After weeks of media speculation and political maneuvering, an expected move from the White House today occurred after President Barack Obama officially announced the nomination of Massachusetts Senator and former presidential candidate John Kerry for Secretary of State.
Sen. Kerry is undoubtedly one of the most experienced foreign policy experts in the nation, and is the current chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Hillary Clinton has done a commendable job in the high pressure post, but has decided to step down. Obama lavished the Vietnam War veteran as he and his wife, Heinz heiress Teresa, looked on approvingly.
“Over these many years, John’s earned the respect and confidence of leaders around the world. He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job-training,” said Obama. “I think it is fair to say that few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as John Kerry, and this makes him a perfect choice to guide American diplomacy in the years ahead.”
It isn’t expected that Republican leaders will not oppose Kerry’s nomination in the highly politicized fashion they did with Susan Rice. Although Rice was just as qualified as any, Kerry comes with the added bonus of not being embroiled in any recent controversy and is generally well-liked across party lines.
Kerry,69, will naturally step down from his senate seat and make way for Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to appoint someone to hold the seat until a special election is held at a later time. Rumblings in the political world suggest recently trounced Republican Sen. Scott Brown may take aim for the seat again.
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Photo: The New York Times
