E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSGov. Deval Patrick and Sen. Kelly Ayotte debate whether GOP nominee Mitt Romney's explanation sufficiently explained his welfare remarks.
Updated 4:02pm ET Finishing just her second year in the Senate, New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte has quickly ascended to the top tier of Republican national security advocates and GOP message-mongers.
Mike Segar / Reuters
U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., addresses the second session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Aug. 28, 2012.
Ubiquitous as a surrogate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for much of the past year, Ayotte has now become a steely-eyed adversary of President Barack Obama and his United Nations envoy Susan Rice for their explanation of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya. And because of her unique identity in the Senate as a Northeastern conservative Republican woman, Ayotte’s profile is only likely to continue to grow.
The opposition from Ayotte and other Republican senators to the idea of Rice becoming secretary of state may have taken its toll: on Thursday Rice announced she’d asked Obama to withdraw her name from consideration for that post.
At a talk at the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute Wednesday, she continued to press her questioning of the failure to prevent the attack or adequately defend the consulate.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., explains why she's not happy with Ambassador Susan Rice and her handling of the Benghazi situation.
“People have questioned (me): Why are you so interested in this issue? I’m very interested because frankly it’s been shocking to me how much you have to drag the information out of the administration,” she said.
“We have to take the lessons from this and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” she added.
She also said that part of her interest in the Benghazi attack is rooted in her experience as a murder prosecutor when she served as deputy attorney general and then as attorney general in New Hampshire.
“I’ve been frankly shocked at how long it took the FBI to get in there,” she said. “It would be shocking to me in the average murder case that the media would be able to retrieve some of the evidence that they recovered” at the Benghazi site.
She also warned that further reductions in defense outlays would be dangerous, telling the AEI audience that no one could argue that “we’re in such a secure place in this country or without threats from around the world that we should be taking a significant peace dividend.”
She cautioned Republicans about “a strain in our party that’s much more libertarian, that is more isolationist” and that “if Ronald Reagan were here looking at that, he would be troubled by it.”
Sen. Kelly Ayotte explains whether the criticism of Ambassador Susan Rice is weakening her role as a representative of the United States on the world stage.
Ayotte has repeatedly made the case that Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement spending -- not defense spending -- is driving the deficit and debt problems.
She was asked at the AEI event whether she supports efforts by Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to restrain health care spending in the military’s TRICARE program by requiring military members and military retirees to pay more for their coverage.
“There’s no question that health care is an issue that we have to deal with, not only on the civilian side but on the military side,” she said.
But, she added, it would be “unfair to ask those who have sacrificed the most for us, ‘You go first, OK, guys? We know you go first on the front lines. Don’t touch Social Security, don’t make any changes to Medicare, but here, let’s start (the spending cuts) with TRICARE.’ ”
Ayotte’s husband Joe Daley flew combat missions during the Iraq war and is now retired from the Air National Guard.
Part of Ayotte’s prominence is simple to explain: in a Republican Senate conference that’s largely Southern, Western, and male, Ayotte is a woman from the Northeast. In the New Year, there will be only four female GOP senators: Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the just-elected Deb Fischer from Nebraska, and Ayotte. It seems likely she’ll continue playing a highly visible role, perhaps as a candidate for vice president in 2016.
Recommended: Few signs of 'fiscal cliff' progress as leaders continue posturing
Ayotte uses her status as mother in her messaging. “When I think about it -- I am the mother of two children -- how could we possibly ask our children to pay back $26 trillion in debt? It is outrageous,” she said during a Senate debate in February.
Despite a 95 out of 100 rating from the American Conservative Union, on occasion Ayotte has voted in opposition to her party’s conservative wing.
Last week, for instance, she was one of eight Republican senators to vote to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Thirty-eight GOP senators, including the party’s leadership, opposed the treaty. But Ayotte sided with Republican centrists such as Collins, Murkowski, and Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine.
Were it not for a mere 1,659 votes, Ayotte wouldn’t be in the starring role she now occupies -- that was her one-percentage point margin of victory in the 2010 Senate primary over social conservative and tea party favorite Ovide Lamontagne.
She then demolished Democrat Paul Hodes in the general election, winning 60 percent of the vote.
