President Obama Got Angry Today

Cabinet Speculationfest and Benghazigate collided this afternoon at a rare White House press conference, as President Obama flashed what was either genuine anger or a convincing imitation of it in response to a question about U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice. Earlier in the day, Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Kelly Ayotte vowed to oppose Rice’s potential-future-maybe nomination as Secretary of State because, in a slew of Sunday TV interviews she gave a few days after the Benghazi attack, she blamed spontaneous protests as opposed to planned terrorism. (This happened to be the CIA’s assessment at the time, but apparently Rice should have known better, or something.) McCain went as far as to say he would filibuster Rice’s nomination if necessary.

Asked about the threats of McCain et al., Obama grew increasingly heated. “When they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she’s an easy target,” Obama said at one point, “then they’ve got a problem with me.” Gauntlet: thrown.

Obama Gets Angry While Defending Susan Rice