Missing Ambassador’s Media Appearance

Wondering where was Susan Rice, the US ambassador to the UN, when the General Assembly endorsed the Goldstone report? Turns out she was taping an appearane on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Credit Phyllis Bennis for connecting the dots:

There was lots of speculation why Rice was not there herself – had she been called to the White House for last-minute consultations? Would her presence somehow give the resolution and thus the Goldstone report itself too much significance? Was her deputy better at playing "bad cop"? Actually, it was none of the above. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Her Excellency Susan Rice, was indeed in New York, but not at United Nations headquarters. The defining clue came at 11 p.m. that night, when The Daily Show With Jon Stewart came on the air. Featuring special guest Ambassador Susan Rice.

The hit show of Comedy Central, The Daily Show airs in the late-night slot. But it always tapes the show ahead of time, around 5:00 in the afternoon. The UN vote to endorse the Goldstone report took place at 4:45.

Sure enough, Rice's segment's online. Feel free to disagree, but I'm not going to criticize the the ambassador for shunning a debate whose odious outcome was anyway a foregone conclusion. Stewart and Rice discussing Goldstone would've made for great blogging, but the issue didn't come up.