# Is Republican noise about Susan Rice just a ploy to get Scott Brown back into the Senate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 26, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166 "2012-11-26T16:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2012, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/21 "2012-11-28T23:37:57Z")
Looks like I am not alone in my thinking: [Behind the GOP Game on Rice](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/27/behind-the-gop-game-on-rice.html) > [@](#): > > This point bears emphasizing, I think. I suspect that the Republicans want to block Rice because they want Obama to name John Kerry because they believe that Scott Brown can win that seat back. And as I’ve written before, he probably can, in my admittedly somewhat removed view (but also in the view of certain Bostonians I’ve consulted on the matter). Also, Republicans in the Senate [seem to be trying to nudge Obama](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2012/11/28/slatest_pm_john_kerry_s_awkward_diplomacy.html) toward a Kerry nomination: > [@](#): > > Point Kerry?: More NYT: “Ms. Collins said she would need additional information before she could support Ms. Rice’s nomination. But in response to a question about support in the Senate for John Kerry of Massachusetts, who is Ms. Rice’s main rival for the job, Ms. Collins said, ‘I think John Kerry would be an excellent appointment and would be easily confirmed by his colleagues.’” I am too cynical to believe they are acting out of any genuine concern about Ms. Rice, which leads me to think they are either doing their longtime colleague John Kerry a favor by lobbying for him, or they are hoping Scott Brown can take his vacated Senate seat, or a little of both. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/22 "2012-11-29T02:32:00Z")
Of course, the Massachusetts legislature could always change the rules another time and let Gov. Patrick appoint a successor to fill out the entirety of Kerry’s remaining term. I mean, it would be pretty naked partisanship, but it’s not like the consequences for them would really be more severe than a bunch of outrage from the _Boston Herald_. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/23 "2012-11-29T02:36:09Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Looks like I am not alone in my thinking: [Behind the GOP Game on Rice](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/27/behind-the-gop-game-on-rice.html)… Well, you’re both wrong. McCain was bitching about Rice before Obama had even won re-election. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/24 "2012-11-29T02:36:26Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I am too cynical to believe they are acting out of any genuine concern about Ms. Rice Of course not. But it’s more about screwing Obama than getting Brown into the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/25 "2012-11-29T03:23:19Z")
And yet they would be only too happy to confirm a Kerry appointment. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/26 "2012-11-29T03:27:59Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > And yet they would be only too happy to confirm a Kerry appointment. They can’t pin anything on Kerry, and they can’t vow to reject every nominee. Push comes to shove they’ll confirm Rice, too. In the wake of September 11th and Iraq 13 senators voted against confirming Condi Rice in 2004, and that was the largest number of votes against a Secretary of State nominee in almost 200 years. And Kerry may be nominated for a different cabinet post. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/27 "2012-11-29T03:53:02Z")
You puppy Dopers won’t remember, but there was a time Republicans hated Kerry’s un-patriotic peacenik traitor guts. Rolled around on the floor screaming and tearing out their hair in clumps at the very thought of Kerry. Now, all these moments will be lost in time, like crocodile tears in the rain. Time to puke. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/28 "2012-11-29T04:01:06Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You puppy Dopers won’t remember, but there was a time Republicans hated Kerry’s un-patriotic peacenik traitor guts. Rolled around on the floor screaming and tearing out their hair in clumps at the very thought of Kerry. > > Now, all these moments will be lost in time, like crocodile tears in the rain. Time to puke. Are you referring to when the Nixon administration had John O’Neill form Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace to smear Kerry, or when the G.W. Bush campaign had John O’Neill form Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to smear Kerry? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/29 "2012-11-29T04:02:28Z")
Yes. ---
**Author:** ![anya\_marie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ebca7d/32.png) [@anya\_marie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anya_marie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/30 "2012-11-29T04:44:47Z")
Just because a Senate seat for Massachusetts falls empty, there are NO guarantees that Scott Brown can win election again, nor might he be appointed to the seat. I can see Brown eagerly throwing his hat back into the ring, but whether his chances are good seems to be debatable. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/31 "2012-11-29T05:51:59Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > Just because a Senate seat for Massachusetts falls empty, there are NO guarantees that Scott Brown can win election again, nor might he be appointed to the seat. > > I can see Brown eagerly throwing his hat back into the ring, but whether his chances are good seems to be debatable. Yeh, Truckie McBarnjacket knocked a lot of the luster off his halo with Massachusetts voters in the recent election; his reasonable bipartisan nice guy image took a number of self-inflicted wounds. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/32 "2012-11-29T07:18:37Z")
He was pretty reasonable in the whole non-partisan thing, just as cooperative and helpful to CitiGroup as he was to Goldman Sachs. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/33 "2012-11-29T12:59:00Z")
> [@anya\_marie](#): > > I can see Brown eagerly throwing his hat back into the ring, but whether his chances are good seems to be debatable. I would say his chances of winning another election right now are pretty low. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/34 "2012-11-29T13:20:02Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I would say his chances of winning another election right now are pretty low. I don’t know Massachusetts politics. Who do the Democrats have with the name recognition to beat him? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/35 "2012-11-29T13:25:09Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I would say his chances of winning another election right now are pretty low. It probably depends a lot on the opponent but his campaign against Warren offended a lot of people with its focus on Warren’s claim to Native American ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/36 "2012-11-29T13:57:37Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I don’t know Massachusetts politics. Who do the Democrats have with the name recognition to beat him? Any of the 10 congresspersons, or the Governor or any of the cabinet members or Legislature leaders. Politics is a very public game here. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/37 "2012-11-29T14:27:53Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It probably depends a lot on the opponent but his campaign against Warren offended a lot of people with its focus on Warren’s claim to Native American ancestry. And, of course, that opponent could get a nice leg up if Deval Patrick appointed them to the job in the interim. Incumbency always helps, even if it’s only a few months’ worth. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/38 "2012-11-29T16:09:10Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > I don’t know Massachusetts politics. Who do the Democrats have with the name recognition to beat him? As stated, there are literally a dozen candidates who could run a good campaign against Scott Brown. This last campaign against Warren really did damage to his standing, and I think he’d have a hard time winning another statewide office. He would probably have more success running for a specific House seat. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/39 "2012-11-29T16:46:18Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > Mike Capuano ran in 2010, but lost the primary by a pretty decent margin to Martha Coakley (who is still out Attorney General, and could run again, but I don’t see that happening). Maybe 2013 is more his year. I’d vote for him, which would be nice, since I’ve been redistricted out of his district, and already miss the guy, even if it hasn’t taken effect yet. Hey, me too! Well, I can’t say that I miss him miss him, but I did notice he wasn’t on my ballot earlier this month and thought WTF? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166/40 "2012-11-29T17:16:49Z")
Coakley was already re-elected AG. She’ll probably have the job as long as she wants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-republican-noise-about-susan-rice-just-a-ploy-to-get-scott-brown-back-into-the-senate/642166.md?page=3)