E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSJohn Kerry, the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is President Obama's pick to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew from consideration. A Silver and Bronze star recipient, Kerry has played a role in every major foreign policy debate for nearly 30 years. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.
Updated 2:20 p.m. -- Saying that his new pick for the nation's top diplomatic job is "not going to need a lot of on-the-job training," President Barack Obama announced Friday his nomination of Senate Foreign Relations Committee head and onetime Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry as the next Secretary of State.
"I think it's fair to say that few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as John Kerry," Obama said at the announcement at the White House as Kerry stood at his side. "And this makes him a perfect choice to guide American diplomacy in the years ahead."
Kerry, who has been considered the overwhelming frontrunner for the job since U.N. ambassador Susan Rice withdrew herself from consideration, is likely to face few hurdles during his Senate confirmation.
First elected in 1984, Kerry served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy and became a famed demonstrator against the Vietnam War. Since his failed presidential bid in 2004, he has risen to prominence as the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, going on high-profile visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan and helping to negotiate an arms treaty with Russia.
"Having served with valor in Vietnam, he understands that we have a responsibility to use American power wisely, especially our military power," Obama said of Kerry. "And he knows from personal experience that when we send our troops into harm's way, we must give them a sound strategy, clear mission, and the resources that they need to get the job done."
The former presidential nominee also served as Obama's stand-in for Mitt Romney for debate preparation during the 2012 campaign, a role Obama referenced in announcing Kerry's new assignment.
"John, I'm looking forward to working with you instead of debating you," he joked.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., leads a hearing Dec. 20 on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
Rice, the president's reported original pick for the job, faced vehement opposition from some Senate Republicans who questioned information she presented in the immediate wake of the Benghazi consulate attacks in September. Faced with a bruising potential confirmation battle, she withdrew herself from the running for the Secretary of State post on December 13.
Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, who had been fierce critics of Rice’s potential nomination reacted warmly to the choice of Kerry Friday. McCain said he has “confidence in his ability to carry out" the job while Graham called Kerry "a solid choice."
If confirmed, Kerry will replace Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has indicated she will step down from the post early next year.
Clinton was unable to attend the White House announcement, said the president, who noted that she is still recuperating from a reported illness but that she "could not be more excited" about Kerry getting the nod.
In a lengthy written statement, Clinton called Kerry "an excellent choice."
"President Obama and I have often asked Senator Kerry to undertake delicate diplomatic missions and to deliver difficult messages," she said in praising his past diplomatic and political experience. "He has forged strong relationships with leaders around the world. As I have learned, being able to talk candidly as someone who has won elections and also lost them is an enormous asset when engaging with emerging or fragile democracies."
Assuming Kerry is confirmed and therefore resigns from the United States Senate, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will appoint a temporary replacement for Kerry's seat before a special election held between 145 and 160 days from his resignation date.
Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who was defeated in November by Elizabeth Warren, is possible candidate in that special election, while several Massachusetts House members are also eying a run on the Democratic side.
Leave a Comment:
His failed bid in 1984, eh? :-)
Kerry is the right choice. Kerry has years of experience, serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committ (since 1980s) and serving as the committee's chairman in the last couple of years.
The Senate usually doesn't give problem to one of its own, except in the case of John Tower's nomination to DOD in 1989, amng others.
Coming from Mass I can tell you he does have experience but not a very good attendance and voting record. Choosing him was the primary reason Bush got back in office in the first place, and was a grave disappointment to independent voters in MA. It was a dark day when this happened.
Merry CLIFF-MESS, due to epic failure og Boehner in solving fiscal CLIFF.
This GOP Failure may not mean real damages to US economy; but REAL DAMAGES have been done to the Party of GOP.
I believe, if you check your history, First Read, that was 2004. 1984 was Walter Mondale. But nice try at sarcasm.
People who are as good as you are at remembering history are condemned to repeat it.
