Scott talks to Stephen Zunes about Susan Rice, one of the leading candidates for Joe Biden’s VP pick. Rice fits Biden’s criteria in that she’s a black woman with political experience, but Zunes raises serious concerns about her track record. In particular, Rice turned out to be one of the most hawkish Democrats during her time in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and she played a role in pushing for America’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. Zunes points out that if “a black woman” is Biden’s only important qualification, then he should at least pick someone with better left-wing credentials and with actual ties to the black community—Rice, he says, is virtually indistinguishable in her politics from all the white male establishment war hawks.

Discussed on the show:

• “Implications of Pro-War Susan Rice as VP Nominee” (Accuracy.Org)
• “Colin Powell’s speech to the UN Security Council” (Brookings)
• “Column: No, Susan Rice did not support the Iraq War” (Chicago Tribune)
• “Don’t Attack Saddam” (WSJ)
• “Susan Rice has Israel’s back” (POLITICO)
• “Why Would Biden Pick Susan Rice?” (Defense One)

Stephen Zunes is a professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. He is the author of Western Sahara: War, Nationalism, and Conflict Irresolution and Civil Resistance Against Coups: A Comparative and Historical Perspective. Find him on Twitter @SZunes. 

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

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