Kerry to meet one to one in oval office today with Obama

[karynnj]

Good to hear that he is back in the USA.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/the-presidential-planner-3.html

[saltpoint]

1. Yer durn tootin'. Recommended.

[JohnnyLib2]

2. Glad to hear it.

REc.

[Deep13]

3. In the '80s when I was a Freeptard...

...or whatever the pre-internet equivalent term is, I was against Kerry becoming senator. I grew up in central MA. It did not take long for me to realize I had been mistaken. In 1990, I did volunteer work for his reelection. In 2004 I donated the Federal maximum to his presidential campaign and volunteered to help with the rally he had in Akron.

[goclark]

4. Fantastic ~ I'm a big Kerry fan too

What a better world this would be if the real winner - KERRY had been able to lead our coutry.

Diebold won and we lost it.

[karynnj]

5. What an amazing personal story

It is great that you were open to re-evaluating your Senator and became such an amazing supporter. MA deserves so much credit for supporting him through his career.

[Arkana]

19. You were a Freeper? Like a Reaganite?

Wow, what was it like?

No, seriously--I'm genuinely curious.

[Deep13]

20. It's pretty easy.

I just requires a grossly simplified view of the world with capitalism, Christianity and America as the good guys. People on welfare need to get a job. Communists hate us for our prosperity. Unions are putting American companies out of business. Abortion doctors kill babies. It requires looking at the superficial, gut reaction to an issue and not facts. This point of view was caused by my own reading of the New Testament and it was a reaction to the 1984 presidential election disaster. I had liked Mondale. My father explained, however, that Carter tanked the economy and was our worst recent president and that Mondale was his helper. It's easy when one is always right.

None of this prevented me from looking toward the window before getting into bed and wondering whether they would light up in the night before the nuclear blast front hit us. And, regardless of how literally I wanted to read the Bible, I already knew evolution was real. I read full-color books when I was small with pictures and descriptions of gigantic animals that no longer exist. Plus I had watched the Cosmos program on PBS.

In the winter of 1986, I answered an ad that promised to pay me for cleaning up the environment. So, I applied. The company was MassPIRG and the job was going door to door asking people for money so MassPIRG could lobby the statehouse for tougher environment legislation. The folks who worked there were socialist, atheistic pot-smokers. I got quite an education working there. I was on the local Jackson campaign in 1988. (The local Dem. establishment LOVED that! They were all for Dukakis.) And in 1990 I did volunteer work for Sen. Kerry.

[Zen Democrat]

6. Wonder if Obama will offer him the Secretary of Defense position today?

Gates has less than 3 months left in his "one year maximum" retention at Defense. Kerry would kick ass at the Pentagon!

I do believe it's time for Gates to go -- now.

[rgbecker]

7. I'd hate to lose both my Senators in one year!

I'm sure Massachusetts will continue to send progressive, liberal people to the Senate for years to come, but even so, let's get the new one up to speed before we start again with the special elections. That said, Kerry would make a fine Secretary of Defense, but so would Wesley Clark.

[robo50]

13. Losing the seniority in the Senate would be tough, yes!

I think Kerry is happy where he is. I'm not sure this is about anything other than Kerry being de-briefed from his trip.

I don't know why Gates has to leave in a year, no one is listening to him anyway.

[karynnj]

16. He sure sounds happy in this quote - and it was before the praise he received this week

"I feel very calm and confident about who I am politically and personally. I feel very comfortable with the fights I am fighting and where I am," said Kerry.

http://www.reuters.com/article/featuredCrisis/idUSN16212150

It is something for a fairly private man to say that and he has looked very relaxed and seems to enjoy the freedom of his SFRC.

Having seen lots of video from videotapes of his "Kerry on your corner" informal campaign events last year in MA, it really looks like he loves meeting his constituents. I would imagine that he would greatly miss it as a cabinet official.

[Cha]

17. It's worked out so well..Kerry brought

us President Obama and now they're both helping our country in their own inimitable way.

