VIDEO: Madeleine Albright Visits CBS THIS MORNING

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright discussed U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's withdrawal from consideration as a Secretary of State candidate in an interview with co-hosts Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell that was broadcast live today, Dec. 14, 2012, on CBS THIS MORNING on the CBS Television Network (7:00 AM – 9:00 AM). View the interview in its entirety below!

Below are excerpts from the interview:

ROSE: Do you believe that even though Susan Rice had not been nominated, this became a political suicide-not suicide, but assassination?

ALBRIGHT: I think it's very political and sad, and does not speak well for those who attacked her. I've known Susan since she was 4 years old. I think she's a remarkable person who has served our country in a number of different posts. She was assistant secretary for Africa when I was Secretary of State. I think she's done an amazing job at the United Nations, making very clear what American national interests are and I think she would have been a great secretary of state. She will continue to work at the U.N., where her credibility is very high and she's very close to the President.

ROSE: Would it have been possible for her to overcome the objections raised by Sen. McCain and others?

ALBRIGHT: I have no way of knowing. I think she and the President must have made a judgment-and she said it--that it was a distraction. And there are an awful lot of things going on. I'm really sorry this has happened because she would have been great, and she is wonderful, and she doesn't deserve-as a human being, she does not deserve the attacks that were made upon her that were false. It was really outrageous.

O'DONNELL: There were a couple of unusual things about this. First, she was sent out on the Sunday talk shows to talk about something that was not in her purview, which was Libya and what happened there. That was Secretary Clinton's responsibility about what happened in Libya. And then #2, she was never even nominated to be Secretary of State and she's withdrawing her name. Did she get hung out there by the White House?

ALBRIGHT: Now, let me just say, I think we all know how choices for the Sunday shows are made. When I was ambassador of the U.N., I would go on and talk about different things. So I would not frame it the way you have. It's very hard to figure out what happened here, as to why these very personal attacks. And she had not been nominated. And I think that there was just a kind of avalanche. I find it really sad. I love Washington, and I just don't like what has happened at this point. It's just very unpleasant and sad and something that a very, very good public servant doesn't deserve, or nobody deserves, frankly.

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