Rep. Clyburn: Republicans Using ‘Code Words’ To Attack Ambassador Rice

[JDPriestly]

9. Racist -- and not just racist but sexist too.

It is so obvious.

But if you were to ask them for their opinion, they would deny that their statements about Rice are at all racist or sexist. They would tell you that they have three daughters and that their chauffeur is African-American and so are the people who live two blocks away.

That is the sort of unacknowledged bigotry that lives on in America, especially in the Republican Party.

And, of course, they all enjoy First Amendment rights as do we. Every one of us has the right to express our prejudices, pretty much what they may be, as long as we do it politely and non-violently.

The problem is that the whole country suffers when Republicans allow their prejudices and stereotyped ideas about race and gender to deprive us of leaders who have the ability and knowledge we need.

I think that Susan Rice might make a better ambassador to the world BECAUSE she is a person of color and BECAUSE she is a woman. That makes me prejudiced too. But then, my statement is based on the fact that Susan Rice's job in this world at this time would be, to a great extent to reach out to people of color and to women in other countries.

Did you notice that the leaders in Thailand and Myanamar were women? So is the leader of Germany as is the leader of Australia. And check on Bangla Desh. Britain and India and Israel have all had female leaders. We women are one-half of the world. We should be one-half of the leadership of the world. That only seems unreal to male chauvinist old-guys in the US.

No. Not every woman is qualified to lead. Think Sarah Palin. Less experience in the world than a twig that just fell off the tree. But Susan Rice has made all kinds of valuable friends at the UN. She would be perfect.

I strongly support Susan Rice to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. She had nothing to do with Benghazi but was just repeating talking points. And, besides, "ticking-bomb-in-Iraq" Republicans have no business criticizing people who are wrong in assessing what is going on in a foreign country in turmoil.