Prior to starting her Senate career, Ayotte, 44, was New Hampshire attorney general, originally appointed by Republican Gov. Craig Benson and re-appointed by Democratic Gov. John Lynch. She was known in Washington primarily for being the lawyer who argued and won the 2005 Supreme Court case bearing her name, Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, as she defended her state’s parental notification law for abortion.
Recommended: Estate tax playing unheralded role in revenue struggle
Back in her home state, Democrats are dismissive of Ayotte’s notoriety in the nation’s capital. They say they’re looking forward to defeating her when she runs for a second term.
Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party said Wednesday that when Ayotte won in 2010, she “was able to portray herself as a moderate, not a very partisan person, having been re-appointed attorney general by Democratic Gov. John Lynch. She’s not going to have that luxury when she runs (in 2016) because her voting record and her high profile has exposed her to New Hampshire voters as being a Radical Right member of the Senate.”
Buckley criticized her for being the only member of the New Hampshire delegation to vote no on the highway bill last June. Ayotte said after that vote that while “we need to strengthen America’s transportation infrastructure, including worthy projects like widening I-93” in New Hampshire, the bill “was yet another ‘buy now, pay later’ scheme that fails to fundamentally reform how we pay for highway projects” and was based on “accounting gimmicks” and “reckless borrowing.”
Buckley also criticized Ayotte’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act and “certainly her position on social issues; she is way out of the mainstream when it comes to choice (on abortion), when it comes to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) issues.” And Buckley’s view is that “the Benghazi obsession that she has is certainly not going over well here in New Hampshire.”
Leave a Comment:
I get it now. The more a republican can say NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO....the better the chance that they'll become a star in the Party. No wonder the GOPs are such a bunch of losers!
When the Democrat's mantra is to bankrupt the country, it seems the only appropriate response is to say a resounding "NO!!"
@hopeisgone: Are "resounding" no's appropriate for every single piece of legislation, even those that GOPs favored in the past? Get a grip.
I've long felt that the toilet seat is the rising star of my bathroom.
Gee, I wonder if she can do anything about what our muslim leader (odumba) is doing ........(see below)
http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2012/12/new-army-manual-orders-soldiers-not-to-criticize-taliban/#respond
Gee, right wing bonehead, can you explain why no one has ever seen Obama entering, within, or leaving a mosque?
now that she has adopted every right wing position, she is on the move up. Perfect for the GOP, a woman who does not support women's issues.
And what women's issues does she not support?
I think you meant to say she doesn't support pseudo women's issues.
Good, we need a pitbull to get to the bottom of what the president, secretary of state and our UN ambassador claimed where demonstrations caused by a US firm clip that resulted in 4 deaths.
I simply don't understand conservatives' obsession with Benghazi. What more do you hope to find out?
zorro, why 4 people had to die, duh.
Ok. The Republicans needed to put some female presence in the news. They finally realized the old grumpy white men they usually feature aren't cutting it.
I hope that the GOP really pushes Ayotte to become a national figure! Then the people will find out what I already know---- that she is a stooge for the Bush family and she'll end up as a dim star in the Republican rapidly dimming universe. She's basically a country prosecutor with connections!
Always wanted to be dubbed a message-monger.
Kelly Ayotte = FAIL. When Seacoast NH residents made multiple reports about the HEAVY illegal immigration cycle happening every Summer in the area, Ayotte turned a blind-eye, and even went as far as BANNING people from her facebook page. Fail. Now why would a government official look the other way? Why would Russian immigrants be ALLOWED to operate freely, to doctor their paperwork after coming here on work visa's and J-1's? Why are they allowed to get drivers licenses, car registrations, and even REAL jobs w/ a tax-deducted paycheck? Hmmmmm? When officials don't uphold the law, I always question...WHY? Why not? There's gotta be a reason why these "officials" and "leaders" would ignore their own constitution and law. There's just gotta be something behind it.....
The GOP should have made a big deal out of 9/11 when Bush was running the show. Funny how when a Democrat is in office the GOP runs with something they have no facts about and don't look for any when 3000 die at the world trade center. The mideast is full of people who hate us and you don't know why they kill our people over there? PLEASE..............How many Americans have died over there in the last 10yrs. Nobody should go over there unless there willing to take the chance of being killed. It's that simple. Attention GOP you know the party that started the wars over there.. Our people will die in the mideast by the people who live there because they hate us.
