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Jason Reed / Reuters
Sen. John Kerry waves at the end of his speech during the final session of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., on September 6.
Updated at 7:01 a.m. ET: When he ran for president, many in the GOP slammed Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., pilloried for his late opposition to the Vietnam War and his famed flip on the conflict in Iraq. But, as criticism mounted against U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice as the apparent frontrunner to become the next secretary of State, Kerry was publicly embraced by Republican colleagues in the Senate as a comparatively slam-dunk candidate to replace Hillary Clinton.
Now that Rice has withdrawn her nomination to the post, as NBC News reported exclusively on Thursday, all eyes turn to the onetime Democratic nominee. An official close to the process told NBC's Andrea Mitchell late Thursday that Kerry is now almost certain to get the job. "There were two people on the list," the person said. "Two minus one is one."
In her withdrawal letter to the president, Rice said she was convinced her nomination would prove "lengthy, disruptive and costly" as Republicans have raised questions about her role in the public response to the 9/11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The exclusive NBC News interview with Rice aired Thursday on Rock Center with Brian Williams.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News' Brian Williams, Ambassador Susan Rice described the moment she called President Barack Obama and told him to withdraw her name from those he is considering nominating as secretary of state. Rice defends her comments made about the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya and describes what it's been to like to be in the center of a political firestorm.
In a statement, Kerry praised Rice as an "extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant" and alluded to his own past political battles.
"As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I've felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction," he said.
EXCLUSIVE: Rice drops out of running for secretary of state
Elected to the Senate in 1984, Kerry rose to national prominence as a foreign policy expert when he returned to the Senate after his failed 2004 presidential bid. The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee since 2009, he has made high-profile visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan and helped negotiate the new arms treaty with Russia that was signed in 2010.
Respected in the upper chamber and nationally as a shaper of the nation's foreign policy, Republicans have indicated that Kerry would face little opposition to be confirmed to the secretary of State post. "I think John Kerry would be an excellent appointment and would be easily confirmed by his colleagues," said Republican Susan Collins, R-Maine, late last month. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a close ally of former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, declared that Kerry would have "an easy time" being confirmed in the Senate.
Kerry's confirmation would likely not come without some minor re-litigation of past controversies. One of Congress's richest members, he was painted as an out-of-touch patrician by his presidential foes. The onetime Navy lieutenant was criticized by opponents during his campaign for his high-profile protests of the Vietnam War, including his nationally-covered challenge to a congressional panel in 1971 to defend the deaths of men "for a mistake."
Kerry worked closely with the president in the just-finished election, playing Romney in debate preparations and had been seen as a potential choice to head either the State Department or the Department of Defense. Earlier today a top Pentagon official told NBC News that former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel appeared to be the likely choice for secretary of Defense.
NBC's Chuck Todd details the events that led up to Susan Rice removing her name from consideration for the role of U.S. secretary of state.
But the main headache for Democrats if Kerry is appointed will be the triggering of a special election in Massachusetts next year to replace him. Democrats recently celebrated the ousting of Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who won a January 2010 special election to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Elizabeth Warren bested Brown in the heavily blue state by a margin of 54 percent to Brown's 46 percent.
If Kerry is picked, Brown will be viewed as a formidable Republican candidate to replace him. A wider bench of Democrats, including former Senate candidate Martha Coakley, may vie for the nomination.
But whoever wins the potential replacement race would have a grueling path, as would voters weary of statewide contests. Another special election would be the state's second in three years, and Kerry's successor would be up for re-election again in 2014.
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Well I guess we are really on hard times!
Poor Little rich boy, that bought a commission in the service.
And bought or lied his way into government.
Good luck people we will need it.
John Kerry is another Jane Fonda. He lied about his time time in Veit-Nam, diss the Veit-Nam viets..just ask the Swift Boat Vets as well as diss the Iraq vets and the Iraq war. He is a DISHONEST man and politican. He isn't even a Stateman and now he thinks he should be in line for Sect. of State. Oh, Hell no.
John Kerry just needs to retire and go peddle his Heniz products that his wife owns.
A lot of venom out there. Why? People are apt to speak in their vacuum of invisibility. Kerry has the credentials, but loses credibility based on throwing the medals over the fence. Qualified people without a whole lot of political baggage include Powell and Petraeus, in spite of his recent problems.
Seems to me that Kerry is second choice. If I were Kerry I would tell them to take a leap.
Kerry is just another limousine liberal, because he is under Obama's umbrella it's never brought to light he is just another rich guy, just a bunch of crooks!
No ...we need women ...not brainless lockstep liberal women and there are plenty of them out there that are just as smart or smarter than liberal women...they also actually realize that there are more important problems in this country than abortions and gay rights....plus they don't have that dry hair-let yourself go to hell look of the liberal women...why don't you liberals at least make yourselves look presentable? And that smell...
