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Rep Moore: Attacks on Rice a strategy to open Kerry's seat

Congresswoman Gwen Moore, a strong and vocal supporter of Susan Rice, is "saddened" and "enraged" that the Republican attacks forced Rice to withdraw her name f
File Photo: dated February 28, 2011 shows US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaking during the White House daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC.  Susan Rice, on December 13, 2012, withdrew her name from consideration to be...
File Photo: dated February 28, 2011 shows US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice speaking during the White House daily briefing at the White House in...

Congresswoman Gwen Moore, a strong and vocal supporter of Susan Rice, is "saddened" and "enraged" that the Republican attacks forced Rice to withdraw her name from the running for secretary of state. "This was always a fabricated, trumped-up allegation," she said on PoliticsNation.

The congresswoman sees the attacks as part of a plan to bring Scott Brown back to the Senate by vacating John Kerry's seat. "I think that the Republicans see an opportunity to have Senator Kerry appointed as secretary of state and be able to run a special election off cycle to be able to win John Kerry's seat in Massachusetts" she said. "All throughout these trumped-up charges of her not being very bright and trustworthy, they always ended sentence with 'but you know, Senator Kerry--he'd be confirmed without a hitch.' So this is about as partisan as we have seen from Republicans."

It increasingly looks like that alleged plot may be successful, as officials have indicated to NBC News that Kerry was one of only two people on the president's short list to fill the position Hillary Clinton plans to vacate soon.

The attacks on Rice, which came primarily from Senators McCain, Graham, and Ayotte, were riddled with false accusations, according to Moore, who praised Rice's service and skill. "There's not enough time on this program to walk through her tremendous accomplishments over the last 20 years in public service."

Joan Walsh, who also joined for the segment, pointed out the Republican history of attacking many African-Americans in the Obama administration. "I don't know that they're deliberately putting race in the equation, maybe there's something unconscious about it, but a lot of the people who've been targeted in this administration--Eric Holder, Van Jones, Lisa Johnson, Shirley Sherrod, Susan Rice, have been African-Americans," she said.

Moore agreed, predicting that the smear campaign they launched against Rice would ultimately further upset constituencies the GOP is desperate to win back. "Apparently Republicans have not learned one darn thing, as they continue to isolate women, isolate people of color, their chances of ever being a legitimate party, a significant party that can take over the White House beyond their gerrymandering is really in jeopardy."