Rice May Refuse to Testify

Writing at Power Line, founding contributor John Hinderaker summarizes the contents of an MSNBC interview of Susan Rice by Andrea Mitchell. Two important points:

Rice vehemently denied leaking classified information. That denial could well be true. Leaking was more likely done by Rice’s assistant, Ben Rhodes, or another subordinate.

Most telling, I thought, was Rice’s response when Mitchell asked whether she would be “willing” to testify in response to a Senate subpoena. Rice’s answer: “You know, Andrea, let’s see what comes. I’m not going to sit here and prejudge.” Translation: I may decide to take the Fifth.

Do we sense fear of self-incrimination? In the balance of his post, Hinderaker reports what a couple of old Washington hands say about unmasking: how rare it is, how unlikely most high officials are to ask for it, how unusual it would be if Rice often sought unmasking.