Kerry has absolutely no resume for any job including the senate. He has no legislative successes and is about as pompous as they come. Kerry is a tax dodger, insider trader, and even had a fire hydrant moved at taxpayer expense from in front of his Beacon Hill address. The only question about Kerry, is if taxpayers will be on the hook for a traveling pedicurist. All those liberals that complained about Romney being an out of touch wealthy elitist, should be singing the same tune for Kerry.
Pigotry...
"Merry CLIFF-MESS, due to epic failure og Boehner in solving fiscal CLIFF.
This GOP Failure may not mean real damages to US economy; but REAL DAMAGES have been done to the Party of GOP."
Yes it will. Courtesy of BOTH the Democrats and the GOP because the cliff was put in place because neither the GOP or the Dems in congress could do their job over a year ago and both sides played politics to see who they would get in office instead of voting what was best for the country they stuck with party lines, or as Fiesty Redhead said in her own words: It is the job of a congressman to vote according to their constituencies' wishes that elected them in in the first place. Not to vote freely with their own intelligence or free though what is best for the country.
That is exactly what the GOP is doing, and exactly what the Dems are doing, and is exactly why we are in this mess in the first place.
We need a MODERATE THIRD PARTY BADLY
Kerry is turning 70 soon. Why pick someone who by all rights should have retired already? Kerry is probably used to being a Senator and not working all that hard. Is he up for the job of Secretary of State?
UGH, another one percenter. We should go occupy his neighborhood.
Welcome to the good ole boy club!!!! The State Department is a VERY tough job these days and I really don't see Kerry getting his hands dirty ... but politically ... it's a good choice!
The person who should have gotten the job was run off by other good ole boys ... one being the idiot who tried to strap us with Palin ... his judgement is sterling ... RIGHT!
Too bad UN Ambassador Rice! Maybe next time.
He knows how to make deals with the devil and that is what they want. He is a NWO pawn. You have to wonder who in DC is actually working for the people of the US.
BHO wants Kerry for his own reasons (good ol' party politics), and the Repub's said they favored Kerry over the alternatives...
Almost sounds like two sides getting along - both getting something they want.
He should be confirmed quickly!
This was expected by pretty much everyone once Rice dropped out. Kerry is a decent choice, but I think that Hunstman would have been a better one. He is younger than Kerry and and has the energy it takes to deal with the job. Kerry is 70 and getting a little old to handle the stresses and pace of the job. But then I guess it depends on what kind of SoS he is going to be, will he be one flying all over the world to meet people face to face and try and get things done or will he spend most of his time in DC and let surrogates shuttle around the world for the in person meetings.
Doesn't say failed bid in 1984.... First elected in 1984 ....
Good luck in your new job Senator Kerry...and remember, if you really f**k up big time, simply resort to the old " I fell and suffered a concussion" ploy and you won't have to explain yourself to your old colleagues in the Senate....works every time!
JS in SD ... Hunstman????? With the Republicans being controlled by everyone but themselves ... we don't need Hunstman!!!!!~
A great pity. Rice would have been good and failing that Colin Powell would have been even better.
Pigotry - I have been reading some of your posts for quite some time now, and I have come to the conclusion that you are a small-minded spiteful person, and exactly what is wrong with people these days. You are so loyal to your party that you can't see the forest through the trees. Not everything that Republicans believe and want for this country is wrong. Not all of it is correct. Not everything that Democrats believe and want for this country is wrong. And not everything is correct. How can one person have so much hate for others, just because they believe things that you might not agree with?
What a surprise. Maybe he can teach Americans about his ability to hide his yachts to avoid paying state taxes. Let's not pick the best person. Let's pick the person who kisses the most butt.
Great choice, Oblama.
It did say 1984. Looks like they just corrected it to 2004 but originally it said "First elected in 1984, Kerry served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy and became a famed demonstrator against the Vietnam War. Since his failed presidential bid in 1984,"
A better choice than the First Lady we just had.
