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DonViejo

(60,536 posts)
Wed May 3, 2017, 06:45 PM May 2017

First on CNN: Rice declines Senate request to testify on Russian hacking

Source: CNN




By Jim Sciutto and Manu Raju, CNN
Updated 5:31 PM ET, Wed May 3, 2017

Washington (CNN)Susan Rice, President Barack Obama's former national security adviser, on Wednesday declined Sen. Lindsey Graham's request to participate in a judiciary subcommittee hearing next week on Russian interference in the US election, CNN has learned.

A letter obtained exclusively by CNN from Rice's lawyer, Kathryn Ruemmler, outlines the grounds for her decision not to appear. It was addressed to Graham, the Republican chairman of the judiciary subcommittee on crime and terrorism, which is holding the hearing, and senior Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse.

"Senator Whitehouse has informed us by letter that he did not agree to Chairman Graham's invitation to Ambassador Rice, a significant departure from the bipartisan invitations extended to other witnesses," Ruemmler wrote. "Under these circumstances, Ambassador Rice respectfully declines Senator Graham's invitation to testify."

A source familiar with Rice's discussions told CNN that when Graham invited her, Rice believed it was a bipartisan overture and was prepared to accept. However, Whitehouse indicated to her that the invitation was made without his agreement, as he believed her presence was not relevant to the topic of the hearing, according to the source.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/03/politics/susan-rice-refuses-graham-russia-hearing/index.html?sr=twCNN050317breaking-news0904PMVODtopPhoto&linkId=37166733

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
First on CNN: Rice declines Senate request to testify on Russian hacking (Original Post) DonViejo May 2017 OP
Independent Counsel tazkcmo May 2017 #1
Will somebody just "out" NewRedDawn May 2017 #2
Lindsey sent the letter even though Sen. Whitehouse objected. Shame on Lindsey riversedge May 2017 #6
Step back and look at this a second. Wellstone ruled May 2017 #3
Yes, there's nothing to be gained by Rice appearing there. OnDoutside May 2017 #8
Little Lindsey has a Female issue Wellstone ruled May 2017 #12
He's not the only one of them. It really does read like OnDoutside May 2017 #13
K&R...Thanks for posting red dog 1 May 2017 #4
Nothing but a witch hunt by the Rupublicans! riversedge May 2017 #5
surprise surprise maybe waste bluestarone May 2017 #7
They were going to make it all about her instead of Drumpf BumRushDaShow May 2017 #9
Feinstein: Rice should reconsider testifying before Senate panel Get Off Of My Cloud May 2017 #10
RWers will say she has something to hide. progressoid May 2017 #11
Rice smart, Graham dumb! machoneman May 2017 #14

tazkcmo

(7,286 posts)
1. Independent Counsel
Wed May 3, 2017, 06:48 PM
May 2017

The GOpee is obstructing and foot dragging the Russian investigation preferring to chase windmills and Bigfoot.

 

NewRedDawn

(790 posts)
2. Will somebody just "out"
Wed May 3, 2017, 06:50 PM
May 2017

this hypocritical closeted Son of a bitch & destroy him with his confederate bible thumper constituents.
This fucker like McCain tries to come off as a moderate & he is nothing but a party first toady.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
3. Step back and look at this a second.
Wed May 3, 2017, 07:01 PM
May 2017

This is just a Rethug method to cover Trump by smearing Ms.Rice. Here it comes...........

Ha nothing to do with the real truth.

 

Wellstone ruled

(34,661 posts)
12. Little Lindsey has a Female issue
Wed May 3, 2017, 08:19 PM
May 2017

namely African-American Females of previous Authority. And most surely one that is much smarter than he.

riversedge

(69,708 posts)
5. Nothing but a witch hunt by the Rupublicans!
Wed May 3, 2017, 07:10 PM
May 2017





........Republicans have raised concerns that Rice may have acted improperly while she was national security adviser by seeking to learn the identities of Trump officials discussing matters with foreign officials related to the Trump transition.
Those officials were caught up in US intelligence surveillance of the foreign officials and had their identities unmasked after at first being referred to anonymously in the intelligence records.


President Donald Trump at one point alleged Rice broke the law by requesting the unmasking of US individuals' identities. Trump had claimed the matter was a "massive story."


But Republican and Democratic lawmakers and aides have so far found no evidence that Obama administration officials did anything unusual or illegal, multiple sources in both parties have told CNN.

Despite declining the appearance, Rice's lawyer assured Graham and Whitehouse in the letter that she was "prepared to assist Congressional inquiries into Russian election interference because of the important national interests at stake, provided they are conducted in a bipartisan manner, and, as appropriate, in classified session."

BumRushDaShow

(127,270 posts)
9. They were going to make it all about her instead of Drumpf
Wed May 3, 2017, 07:21 PM
May 2017

Good decision!

And if Graham insists on subpoena, then time for Ds to demand the same for some of the Drumpf folks.

 
10. Feinstein: Rice should reconsider testifying before Senate panel
Wed May 3, 2017, 07:26 PM
May 2017
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that former national security adviser Susan Rice should reconsider her decision not to testify before a Senate panel.

"I think she ought to consider it," Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on MSNBC's "MTP Daily," explaining that Rice has already defended herself in the press.

"She has gone public. I saw her on Fareed’s show Sunday. I saw her today," Feinstein said.

President Trump accused Rice last month of improperly requesting the identities of members of his transition team that were incidentally swept up in intelligence collections.



I understood from Olbermann and Vox that Comey and Rice were to be the final nails in Trump's coffin

Both disappointing


http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/331834-feinstein-rice-should-reconsider-testifying-to-senate-panel

machoneman

(3,951 posts)
14. Rice smart, Graham dumb!
Thu May 4, 2017, 07:56 AM
May 2017

A "crime and terrorism" committee,eh? And what does this have to do with Rice?

Answer: nothing but the chance for Graham and his fellow republiscums to beat up on her, Obama. Clinton, et al and use the video for a series of cash-raising campaign ads.

Once smart cookie that Rice. And Graham made, for him, a rare mistake by not getting consensus first. Dumb indeed and now he's blown his chance!

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