Rice out...

[MBS]

47. WaPo columnist Ruth Marcus also agrees

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2012/12/13/an-unfortunate-end-to-susan-rices-non-nomination/

Which leads me to the real unfairness to Rice: How could the administration have left her twisting for nearly a month while it calibrated the likelihood — and likely costs — of pressing the nomination?
Perhaps Rice herself added to those costs: first, the unusual decision, seemingly hers, to make the rounds of Senate courtesy calls as a non-nominee; second, the amazing outcome of having such courtesy calls put her in a seemingly worse position than where she started. But, really, Mr. President, either nominate her or pick someone else — like two weeks ago.
Thursday’s humiliating developments, in which Rice was forced to announce her own withdrawal from the position for which she hadn’t been chosen, fooled no one who has been around Washington for more than a minute and a half. Nominees — or in this case, not-yet-nominees — do not jump unless someone (not the president, but someone acting on his behalf) has given a quiet, whispered shove.
It never should have been allowed to come to this.