No Rice = no questions about Benghazi at the confirmation hearings

WASHINGTON (AP) — Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration to be the next secretary of state after the embattled UN ambassador ran into a standoff with Republicans over an attack on Americans in Libya.

President Barack Obama, in a statement, said he accepted Rice’s decision to remove her name from consideration. Obama decried what he called “unfair and misleading attacks” on Rice in recent weeks.

A person familiar with the deliberations said support has been trending away from Rice for the past few days.

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry is perceived internally to be the front-runner for the secretary of state position.