(MCT) — WASHINGTON — With his fiery defense of his ambassador to the United Nations, President Barack Obama appears to have committed himself to nominating Susan Rice to be secretary of state and making her confirmation fight a test of wills with Senate Republicans, congressional aides and Democratic strategists said Thursday.

These Democratic insiders said that by defending Rice on Wednesday against what he called “outrageous” GOP criticism for her comments on the deadly terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, Obama was betting on a confirmation victory that will deter Republicans from challenging nominations as often as they did in his first term.