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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Now that Rice has withdrawn her nomination to the post, as NBC News reported exclusively on Thursday, all eyes turn to the onetime Democratic nominee.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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Okay Kerry has got it. Get him on a plane as quick as possible. I will bet his wife will be glad when he is gone.
Poor old vindictive, ignorant, senile, has-been John. I sort of feel sorry for him. He is just trying to remain relevant in today's political environment, but would be incompetent as the chair of the dog-catcher Senate commitee (if it existed).
Boolah boolah, Ivy Leagers, all. Hey, no problem referring to Ms. Rice as just one more over their head beneficiary of affirmative action, having caught her act a little at the UN, and more recently concerning Bengazi. It's an ethnic sort of thing, and for every dilettante like Rice, there are probably a dozen more talented poor young crackers in WV who'll never get things handed to them to match. But ethnicity aside, if there ever was a white guy beneficiary of shameless patrician advantage, it's live shot Kerry,---worse in this lamentable regard than even some of the Kennedys. I'm hardly a fan of Madame Sec. of State Clinton, but she did a bang up job over the past few years, and will be a tough act for this gigolo to follow. But then listen to what comes out of JK's mouth, and consider his low impact quarter century in the US Senate, and my golden retriever would be a hard act for him to follow. But at least it might provide Sen. Scott Brown the chance to again provide the sheeple of Mass. with solid legislative talent, to balance that of Pocahontas Granny Warren. God, what a country. Aa.
It's time for ALL these old parasites on both sides to retire,
Yes
Good point.The GOP has no chance if she runs.Kerry would make agood VP
Brown lost,fawk him
So let's sum this up.. the Democrats are
chanting slogans about people paying their
fair share while at the same time possibly
nominating a billionaire whose tax rate is
13.1%. Guess fair share is a relative term....
Throw the GOP a curve ball. DON'T nominate John Kerry. Keep him in his seat in the Senate (Sorry, Scot Brown :-(
Nominate someone else!!
Or, alternatively, I see it playing out as follows. GOP goes from "highly recommend Kerry, he'll sail through nomination" to "OMG! He's a socialist appeaser! How could we ever consider such an abomination to FREEDOM!! [remember, Republicans own the words Liberty, FREEDOM!, Patriot, Christian, and being a "Real" American]
No wonder nobody gets ahead we keep hiring millionaires
Why? He's still living off his wife.
Heck no...Kerry's seat would be up for the repub's to fill w/a repub. That is why they are so h*ll bent on not having Susan Rice,they want Kerry's seat and they can't have it. Pre,Obama will find another to fill Sec of state Hillary Clinton's place...Pres.Obama DON'T give in to them,you know whats best for our country and it is NOT what the repub's want!!!
Kerry needs to go back to making ketchup at his wifes company and leave the brain work to those that know.
The reruns will lose on this con they created as well.
I liked the news report bot tjos site is impossible to send an email from - it has a dark box with numbers or letters in it and the second thing mostly letters and a number or two (to prevent from what I have seen on other sites that you aren't a robot sending it - ludicrous in my book). We get more assininine in the US technology wise every day. And, the two videos on this site were repeating each sentence so it was hard to listem to them. Hope no one else had this problem and somehow it is just my computer. Merrry Christmas to all who leave comments.
who hung this woman out to dry?
john kerry! you gotta be kiddin me. what a jerk. perfect example of where this country is going. him and his tomatoe sauce wife. its all about money! "disgusting". even more disgusting is the fact the american people put up with this s*&t.
Kerry another bumb, to ask how hi to jump
get em all out. they are nothing but an embarrasment to all of us. clean house.new blood required. sick of this whole mess. we got nothing to say about anything anymore. by the people for the people. "yeah right".
John Kerry would make a fine Secretary of State. When he lost the Presidential election to George Bush, a colleague left a note on my chair, mocking my support of Kerry. It read, "Too bad. . . so sad." About that, she was correct.
The GOP just wants Kerry for the job so that they can go after his Senate seat. Why in the world did the Administration capitulate to the wishes of the GOP when she was not even nominated as yet? I can't imagine the Bush Administration giving in to the Dems wishes! Look at what a lousy job Condeeliza Rice did - ignoring evidence about terrorists flying planes into the World Trade Center! Rice ended up keeping her job! The Dems, and Obama, need to get a rigid backbone!
sueca===The group that you like are worse than any other that came before them. Susan Rice needed to go Obama used her and has gotten rid of her. John Kerry is another bad choice for any administration, if that is Obama's choice. He never mentioned anyone by name yet. You never know ReverendWright just might pop up into the spot light. You do remember him, don't you?
John Kerry,
It truly is unbelievable. I can't wait for 2016 when Biden and Kerry fight over who gets to run for President since Hillary dropped out. It will look like to little school boys fighting to see who gets to be the quarterback. Should be pretty entertaining. The village idiot vs. The coward that throws his friends under the bus. Wow, what a ticket. Even better, what a hot line-up for the next 4 years. Obama's a wizard at self-destruction.
dr821 you will probably live long enough to see President Obama's face on Mt. Rushmore you are aware that he has already received the Nobel Peace Prize.
punk1
I'm impressed, as so many others are. By the way, Mt Rushmore is white limestone so don't waste my time with your wimpy comments about complex situations.
Yes prog.1 tell me what exactly did Obama win that Nobel Peace Prize for doing? Was it for extending two wars or starting two more?
You are proof just how deluded Democrats can be. Obama is by far the worst president in History, hands down. No president ever got reelected legally with an 8% unemployment rate, 12% inflation, 1.2%GDP, increased debt by $6 Trillion, stole GM and Chrysler from the creditors and gave it to Union thugs, turned the Middle East over to Muslims, turned his back on Israel, allowed Iran and N Korea to build nuclear bombs, destroyed healthcare, raised taxes by $2 Trillion Dollars, opened our Borders so all illegal Mexicans and terrorist could come and go., I could go on, but you get the picture.
And who will the Republicans run?
Not another old democrat of the 60's, it would be better to have some younger politicians belonging to a new party. Democrats and Republicans are getting more and more old fashioned parties, time to rejuvenate politics in America.
Just give old Horse face an apple and he will do a fine job
...Naaaaay!
Amazing...she is still lying to Brian Williams...damun she wore out a,a,aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
The wiener is Mr. Ed