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J. Scott Applewhite / AP, file
John Kerry is pursued by reporters as he arrives for a closed-door meeting about the assault on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Capitol Hill on Nov. 13.
The second-term cabinet intrigue continues.
Although U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice remains the front-runner to be President Obama's next secretary of state, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is still in contention for the post.
And if Rice gets that coveted job, it's assumed that Kerry might become the next defense secretary.
But Kerry getting either position presents one potential downside for Democrats: His exit from the Senate would trigger a special election in Massachusetts, with recently defeated Republican Scott Brown waiting in the wings to possibly mount a comeback.
That prospect could very well explain why Senate Republicans have showered praise on Kerry after all the controversy surrounding Rice's initial statements about the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi.
On Wednesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) -- who told reporters about her concerns about Rice after meeting with the U.N. ambassador -- offered that Kerry would be "an excellent appointment."
Brown even recommended Kerry for the secretary of state job at a Nov. 13 press conference in response to a question about whether Kerry would make a good defense secretary. “I’ve already been public on that quite a while ago. And I’ve told him personally that I thought he would make an excellent secretary of state. I haven’t even thought about any other positions but those are questions best asked of him and the president.”
But the running theory that Republicans want Kerry as secretary of state to so they can win his Senate seat ignores two realities.
One, that Senate seat is likely to be vacant whether or not Kerry gets the secretary of state job -- because he would be in line for the defense job.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), one of Rice's chief critics, said it was "absurd" to think that Republicans are opposing Rice to open up Kerry's Senate seat. "I would remind you this is an issue that I was pursuing and others long before the election, before we knew whether Scott Brown was going to win that election. So I think that claim is absurd.”
And two, Brown or any other Republican wouldn't have an easy time winning in a special election. "We don't think another Senate run is going to play differently for him," said Matt Canter, communications director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
"He lost by eight points. It was not a close race." Democrat Elizabeth Warren beat Brown, 54%-46%.
And a plugged-in Massachusetts Democrat tells First Read, "The reality is, Scott Brown's only a Goliath in the eyes of Beltway liberals still scarred by his special election win two years ago," adding: "His brand is badly damaged in Massachusetts, even if his legend lives on in Washington."
But a Kerry vacancy would give Brown or any other Republican a chance -- which is a better prospect that they have now.
As one GOP operative emails, “I’d certainly like to see that vacancy, and I’d like to see Scott run.”
*** UPDATE *** Also according to the exit polls, 60% of Massachusetts voters on Election Day had a favorable opinion of Brown (versus 56% who said the same about Warren).
NBC's Tom Curry contributed to this article.
Leave a Comment:
...being a liberal and form Massachusetts...I will not vote for anything except a Democrat...preferably a Social Democrat...but THAT is a long shot!!
Kerry is a little whiny weasel who lives the good life because he marries wealthy (republican) women,he is a true snotty 1%er. A friend was visiting DC with his wife and young boys and was waiting for the tram that runs under the Capitol, Sen. Kerry was also waiting, when the tram arrived Kerry ordered the driver to tell my friend and his family to get off and wait for another. What a jerk!! A man of the people? No way.
Rice is a much better candidate than Kerry. She has proven she can lie with a straight face upon command.
I heard on MSNBC that the reason Republicans are dissing Rice and supporting Kerry for Sec. of State is because they want to get Scott Brown back in the Senate with a special election. Sounds plausible to me. Republicans are sneaky that way.
It's pretty obvious why the Republicans are dissing Rice and fawning over Kerry. They want another shot at a senate seat in MA in a special election. Rachel layed this out pretty well last night on her show, but I had already been telling my friends and family the same thing a week ago. This is b.s. They have nothing on Susan Rice and are just trying to scare Obama away from nominating her.
I don't think "scaring Obama" is gonna work.
NOW THEY finally said what was really behind their motives. Have John Kerry vacate his seat. I guess the president was not playing along and the repubs had to finally reveal their hand. Not bad on the President to flush this out with Susan Rice meeting with Repubs.....
trob1265
Why not nominate Senator John McCain and fire his ass in late January, 2013 - that's a real flush out of a very old turd and it frees up his former seat in Arizona for a special election.
I would love to see Ms. Rice become the next SoS! Kelly Eyelotts can go piss up a rope! Kerry, stay where you are, give them no quarter! P.O.S. Rethugs!!! And tell the Three Stooges, go jump off the fiscal cliff in the Grand Canyon!!! McCain, Grahm, and Eyelotts, The three Compadres.
