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McCain has change of heart toward Susan Rice

Susan Rice

Susan Rice (Reuters)

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WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain, who has staunchly opposed the possible nomination of UN Ambassador Susan Rice as secretary of state, said yesterday he would now consider her for the job.

McCain (R-Ariz.) said he softened his stance on Rice once he learned that the director of national intelligence provided her with controversial information on the Benghazi consulate attack.

“I give everyone the benefit of explaining their position and the actions that they took,” McCain said on “Fox News Sunday.”

“I’ll be glad to have the opportunity to discuss these issues with her . . . I think she deserves the . . . opportunity to explain herself and her position.”

McCain’s change of heart comes after Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said last week that his office removed the words “al Qaeda” and “terrorism” from the information Rice was given before she went on Sunday television news shows Sept. 16.

During those interviews, Rice said that the attack — which killed Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and three other Americans — was the result of a spontaneous protest over outrage to an American video mocking the Prophet Mohammed.

The administration later acknowledged the assault as a terrorist attack.

That led retiring Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) to accuse the administration yesterday of a coverup.

“I think there are three questions that have to be answered,” Kyl said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“Why weren’t the warnings about the need for security heeded? Why weren’t the requests for help during the terrorist attacks answered? And why did the administration think it had to cover up all of the things that occurred before by putting out to the American people a narrative that I think will turn out to be absolutely false?”

Other Republican lawmakers weren’t willing to give Rice the benefit of the doubt.

Rep. Peter King (R-LI) told NBC’s “Meet The Press,” “She has an obligation not to be just a puppet and take what’s handed to her in an unclassified way.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who has also taken a hard line against Rice, appeared to redirect his focus to President Obama yesterday.

“I blame the president above all else,” Graham said on ABC’s “This Week.”

“[But] there will be a lot of questions asked of her about this event and others.”

Democrats, meanwhile, continued to defend Rice.

“If this was an NFL football game, the critics of Ambassador Rice would be penalized for piling on,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said on “This Week.”