Can't wait to see Mr. Ed in action. What a loser. And by the way, for all of you hypocritical liberals, Kerry is one of the wealthiest people in the U.S. He has offshore accounts, he has houses all over the world, he is in the top .25 class and should be demonized along with all of the other horrible, dreadful, rich people.
And you liberals, why not place a little blame re: the fiscal cliff on your President and the Senate. Obama is only going to sign something that is exactly what he wants. So why even negotiate? Just go over the cliff, that way not just my taxes go up; everyone goes up. I'm all for the cliff dive.
Didn't see that one coming. I guess it is long overdue for the white man.
Just what we need another 1 percent-er in this position...
Another "Yes Sir", "Anything you Say, Sir", and "On the road again" appointment.
Maybe he will stay away from all those "Foreign Relations snack tables".
Time to find that "I didn't do it" theme since a whole bunch of them have been used.
Yep, Senator Kerry fits right in with this administration.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guess Mrs. Clinton is sitting back planning her run in 2016 based upon her expert knowledge and superb leadership at being an Ex-Whitewater Executive and an Ex-Secretary of State. She certainly has it down pat for throwing her workers and supporters under the bus.
2 heads of the same serpent, the right wanted kerry to be the pick and obama (shepherd to the sheep) gives them what they wanted..... that's BS it will weaken the senate by giving up his seat(not to mention he is the D version of Romney), i am in agreement with JS for once i would much rather have seen huntsman get the "nod". hell i would even have taken ron paul over kerry.
pigotry i like you, i am an I that leans "libby", but your blind praise for the president in this case is a lil to much even for me, don't get me wrong i will join in and defend the president against the racists comments in cammo from the crazies on the right any day, but if this really is his pick then he is screwing your team and he needs to hear that, not the praise for scoring a goal for the other gang.
I watched as Kerry ripped Bush a new one in their debates.. It will be a pleasure to watch him again as the GOP trys to condemn him.. Can't wait..
I have nothing against Kerry and think he'll be a fine secretary. But it worries me that the Obama administration is less diverse than that of Bush.
What better person to select as Secretary of State than someone who referred to the Iraqi insurgents as "Freedom Fighters." Yep, our country is screwed......
Just what we need is another Liberal in that office! We need a "Hardballer" that won't take any crap from foreign leaders and their following. Enough of "Giving" to other countries! We Americans worked our asses off to build and maintain our great country just so that the Liberals could give it all away! We need to take back what we lost as a "World Leader" which apparently was our spine!! No more fighting others battles at our $$$ expense. No more outsourcing. No more fight to end in a tie! No more American GI's dying overseas because of religious wars that we aren't part of. Put Arnold Schwartzinegger in that office and watch what our "Partners in the Middle East" do then!
CoRavensFan
Pigotry is a good guy...Very liberal......But so am I...Ideology is the opposite from party to party....You guys became the extremists...Health care has been a Liberal agenda for almost a century.....Were as I agree that Kerry isn't that great and Powell would be a far better option (do not think it is). Liberalism by definition does not allow for small mindedness......"a belief in tolerance and gradual reform in moral,
religious, or political matters".......
NOOOOOO why not ask the SWIFTBOAT Vets on how good of a guy he is? He put himself in for how many purple hearts? Look it up. He wrote the write ups himself and how many did his crew get? I bet you can guess...come on.....guess....come onnnnn you can do it.........zilch.
With his experience screwing over Mass, he should have no problems screwing everyone in this new position. Those of you who have not served this fine country of ours....you would not understand. Truly.
John kerry is the right choice from obama he will fit right in with the liars and cowards that make up this administration
Always remember the slags from the right about Kerry during 2004 election campaign and although not in agreement I think "Lurch" (from the Adams family) was best....."You rang"?
