Obama chooses Kerry for Secretary of State (updated)

[ProSense]

Last edited Fri Dec 21, 2012, 05:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Obama chooses Kerry for Secretary of State

By Steve Benen

It took a little longer than expected, but President Obama today introduced Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as his nominee for Secretary of State in his second term.

To call Kerry well qualified for the post is a dramatic understatement, given the senator's lengthy career in international affairs, including having served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Indeed, Kerry quietly sought this position four years ago, and has almost been a Secretary of State in-waiting ever since -- he has in recent years "shepherded the passage of a critical arms-control treaty and conducted a series of quiet missions on behalf of the president, notably at moments of crisis with Afghanistan and Pakistan."

- more -

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2012/12/21/16070996-obama-chooses-kerry-for-secretary-of-state

Obama: Kerry Won’t Need A Lot Of ‘On The Job Training’ As Secretary Of State

Announcing Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) as his nominee for Secretary of State, President Obama on Friday hailed Kerry's foreign policy bonafides.

"John has earned the respect and confidence of leaders around the world. He is not going to need a lot of on the job training," Obama said at the White House.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-kerry-wont-need-lot-of-on-job

Congratulations, Senator Kerry.

Updated to add:

h/t DUer Cha

[leftstreet]

1. Yippee! This will make the Senate more bi-partisan

When that nekkid GOP dude gets in

We need to work together with the Republicans!

[ProSense]

2. You're upset?

[leftstreet]

14. No. Brown's probably more liberal than most DLCers n/t

[ProSense]

23. So you want the

Blunt Amendment supporting "nekkid GOP dude" to win over a MA Democrat who might not be as progressive as you (I assume you're a progressive)?

[closeupready]

3. K&R

[tama]

4. Another boso

who has more money than he can ever spent but yet wants more and invests millions in Tar Sands and horrible destruction of environment and our lives. Skulls and Bones, truly.

[blm]

6. He's the most pro-active environmentalist the State Dept's ever had. You proved you haven't a clue

about environmental causes and who pro-active environmentalists actually trust on the issues. If you did you wouldn't make such absurd statements.

[tama]

16. My source is DU

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021899141#post5

How will that affect on his policies on Keystone XL? We'll see.

[blm]

25. More proof you don't know anything - Kerry voted against Keystone. He's been against it

publicly for some time now. His stock is also in a blind trust and has been for over a decade. That poster did not give the reader the full story, perhaps unintentionally, perhaps not. Probably just dug in protecting Rice from the McCain dog and pony show.

REAL environmentalists and not those who play one on the internet are thrilled to have the senate's leading environmentalist as Secretary of State.

>>>
Kerry is among the most fierce advocates for climate action in the Senate. Here he is in a floor speech from August talking about why climate change is "as significant a level of importance" as Syria and Iran:

Well, this issue actually is of as significant a level of importance, because it affects life itself on the planet. Because it affects ecosystems on which the oceans and the land depend for the relationship of the warmth of our earth and the amount of moisture that there is and all of the interactions that occur as a consequence of our climate.
>
That's not to say that Clinton hasn't also expressed interest in climate change; she has. But it seems that it would be far higher up the priorities list for Kerry.


http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/12/john-kerry-would-be-climate-hawk-state

[tama]

29. If I don't anything

how can I know more after reading your post?

[blm]

30. You posted like you cared about an issue then proved you're unfamiliar with the significant details.

.

[tama]

31. Yep

Stopping Keystone seems pretty important.

Thanks for informing. Here's to Kerry and rest of the admin doing what activists demand and what is right: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1252&pid=4668

[blm]

33. If you actually cared, you'd know Kerry's been against Keystone.

But, apparently you missed that bit of key info in your eagerness to push your preferred narrative.

[tama]

34. Hey, stop kicking when I'm lying down!

I'm not terribly interested in representative and partisan politics - and not even American. Happy holidays!

[blm]

7. you are SO full of............. 'concern' yet again. You're never 'concerned' about any other

person in DC, but, always full of 'concern' about Kerry. My, my, sooooo concerned.

[blm]

12. I doubt it's important to you in any way - you use anything to take shots at Kerry the last 7 years.

You're even willing to refer to the disabilities treaty in an effort to take yet another shot at him out of .........concern.

[blm]

15. You worded it to sound like Kerry should b blamed for abandoning the issue. You don't fool me, never

.

[blm]

26. 'all of a sudden'....try 7 years of you taking shots at Kerry while pretending to be 'concerned'

Funny how you never seem so 'concerned' about any other person in the Dem party, but, Kerry.

[bowens43]

9. Once again Obama does what the cons tell him to do......

pathetic

[ProSense]

10. It appears that you, not the President, is the one afraid of Republicans. n/t

[blm]

11. Obama wanted Kerry in 2008. The real cons don't want Kerry - they wanted another neocon Dem.

Last edited Fri Dec 21, 2012, 06:28 PM - Edit history (1)

Kristol argued against Kerry, telling his friends at FOX that Rice was the better fit for interventionist goals.

[Cha]

18. Your post shows you don't have a clue.

[Cha]

19. Congratulations Senator Kerry and President Obama

http://theobamadiary.com/2012/12/21/heads-up-president-obama-announces-his-secretary-of-state-nominee/

[ProSense]

20. Thanks for the link, added to OP. n/t

[Cha]

21. You're Welcome~

[madokie]

22. There is no one who could do a better job for the peace loving people amongst us

JK will make a great SoS

[ginnyinWI]

28. It's a happy day.

Kerry will be a wonderful Secretary of State. He's been preparing for this, well, since he was a kid, watching his diplomat father. His whole life will inform this work.

[politicasista]

24. Sorry for ruining the thread

Was looking for an answer, but never got it. Peace.

[KoKo]

32. Kerry is owed this...and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. n/t