Republican Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte have a seemingly irrational vendetta against U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, centering on Benghazi. What explains it? Well, Rachel Maddow has a fascinating theory, which Mark Karlin buys, as do I.
Here’s how the theory works:
1) Republicans are lusting after John Kerry’s Senate seat, eying it for soon-to-be ex-Senator Scott Brown.
2) Kerry and Rice are the only contenders for Secretary of State.
3) If Kerry gets State, he has to give up his seat, and Brown has a good shot at winning a special election to replace him.
4) Rice is standing in Kerry’s way, so she must be eliminated by the McCain/Graham/Ayotte trio.
In other words:
Rice Madness (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
If Obama gives State to John Kerry
The GOP’s bound to be merry:
Scott Brown can then run
For John’s seat. Oh what fun!
This explains why they’ll Susan Rice bury.