As far as the fire hydrant removal was concerned, I'm betting his wife had the say on that one. I remember her posing for a photo shoot, leaning over and pulling a child's thumb (not her own hence no business of hers) out of their mouth. She's the HARDBALLER another poster stated. I'm betting Kerry is one *****whipped dude.
@ PeterDean,
The issue with PigoTry is that it never cites anything but opinion, 100% of the time. No facts, just worthless opinion. Worthless meaning void of value, not the opinion itself.
With regard to the appointment of Kerry, a very solid choice and he should do a good job.
"Obama to tap Kerry for State Post"
Here's hoping Kerry doesn't get double tapped for his performance.
Gomer Pyle....again?
Oh my, John Kerry, who is richer than Romney-why don't I hear the libtards screaming about that. John Kerry is a joke. Obama just lied on national TV to the American people yet again-He stated John Kerry fought in the Vietnam War with vallor-hahahahaha! Kerry did nothing, except walk around with camera taking pictures. I wonder how many American ambassadors, navy seals, border agents and American people will be murdered on his watch. This administration ceased to amaze me-it keeps getting lower and lower. John Kerry-hahahahaha!!
Glen, good posts,I agree we need a third party asap. Kerry is another retread of Washington politics his poor vision of American global leadership is outdated. We need younger visionary individuals interested in selfless service to the country and further the advancement of personal liberty. Why are we constantly battling our own Government for our liberties,personal property(wages)and basic human rights and those founded in the Bill of Rights.
HA HA!!! Obama punks the liberals by nominating a 1%er who cheats on his taxes and doesn't pay his fair share....He might as well have given it to someone on Wall Street. Kerry probably lives in a community so exclusive that none of you losers would be allowed in.
And the liberals think because Obama-god said it, then it was right. Losers.
You liberals must have a hard time remembering who to be mad at. Obama and the 1 Percenters!!!!
Kanic: And, you are?
Whats the deal? I thought the dems where complaining about the" old white guys" that the republicans needed to eliminate. Kerry is as old and white as they come.
Liberals like to call the Republican party the rich old white guys, and yet one of the oldest and by far the richest white member of congress is Democrat John Kerry. I wonder how much money Kerry has stashed in offshore accounts, after all he did hide his yacht to avoid paying state taxes. Kerry epitomizes everything liberals claimed to hate about Romney, with one major exception, Romney earned his money and Kerry has been nothing but a gold digger his entire life.
Most republicans would agree that Kerry would do heck of a job compared Brownie ;)
My partisan view aside - I am not really over Madeline Albright yet - who I think was the best Secretary of State in my memory.
The government is run so perfectly and efficiently it makes perfect sense to keep the same people in it!
That's what any country with a solid foundation of oligarchy would do. Our foreign policy is good at killing innocent civilians and hiding the "collateral damage". As our drone strikes who have killed 100's of women and children but our president won't shed a tear for them, they must not be human.
I don't know what is the better word of the day... Hypocrisy or Propaganda.
Peter,
Is that another way of saying "sliding into Socialism"?
When John Kerry ran for POTUS, I though it interesting that he lived in Europe as a boy so speaks French and some German. He also has some Jewish ancestry that might be leveraged in regard to Israel and the Palestinian conflict, which is still the basis for terrorist recruitment. At least despite their irrational hatred for Susan Rice, Republicans seem to recognize how qualified Kerry also is for Secretary of State.
Rick-3416939 -- You know nothing of John Kerry. He was not born rich, and was an entrepreneur who owned a bakery before he married into money. You know, the job creators Republicans claim to admire? And let's not talk about John McCain who married into money, and others in the GOP like Darrell Issa the jerk, huh?
Of course then the question is, will Scott "Centerfold" Brown try to run again for a senate seat? Maybe he can attack his new opponent in some insensitive way as he did with Elizabeth Warren. Scott Brown lacks any good sense, so we'll see...
