Watch Soledad O'Brien point out the hypocrisy of the Republican's in Congress who are attacking UN Ambassador Susan E. Rice and publicly opposing her possible potential nomination to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Scroll down below the transcript for a video clip of the exchange between O'Brien and Representative Michael Burgess (R-TX). To watch the entire interview, click here.
O'BRIEN: I have asked others before how this does not compare, the Susan Rice issue to the Condoleezza Rice issue on weapons of mass destruction. She was also wrong when she was the national security advisor, right? She had information and she talked, I remember, to Wolf Blitzer about you know let's not have the smoking gun become a mushroom cloud.
And then fast forward three years in 2005 when she was up to be Secretary of State, it was Lindsey Graham who was furious that the Democrats were pushing back. It was Senator John McCain who was furious that the Democrats were pushing back on Condoleezza Rice to be Secretary of State. She was wrong on weapons of mass destruction. How is this different?
BURGESS: Well the difference is the scrutiny provided by our - our free press in this country. Condoleezza Rice was exposed to withering criticism by the press. I don't see that happening now. Maybe I've missed something in the talking points, but I don't see that happening.
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O'BRIEN: So, let me –
BURGESS: The ambassador of the United Nations should not have been the person on the Sunday shows. Someone from the administration or the State of Department should have been.
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O'BRIEN: So you're confusing me there for a moment. When you say the scrutiny on the press - are you saying five days after comments about weapons of mass destruction, that - that you feel like the media was picking apart Condoleezza Rice? I don't think that's true, sir. I think that most people say that is not the case. That it took a long time. I'm talking about three years before she was up for Secretary of State.
I - I see, if you're blaming the press, how does it go back to Susan Rice?
BURGESS: That's a different situation with different timelines.
O'BRIEN: OK so how does it go back to the Susan Rice?
BURGESS: They're different situations with different timeline.
O'BRIEN: How is she to blame is my question.
BURGESS: Again, first - first thing is I do not understand who in the administration thought that this would be a good idea and why. What was their reasoning behind that? No one has answered that question.
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O'BRIEN: OK. I think that's a valid question. How do you blame Susan Rice for that?
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BURGESS: I've written letters to the President. I've asked the State Department to discuss this with me.
O'BRIEN: How do you - what Susan Rice did was say something that was incorrect. We know now, the intelligence community says we gave her the talking points. The information, the Intel was incorrect. How does that go back to blame Susan Rice? And my question of course is because you're one of the 97 people who signed saying that you believe that her misleading statements causes irreparable damage to her credibility and she should not be Secretary of State. And I don't see the difference between Condoleezza Rice situation.
BURGESS: It does damage her credibility. Now look, you know as well as I that House members do not get a vote on presidential appointments. But in the purpose of this letter was to let our senators know this is something that we believe deserves their scrutiny. And I think you - And I think you - you would want that.
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O'BRIEN: Of course. You know hey, I'm all about scrutiny. But I guess I like consistency, too. But you were not calling for more scrutiny and you weren't saying that this is - that the fact that Condoleezza Rice was wrong on weapons of mass destruction was going to damage her - her credibility as Secretary of State.
You know again, John McCain and Lindsey Graham were supporting that. It seems just contradictory to me.
BURGESS: Well, you'll have to - you'll have take that up with Senator McCain and Senator Graham. But the fact of the matter is –
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O'BRIEN: OK.