Conservative by the nature of being conservative will be less educated especially about new ideas etc. which would place them at a disadvantage in dealing with the complex situations that are presented at this time.
punk1
Does this mean you believe you have cornered a more astute understanding of the issues that the world struggles with because your a liberal? Is that how your responded when given the opportunity to show back-bone and leadership much like you did as you sat at that cushy desk job in Germany during the Vietnam war. Wimp, you run from complex situations. You feel protesting shows courage. We certainly need more like you on the front lines fighting for American principals and Constitutional values. God help us all, we certainly won't get it from you. Wimp!
Protestors had no weapons to defend themselves with and they went up aganist heavily armed forces and that takes courage. 4 dead in Ohio. I take it you were on the losing side in Vietnam.
Bill Clinton. Best qualified, IMHO. And with a brilliant wife, the USA would get a 2-fer! Second best, Gen Petraeus, and with a brilliant wife, the USA would still get a 2-fer.
She just said she's not running. I guess you still have Biden or Kerry. Good luck with that!
Hope not. This 90 day Vietnam home video wonder has zero integrity and is a common ketchup gigolo. He didn't even have the integrity to throw his own phony medals over the White House fence. Why would we want a three dollar bill being Secretary of State. This guy isn't worth the Costco toilet paper I wipe my butt with. Kerry is a typical East Coast phony that keeps getting reelected by East Coast idiots.
See ya Rice, ya liar..... now lets get rid of Kerry and all the other idiot liberals trying to turn this country into a bunch of pot smoking losers......how do you pass legislation to smoke pot while simultaneously passing laws to get stoned? I will tell ya how, non thinking liberals.....
Libs say to quit cigarettes but vote to smoke pot? Thats what stoners will give ya, one bad thing after another.....Jane Fonda kiss my a55
Not John Kerry.
Ms Rice's problems started some 48 years ago, when she was born. She was born black and female. She did not help matters by becoming a democrat. Three properties that are enough to send most republicans into a rage.
I think Ted Kennedy would be a good SoS for Obama...Obama runs out on the Libyan Ambassador and Ted Kennedy ran out of the pond screaming with fright...at least Ted's situation wouldn't allow him to embarrass the US...and he still votes a straight democratic ticket...
Huh?
4 dead in Ohio. Healthy dissent and protest is and has always been an American virtue.
the key word being "healthy". ----- some protestors get a bit carried away.
I acknowledged that Jane went a bit too far with that trip to North Vietnam but her extremes helped to balance the ones who were to conservative.
What is this? Does Obama think he 'owes' Kerry, or something? Is Kerry blackmailing him? I didn't think Rice was qualified for the job, but Kerry rates well below her in my book.
I think obama just wants him gone.
Let's see..... Kerry's rich, docked his yacht in another state to avoid taxes on it, and voted for Iraq. But I'm sure MSDNC and all the lefty whiners will come up with a way to say that stuff is OK as long as it's a democrat doing it.
Why is is OK for Democrats doing the same thing to Condi Rice, but the Republicans are "oh so bad" people for doing it to Susan Rice????????????????????????????? More two faced morals.
The republicans were lying but the democrats were telling the truth with known facts to deal with.
At lease the left still has a sense of humor.
nibor,
prog.1 is just an idiot, as he is every night. He brings nothing to the table except his false courage and paper bravado disgused as an understanding of complex situations.
2000 years of history tells us that conservatives are always on the wrong side or backward side of practically every issue that Western Civilization has encountered.
I'm sure the righties had the same problem when mitt rob me parked his yaht off the Tampa bay shores during the election
Senator Kerry served in Vietnam. Based on things he has said, it is reasonable to assume he fought for either the Viet Cong or NVA. Isn't this a great country that will allow someone who is against it to represent it? The perfect representative for this President.
So, should Kerry be confirmed, the question will be "what country does he represent" since his hatred of the US is nearly as intense as Obama's.
Fact,right wingers lost another election. Lol
Fact right wingers are poor losers
Fact,right wingers will lose the MA seat if Kerry
Fact,righties will lose bib in the mid terms and their tea bagger govorners losers
Fact,the GOP will be extinct soon
and then what?
God help uS A PHONEY ANBD A LIAR ???
Ever wounder why the gop is so desperate,,because they know their hate and lies won't work anymore.
Hey yo yo brains, we don't drink the koolaid, so we don't hate anyone, just waiting for an answer, any answer, any where, just about any answer.
Kerry? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are you sh^ting me!!!! ( you do know he was in Viet Nam ), failed candidate for president ( aka McCain ) and I have more knowledge about N. Dakota than he has hope of of finding his a^^ with both hands and help!!!!
Ok, hear me out before you call me all kinds of names. I think that Kerry is gonna be it so when Hilary wins in 2016, her cabinet is pretty much set. True, she may make a few changes here and there. But the big three are in place meaning "State, Treas. and Justice". Yeah I know, all of this is premised on her running. BUT with who the other side has to chose from, she is looking real good. Ok, got my body armour on now, so fire away :)
Mrs Bill Clinton will go back to her old job in 2016 of keeping 5 o'clock shadow from appearing on her legs by 9:30am.
Kerry has been in politics for 28 years, it is time he resigns from politics and go into private business.