Personally, I think Bush should have been impeached and removed for his ignoring and inaction in the face if MANY warnings coming into US Intel agencies about an imminent attack!
Its laughable that she is comparing Benghazi to murders in New Hampshire. Can we say no concept of foriegn affairs and wars in general? What a tool.
Just what "MANY warnings" of 9/11/2001 are you talking about?
Everyone,
Just let the GOP keep thier head in the sand and they will continue to fade into obscurity. After all, it couldn't possibly be anything the GOP did or said that lost them the election, right?
Maybe NBC and the rest of the media should do some investigating of their own. What happened in Benghazi? Are you freaking kidding me, a 3rd grader could tell you that a group of terrorists with ties to Al Queda planned and carried out an attack on our Consulate. This really isn't that hard to understand.
Ayotte is wasting her time. If she wants to retain her position in New Hampshire (which essentially has dumped the Republican party at both the national and state level) she needs to move to the center and forget about rubbing shoulders with antiques like McCain. My guess is she will not get re-elected in NH.
Ayotte is certainly a "star" at political assassination, as her treatment of U.N. Secretary Rice clearly demonstrates. Like much of the GOP, she is a "star"at creating problems rather than fixing them.
Ayotte shows plenty of back bone .. To Honor the Men that Died in Benghazi and the Ambassador being murdered and abused the way he was as our Leaders watched and told to stand own and the Code of a Solder to never leave a man behind is the Spirit of every Patriot that fought for the red white and Blue .
Obama has a plateful with all the Country"s and what is happening that goes untold . Too Many leaks and coward"s running our Military to leave these Men w/o a Country is Treason to all Americans . Ayotte I say you are all that and then some ..
You are not very articulate are you?
Please watch this video - - someone analyzed the videos of the benghazi attack and came to a different conclusion about what gates were used to enter to the 'consulate' facility - it is different from the version given to congress - we should be asking questions
some interesting articles:
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51346
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51400
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51679
http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51470
On Aug 29, 2012 21:53 Sean Smith posted the following
"I'm in the best post. My IPC has windows. They open.
I have open windows in my IPC. I have fresh air and I can hear protesters really awesomely but that owns cause I love a good protest."
here - http://forums.somethingawful.com/showth
read.php?threadid=3166411&pagenumber=121&perpage=40#post407003189
What was being protested on Aug 29? Given recent protests, why wasn't there more security on Sept 11 ?
Why wasn't there more security given the number of attacks since April? Short list here:
index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=502916&Itemid=54
We've been told now that it wasn't a protest about the YouTube video 'Innocence of Muslims.' What was their motive? Retaliation for drone attack? To free prisoners? Another reason?
Why did the US Embassy in Cairo publish a condemnation of the YouTube video on their webpage BEFORE any protests against it took place? Why did they engage in a flame war on twitter about it with someone?
There are many questions yet to be answered.
Liberals don't want to answer the real questions about Benghazi. Instead they want to talk about anything BUT Benghazi.
One has to wonder how the Republican Party pays the bill for all the Kool Aid they are making their members drink? Oh wait...just send the bill to the Koch Brothers!
These GOP partisans will have a lecture in 2014 and probably swiped out of the congress with their majority. The people have enough of these clowns, these nasty politicians that follow Koch Brothers or the crazy Tax Grover than to do the job for the American people. It is enough to pay these clowns for sitting in Congress year after year with only one agenda to oppose Obama and to forget to do the peoples business and have the country at heart. About Reagan: He was an 2nd class actor and a not very remarkable president, so why these mediocre people in the GOP need always to mention him? We need some new concepts to make the leap forward and not these backward looking, partisan zealots with no vision and no concept.
Oh yes and Ashley Judd go and bust McConnell out of his job, he is longtime overdue!
Please watch - - this guy came up with a different conclusion about the attack on the benghazi consulate than was briefed in congress - more gates were used to enter he says - title of this YouTube video is 'The Benghazi Gates Part 1, A Two Pronged Attack on the U.S. Consulate'
Please read -
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/ index.php/article/51346
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/ index.php/article/51400
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51679
Why wasn't there more security given that there were prior attacks since April? See this short list:
index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=502916&Itemid=54
Why wasn't there more security given that Sean Smith ("VileRat") had posted about protests nearby on August 29?
