Susan Rice back in the news speaking on behalf of the Obama Administration's Foreign Policy --- Secretary of State Kerry chimes in --- Nothing Unusual going on

The relatively new US national security adviser Susan Rice says the Edward Snowden scandal  has not weakened President Obama  ---  and that  the diplomatic consequences of the NSA leaks are not that significant  ---  SecState Kerry then tries to say that "spying on allies" is something that everybody does, so it's no biggie that we got caught

The newly-minted U.S. National Security Adviser  dismissed claims that the surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden has weakened the president, Barack Obama, and damaged American foreign policy (See "Edward Snowden has not weakened president, says Susan Rice" by Conal Urquhart  6/29/13, The Guardian [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/29/edward-snowden-president-susan-rice]). But, later events clearly might have overtaken the president's right hand security advisor.

The outgoing US ambassador to the United Nations said on Friday that it was too soon to judge whether there would be any long-term repercussions from the intelligence leaks by  former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.  Ricent on to e reject any suggestion that Snowden's disclosures had made Barck Obama a lame duck, damaged his political base or  hurt US foreign policy.  The incoming presidential National Security Advisor was blunt,  saying: "I think that's bunk....  I don't think the diplomatic consequences, at least as they are foreseeable now, are that significant....  I think the United States of America is and will remain the most influential, powerful and important country in the world, the largest economy, and the largest military, [with] a network of alliances, values that are universally respected."

However, since Ms. Rice made her remarks there have been further developments. Recent disclosures, based upon some of the newly released Snowden documents, indicated significant NSA surveillance on the offices of the EU and other U.S. allies.  The recent revelations about the U.S. surveillance program, which were made public by fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, have stoked the furor in the United States and abroad --  and now it's about U.S. spying on its allies.

Responding for the first time to allegations that Washington spied on the European Union and other allies, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that nearly all national governments, not just the United States, use "lots of activities" to safeguard their interests and security( See "Kerry Plays Down Spying Storm as New Details Emerge" posted from Reuters, 7/1/13, Newsmax [http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Kerry-spying-NSA-EU/2013/07/01/id/512712#ixzz2XoMX0Wbc ]).

What is brewing appears to be more than a minor diplomatic flap. In a strongly worded communique, the EU has  demanded that the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington is spying on the group, saying that, if true, the such surveillance would be "shocking".  Some EU policymakers said talks for a free trade agreement between Washington and the EU should be put on ice until further clarification from the United States.

Martin Schulz, president of the EU Parliament, told French radio the United States had crossed a line. "I was always sure that dictatorships, some authoritarian systems, tried to listen ... but that measures like that are now practiced by an ally, by a friend, that is shocking, in the case that it is true," Schulz said in an interview with France 2.

Meanwhile, officials in Japan and South Korea said they were aware of the newspaper reports and had asked Washington to clarify them.

It's clear that the remarks of  Secreatry of State Kerry and Nation Security Advisor Rice are a sign that the White House has decided on another  tough-it-out defense,  and try to convince everybody that the Snowden disclosures are not that big a deal  ---  or as Michael Goodwin in the New York Post observed,  "What, me worry!" ...er...   "What, Obama worry ?"

By comparison, it is probably safe to say that Ms. Rice,  Secretary Kerry and President  Obama would have no more credibility trying to peddle that the Snowden NSA revelations are not devastating to U.S. security interests and foreign policy, than Ambassador Rice, Secretary Hillary Clinton and Obama did with the line that an anti-Mohammad video caused  the Benghazi  blowup last year.