[Mass]

8. Very unlikely for several reasons, one of which is that

a Kerry's confirmation at defense would be difficult. In addition, Kerry is committed to what he is doing in the Senate right now.

[karynnj]

11. I doubt his confirmation would be difficult, though I think it a bad idea

I doubt a single Democrat would vote against him if he and Obama wanted this. In addition, there are many Republicans who have substantial respect for him. This means the Republicans would not have the votes to filibuster. There are few Senators who would echo the RW, which would go ballistic.

[beachmom]

23. Well, maybe the votes would line up. But the confirmation process would be very difficult.

It is a very bad idea.

This is the military we are talking about. And many, many folks (career military) have strong feelings about Sen. Kerry. That is just how it is. No, bad, bad idea.

[karynnj]

24. We completely agree - and likely for the same reasons

What you said is true - and in addition, it is not a better use of Kerry than his current job. In addition, in the preface of Tour of Duty, Brinkley spoke of Kerry himself having written an excellent outline for a book on his time in Vietnam which Brinkley said Kerry never wrote because it was too painful.

That job would be painful and it is not clear he is the best person to do it - and he is an exceptional Senator.

[Deep13]

21. Doesn't that assume that our D. Senate majority is just a bunch of jellyfish?

Oh, that's right, they are.

[karynnj]

9. I doubt it - and it would be a bad idea at this point

Kerry is the point person on the Climate Change bill. The CW even this summer is that there was no chance this year and Reid was even quoted as saying he might not put it on the calendar. Yesterday, the NYT spoke of as many as 67 Senators being for it or on the fence. Though many have helped get to this point, no one deserves more credit here than Kerry. If he succeeds at this, this is landmark legislation of critical importance. I do not see another Senator, with the background on this issue including having been a major player at several all the past environmental conferences, the legislative skill, and the ability to get this done - and it is critical.

Even last year, Kerry was very very clear that there was very little that he would leave his Senate seat for. Now, especially after he has been able to both influence Obama foreign policy (to what extent is unknown - but it is not clear it would have been more if he were in the cabinet) and to use his diplomatic skills, without giving up his seat, it is not clear that anything could. Not to mention, Kerry obviously knows that MA is still grieving the loss of Senator Kennedy, because he is too. Reading between the lines in some articles on Kerry becoming the go to guy in the Senate, I would bet that Senator Kennedy advised him to stay in the Senate.

Although I doubt there are many who would have as much genuine concern for the troops and as much insight, I think that many would attack him as a Secretary of Defense by distorting his activism in 1971, ignoring that even then he spoke as passionately for the government to not abandon the vets in need as he did on ending the war. Gates gives Obama some cover from the right - and for the most part, he has backed Obama. If he is replaced, I think that Senator Reed, a graduate of West Point graduate might be a better choice. I don't think he has Kerry's potential in the Senate and he wouldn't generate the same hate.

[rvablue]

10. Kerry would......but I don't see this appointment every happening.

However, I would gladly eat my words.

[ginnyinWI]

12. I think it should be Sec-State for Obama's 2nd term.

As Chairman of he SFRC, he's basically the Senate's Sec-State anyway. Would be a great Sec-State for the WH, and he's been training for something like this his whole life. His father was a diplomat; he was literally raised on the atmosphere.

[robo50]

14. I can go with that. n/t

Hillary looks tired already

[Clio the Leo]

15. Wow .... I had completely forgotten about that.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

[SpartanDem]

18. I think he'll ask Gates to stay

Gates has been a team player and provides him some cover when does like scrap missile defense or ending the F22 program

[beachmom]

22. No. He would not want the job. The history with Vietnam makes

that not a good appointment.

[politicasista]

25. Kick

:kick: :patriot:

[ClayZ]

26. Yay! K and R

[jillan]

27. Chris Matthews was giving Kerry some love today for travels to Afghanistan.

Matthews said that he was surprised that Kerry wasn't chosen for SoS.
I think alot of us were...but a Chair of the SFRC, he will have alot of input.