Someone else's account! Not related!
John Kerry is more qualified than Susan Rice, and he is much more balanced when it comes to engaging the American military overseas. He could probably guide Susan Rice well. I agree his vacated seat going to Scott Brown might be a problem. But why not someone run against Scott Brown if that seat gets vacated? Kerry has served MA very well, and is respected by a multicultural Boston and MA. He also has a respectful attitude towards Asia...including SA...and not just a "stay firm or stay away" approach, or "preach or push or leave" attitude. He understands power groups are shifting in the world, and he has respect for democracies, diversity and diplomacy.
But he is so powerful and influential he might not take the position, and he might be more vital to Obama from inside his administration.
He is the kind of Catholic who has values that are inclusive. He thinks seriously about "lives at risk" and "people of other nations". But don't McCain and Durham think he is "too liberal"? So...what's this sudden Carry Kerry dance?
More balanced with the military? Really? How many of the current military do you know have PH's for shrapnel wounds that required bacitracin? As far as being a catholic? I thought true catholics were pro-life, that is not John Kerry's position, so doesn't that make him a hypocrite?
As the reporter suggests, a Democrat with anything resembling credibility, e.g., long-time Congressman Edward Markey, would defeat Scott Brown in Masschusetts.
That's because most people in Mass are still thinking with their rears instead of their heads and looking for the big hand-out. Hell they just voted for another Kennedy boy even though he has no experience with anything but he does have all those teeth.
That's because the people of Massachusetts are left-wing idiots. Markey is another leftist jerk, and is therefore a perfect representative of the people.
Susan Rice has no credibility any longer and would make a terrible Sec. of St. She should lose consideration from the Pres, and go back to lala land at the UN.
As for John Kerry, why are the Dems so hep on this particular multi-millionaire? He has no touch with the common man, cannot even begin to relate to those who are suffering in poverty or struggling for freedom.
And just one more thing....why do libs automatically assume that just because we Republicans don't like a candidate (in this case Ms. Rice) it's because she's not white? Give me a break! How about her record since 1994?
Kerry has a big problem for Sec. of State. He's a white male.
and a swift boat captin!
John Kerry is the ultimate empty suit phony. A quintessential jerk. He fits in perfectly with thr rest of the idiots in the Obama Administration. How about making him ambassador to Yemen, and leave him unprotected in the Obama tradition?
THANK YOU MR. BUSH FOR KEEPING KERRY AND HIS FREAKISH WIFE OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!
I think that the best kick in the republican ba!!z would be to leave Rice where she is, Put Kerry as defense secretary and Charlie Crist as SOS. The Senate seat will come back to dems the way the republicans are failing to govern.
It is impossible to govern the uneducated American population (thanks to our leftist school systems) who think only of themselves and not for the future of America. The Democrats have drained our economy of trillions so they can buy votes through their programs and handouts.
Republicans are the parents and Democrats are their spoiled, selfish children.
Capeguy-2714504===Rice can not do the job she has now, so you wuld reward her by keeping her at the position? The played the political game and lost. Obama threw her out like dog food for the Congress to chew up.
John Kerry as Defense Security? This is the same gut that came back from Vietnam and went before Congress to tell how he hated the military. The people should have kicked him out of office a long time ago. He is a wasteland.
The Republicans not governing? So you think Obama has? Four years ago he said that he would do what ever it took to create jobs. Now 4 years later he created nothing but a bag full of bills to pay with our tax dollars. Sonny you need to go back and read what happened in the past 4 years that the Democrats ruled they didn't do much but spend the future away for you and your family.
While I think Sen. Kerry would make a very fine Secretary of State, now I want to see Rice get the job, just to give the finger to those old Republican buzzards who are trying to block her.
All you libs who are desperately seeking Susan are idiots. She is a loser.
Why doesn't the new Democrat, Colin Powell get a shot? He's the right pigment for the new lord and savior (according to that genius Jamie Foxx), Barack Hussein Obama.
SEE WHERE THIS IS GOING, FOLKS?????
The Senate where one person can bluff their way to circumventing the will of the majority by simply clearing their throat and raising their eyebrows at the right time, won't need one more democrat to keep control of the jukebox on the Senate floor, as long as doesn't take all the quarters with him.