"I'm in the best post. My IPC has windows. They open.
I have open windows in my IPC. I have fresh air and I can hear protesters really awesomely but that owns cause I love a good protest."
here -
read.php?threadid=3166411&pagenumber=121&perpage=40#post407003189
What was the motivation for the attack? Was it retaliation for drone strike? Prisoner break? Messed up kidnapping? Or something else?
Why did the US Embassy in Cairo post a condemnation of the YouTube video 'Innocence of Muslims' on their website before any attacks or protests took place? Why did the US Embassy in Cairo engage in a flame war with someone on Twitter about that video?
Why did the Talking Points get changed for the Sept 16 talk shows when so many foreign news outlets had already said it was not due to a YouTube video and that it was terrorism? See node/58561 or article/2012/09/12/libya-ambassador-battle-idAFL5E8KCMYB20120912?sp=true or dangerroom/2012/09/vilerat/ ?
Even McCain knew it was terrorism - news/2012-09-14/libya-attack-calculated-act-of-terror-mccain-says.html - if that guy could figure it out, why couldn't the admin or state dept?
Does DNI Clapper still hold the position that WMD were shipped from Iraq to Syria before OIF?
links at
links at
Why did the admin originally say no heavy weapons were shipped from Libya to Syria and then say that they were?
#ixzz2B6CXFhPG
Please promote these fundraiser websites:
Tyrone "Ty" Woods http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Fundraiser-Held-for-Ty-Woods-Family-Benghazi-182749541.html
Sean "VileRat" Smith tuition-fundraiser/benefit-for-sean-smith-s-family/30678
Ugh - some of the links got messed up - sorry about that
News on Sept 12 before talk shows identifies attack as terrorism:
">
Ayotte isn't seeking answers. If she was, she'd wait for the hearings.
She's just grandstanding in front of old white men.
She and ALL the other Repugnicans voted AGAINST the $300,000,000 upgrades of the consulates and posts in all the countries we are in. They now bellyache about the disturbing loss of 4 due to what they call lies. Well, how about the thousands of the finest young people we lost and those who are disabled due to those lies? How about the fact that they all, ALL, as in EVERY ONE OF THEM, voted against the increase in funding for the VA so there would be no four year FOUR YEAR wait for promised care for the wounded from just those wars and not including the on-going in Afghanistan? YIKES! What a bunch of hypcrytes!!!!!!!
WRONG!
>
Are you really that brainwashed? Look at the vote, for heaven's sake! More democrats voted against the funding than republicans - and there are more republicans in the House! Did the legislation even make it past Reid's desk?
During the hearings, it came out that funding for security had absolutely no bearing on the decision not to increase security in Libya.
How many times do liberals have to be called on their lies?
The so called "consulate" in Benghazi was actually a CIA "listening post" with almost no visible security. Why? Thats how the CIA operates clandestinely. Senator Kelly Ayotte is a right wing zealot in a party of old white men. She destroyed most of the emails from her tenure as the Attorney General of New Hampshire like Governor Mitt Romney did after his tenure as the Governor of Massachusetts ended. Obviously there was an attempt at hiding something. Ayotte was opposed to Dodd Frank and the Consumer Protection Act which indicates that she is either stupid or in the pocket of Wall Street. I don't think she is stupid.
Trying again - newbie here - can't get the links to post correctly and stay
Please watch - - this guy came up with a different conclusion about the attack on the benghazi consulate than was briefed in congress - more gates were used to enter he says - title of this YouTube video is 'The Benghazi Gates Part 1, A Two Pronged Attack on the U.S. Consulate'
Please read -
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/ index.php/article/51346
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/ index.php/article/51400
http:// www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/51679
Please promote these fundraiser websites:
Fundraiser for family of Tyrone "Ty" Woods
Fundraiser for family of Sean "VileRat" Smith
Not sure if the HTML is going to work or not.
Kelly Ayotte is a run-of-the-mill political hack with mediocre intelligence and abilities. No wonder she is a rising star in the GOP. She looks so good in comparison to the rest of them.
Wonder where she stores her broom?