminder that — despite his own words to the contrary — little about Washington has changed since he won a second term. In explaining why Obama reacted so viscerally, United States White House aides pointed out that McCain and Graham received the same talking points from intelligence officials that Susan Rice used when she claimed the Benghazi attack was caused by an anti-Islamic video. They also said Republican senators defended Condoleezza Rice, President George W. Bush’s national security adviser, when she repeated faulty intelligence in the lead-up to the Iraq War. on POLITICO: Rep. Heck: I blame admin, not Rice “We’re after an election,” Barak Obama said, suggesting he viewed their attacks on Susan Rice as theatrics that they should’ve dropped by now. The West Wing had hoped the takeaway Wednesday would be that The President, Barak Obama gets it: Voters want lawmakers and the president to work together. And Barak Obama tried much throughout the almost hour long press conference to strike that tone. He said he wants to compromise on the fiscal cliff. Even though he demanded that Republicans move his way on eliminating tax breaks for the wealthy, Barak Obama stopped short of drawing a red line on the issue. The President pointed out that “I just want to emphasize: I am open to new ideas,” he said. “If the Republican counterparts or some Democrats have a great idea for us to raise revenue, maintain progressively, make sure the middle class isn’t getting hit, reduces our deficit, encourages growth, I’m not going to just slam the door in their face. I want to hear ideas from everybody.” President Obama offered his most effusive praise in a long time — maybe ever — of his former Republican presidential rival, Mitt Romney, adding that “he did a terrific job running the Olympics” and that “he presented some ideas during the course of the campaign that I actually agree with.”