The basic question is why are we unable to know where and when we should station our people. It seems we either learned little from 9/11 or are in fact actually regressing, and doing more harm than good with our current above board Department of State work on some foreign soil. Even our enemies need time to feel the USA is not continually influencing things, constantly picking at a scab has never promoted healing.
Articles like this turn my stomach. We have elected some 535 people to run this country for us. Needless to say they have done a terrible job of that and left us with a debt of $16 Trillion Dollars and counting. John Kerry should retire when his term ends. He has been eating off the Tax Payers long enough. As for him being good as Security of State, well Ronald McDonald would do good for this administration.
Susan Rice lost all trust when she played Obama's political game and lost. Obama hung her out to dry. Trust in her went out the window with that mistake. Yet this is the arrogant boss Obama and he will choose her just to show all that he can and laugh at us all because there will be more to this than meets the eye, which we all know. There will be many Republicans trying to stop this with good cause.
The political chess game this article lays out of the Nation and the world sure in the hell makes American look like Egypt, Libya and all of the others that have questionable governments. We wonder why America is looked down on by the world. The standards for this country and it's policies have brought us to a new low in our history. The world laughs when we try to tell them just how a democracy is, then they watch the news and see that we fell off that high standard a long time ago.
All those negative comments the Republicans are spouting about Libya and Susan Rice - it all just sounds like hot air. I'm going "Why are they making a lot of fuss about almost absolutely nothing?"
They want the John Kerry's Senate seat.
Whatever happens, I hope that Kerry doesn't get the Secretary of Defense job as a consolation prize. I don't discredit his Vietnam service, rather the fact that he threw us fellow Vietnam veterans under the bus by his actions when he got back! Just ask him for his medals---he doesn't have any. He threw them all over the White House fence! Our servicemen and women don't need a person like him in charge of them.
These republicans have gone over the flat side of the earth. Since when does a senator, or any congressman for that mater; dictates to the president who he can, or cannot nominate to his cabinet? They are way outta line.
People seem to forget they are dealing with Barrack Obama---the smartest president of all. If you think he will jeopardized Democratic majority in the senate, you are in for a big surprise. There are many qualified candidates Obama can nominate besides Susan Rice and John Kerry. Those three Republican maggots making empty noises need to quit. They know who they are.
Maggots making empty noises need to quit??? Because you don't want your President and his circle of followers to be proven to be the inept deceitful creeps they are?
And learn the names... they know who they are just looks kind of stupid.
Gofigureit
What names, what the hell are you talking about?
Why are they disparaging Rice when they should be questioning the CIA, those are the people who have all of the information on what happened. Harassing Rice in order to get sen Kerry's senate seat is not going to help them learn anything more than what they already know, which is everything that happened. Why do you think Mitt Romney stopped talking about Benghazi after he got his CIA briefing? There was nothing there for him to take advantage of you idiots. No presidential dereliction of duty, no presidential coverup, no nothing. yet you fools still believe that swill that FOX and their zombies put out.
Singleupnothing, read before you reply. Doh!!
Just keep spouting all those stupid lines that are there to redirect from the truth. I suppose there are people who believe what you type is somehow the truth... or maybe you have read your move on page so much you believe it too. You seem to be simple.
Peel layer.Control the internet??? How STUPID are you ?? Oh thats right you already answered that !!
So, this morning move on and the DNC asked all their sit at home bloggers and commenters and all the rest to go out and push this ridiculous talking point. And now as any good troll story, the media, NBC, has picked up on it and pushed out a story to make the idea seem credible. What it is, is an attempt to sway public opinion from the Rice inept following of her leader so she can be confirmed via public opinion. The Pres owes this woman, he may hang her out to dry, but he is going to pull out all the stops to push her through so he can look more powerful. That Mass seat is pure dem and everyone knows that.
The president is going to hang Rice out to dry but support her at the same time?
Swaying public opinion is what the three stooges is trying to do. I'm afraid it won't do them any good, we are on to their game.
We refuse to speculate on the President's choice for Secretary of State......and we are standing firmly and unequivocally united in support of his nomination.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>FORWARD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hey Everybody its Offically Piss Off the senate Republi-dumbs day!
Add your voice to Tell the Senate to Stop Repuli-Dumb Filibuster abuse and to Fix the Filibuster!!
Add your voice here: http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/ka/ct/contactus.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=8090653&en=efKEKMNtFbLEJLNqF8IDIMPuHgJUIXNpE7ILI1NDIjJVJ6NMG