NYT says Kerry will be nominated (today? tomorrow?) for SoS

[MBS]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/22/us/politics/kerry-is-pick-for-secretary-of-state-official-says.html?_r=0

[MBS]

1. also a vignette from Politico

I hate Politico, but thought this would interest people in this group.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-congress/2012/12/happy-kerry-make-rare-stop-on-house-floor-152579.html?hp=l14

An ebullient Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) made a rare appearance on the House floor Thursday night, shaking hands and chatting with members. At one point, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) walked up to the senator and gave him a hug.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no," Kerry told POLITICO when asked if the hugs were those of congratulations about a forthcoming appointment to Secretary of State. "I told them, I said, 'Nothing is done until something is done.' We simply talked about the fiscal cliff and whether we can get a deal together and ... that was it, I promise you."

As he walked down the hall, Kerry stopped to greet reporters and others gathered outside the chamber. He insisted that his detour to the House was simply to say "hello" and not to clue his delegation about an impending open Senate seat.

more at the link

[ProSense]

2. Also AP:

Obama To Nominate John Kerry For Secretary Of State

President Obama will nominate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) for Secretary of State on Friday, the Associated Press and others reported.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/obama-to-nominate-john-kerry-for-secretary-of

I'll wait for the official announcement to say congratulations.

[Mass]

3. Good. Let's hope that we can find a consensus candidate now, so that we avoid a primary.

Brown is already campaigning for this seat.

[MBS]

4. WaPo story. Announcement is this afternoon (Friday)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-to-nominate-john-kerry-for-secretary-of-state-today/2012/12/21/d21003ee-4b83-11e2-a6a6-aabac85e8036_story.html

[Mass]

5. Announcement seems planned around 1:30 pm.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/live

[MBS]

6. thanks!

Luckily, I'm home today, so will hopefully get to see this in real time.

[Blaukraut]

8. On Now n/t

[Blaukraut]

9. Damn, I got a tear in my eye

I'm so proud of JK, but will miss him as our Senator. There aren't many people like him.

[wisteria]

11. So true, there are few people like John Kerry. n/t

[ProSense]

10. Clip:

Wonderful. Congratulations, Senator Kerry.

[wisteria]

12. Congratulations, Mr Secretary. n/t

[YvonneCa]

14. Thanks for posting this...

...Prosense. That was just beautiful.

[wisteria]

13. Damn the NY Times, they can't even let him have his moment without snark

and speculation.

[MBS]

16. I understand your frustration with NYT

Actually, this is relatively positive for them.. . sigh.
But I admit that I do share their point of view that foreign policy in Obama administration IS concentrated strongly in the White House (this of course has been true in all administrations since at least Nixon, but the O administration does seem to be more top-down than ever) , and I've worried all along about how much influence that Sen. Kerry will be able to have from the State Dept.
That said, I look at how delighted Sen. Kerry seems to be, I think about how utterly, superbly, uniquely qualified he is for this job, and I also know how determined he is to make a difference.
My personal hope is that he will be able to have some influence on the White House to make the environment a priority in this administration. JK has been explicitly connecting the dots between environmental issues, the economy, and both global and national security for decades, and I fervently hope that he can help the White House see why the environment must be a priority equal to, and inextricably connected with, the economy and national/global security.

[wisteria]

18. I am hoping the Whitehouse will feel more comfortable relinquishing some authority to JK,

who does have more experience than the President in this arena. Frankly, I feel our foreign policy initiatives were uneven, sloppy and slow sometimes. But, I am excited just waiting for what is to come.

[Noisy Democrat]

15. I hope and pray that this will be a good move for him

Right now I'm grief-stricken at losing his presence in the Senate, and deeply concerned about how much he'll be able to emphasize his own policy priorities as opposed to simply being a mouthpiece for Obama. I hope that it won't be as if his own viewpoint and agenda disappear behind Obama's. But he seems happy to have gotten this job, so I'm happy for him, too, and pray that it works out well.

[MBS]

17. I share your feelings

but see my reply to Wisteria at #16. I go with Sen. Kerry's obvious happiness, and with his lifelong determination to make a difference, no matter what. And , though I admit to worry about how much he can influence White House policy, I'm nevertheless sure that he will. And it's also a joy to contemplate that he is so superbly suited for this job.