Susan Rice Withdraws from Secretary of State Consideration

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, long rumored the front-runner to replace Hillary Clinton in Foggy Bottom, sent a letter to the president today taking herself out of the running. Rice very well may have been confirmed as Secretary of State if Obama had chosen her (he probably would have), but the promise of an ugly confirmation process itself was enough to deter her. On the off-chance that you haven’t followed any news for the past 90 days, Rice has been repeatedly lambasted by Senate Republicans for supposedly misrepresenting the September 11th attacks in Benghazi that killed Lybian Ambassador Chris Stevens. From her letter:

I didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting and very disruptive because there are so many things we need to get done as a country and the first several months of a second term president’s agenda is really the opportunity to get the crucial things done.

Next in line for the gig is probably John Kerry, who despite the Swift Boat brouhaha in 2004, should have an easier time getting confirmed. Rice will expand on her comments in a conversation with Brian Williams at 10pm tonight on NBC. [NBC]