GodBlessUSAForever -- Or as Reagan said, "I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience" which brings to mind Paul Ryan as VP - Ha! The part you're missing (but of course) is the all white and mostly male description of the GOP congress and their supporters.
And imagine how much better off we would be if Al Gore had rightfully won in 2000. Or John Kerry in 2004. Dubya was so wonderful, not.
Will the taxers and democrats demand 10 years of Kerry tax returns?
His money makes Romney look middle-class to poor
Fair is fair - wouldn't you say?
Yet another lifelong rich 1%'er politician. Business as usual in DC, nothing here to see....
Kerry's a good little liberal........ wonder how many will die from his mistakes?
The most repulsive thing about MSNBC.com (or NBCNEWS.com).... They will change EVERYTHING about an article, and leave the original comments. Why? You want the commenters to look like Eff-tards? This story originally said that Kerry was likely the nominee, and it said that he had a failed bid for the Presidency in 1984. Now that is all corrected -- but the comments that call you out MSNBC are still there. Come on, now!
Yeah, ask the vets how much they think of his "valor"
TRAITOR!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2DDg3dl0zY
BEWARE Israel!!
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Kerry has also been a strong critic of Israeli settlement expansion and of Israeli restrictions on supplies going into Gaza.
Addressing the Saban Center of the Brookings Institution, he urged a direct US role in Israel-Syria talks, and said negotiations could be nudged along by loosening sanctions against Syria. ”Loosening certain sanctions in return for verifiable changes in behavior could actually benefit US businesses, and the sanctions can always be tightened again if Syria backtracks,” he said.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/the-jewish-heritage-and-middle-east-views-of-obamas-pick-for-top-diplomat/
The Boston Herald revealed that John Kerry was the owner of the Isabel, a 76-foot, $7 million yacht custom-made in New Zealand, which he had kept at a dock in Newport, Rhode Island, to avoid paying an estimated $500,000 in Massachusetts state tax.
John Kerry is bound and determined to make sure everyone else pays their fair share in taxes. Lets face it, John Kerry is a quality individual, who epitomizes the liberal motto of do as I say not as I do.
"Kerry has absolutely no resume for any job including the senate"
Another uninformed ditto-head giving new meaning to the idea of stupid.. John Kerry's parents worked for the State Department and he's been on the Senate foreign Relations committee for at least 20 years.
Can any liberal explain why Kerry is a 1%er who doesn't pay his fair share in taxes...the same type individual that liberals claim to hate....but yet you seem to support him getting a promotion.
Why shouldn't he be in jail with all the other tax cheats? Why should he be trusted with anything?
This is what's wrong in America. The guy is essentially an unprosecuted criminal, but is being rewarded by Obama and liberals in general. You complain about the GOP, WallStreet, bankers, etc, but Kerry is identical to these people you hate. Why? I've asked this many times and no liberal will answer.
ORB
Colin Powell was one of the big advocates of the original occupy Iraq like Vietnam strategy. That strategy was the number one cause of Iraq lasting so long because Al Qaeda had the free run of the smaller cities and the entire country side. This allowed them enough space and resources to force us to either abandon Iraq or recommit with a Surge (McCain actually had a good idea).
Hillary's health is not good. Trust me on that. She must get out of the on the run job that is wearing her out and decide after some rest if she can run for president in 2016.
That leaves Kerry as the most legitimate (some would say illegitimate) person for Secretary of State. At 70, but no real health issues, he may be able to handle the rigors, but we won't know for a few months on that one.
Romney’s September 11
shoot first and aim later instinct would have saved the lives of Stevens, Woods,
and others. Obama’s apologize for American values instinct left
Stevens and Woods out to dry, all while he watched on real time TV.
Woods covered the mile to the embassy in minutes , helped
evacuate and save 30 lives before his own death, all against direct orders of
the President. To hell with those
orders.
If the other CIA had gone with Woods against the President’s
orders, Stevens would have been found on the floor of the safe room in 10
minutes, instead of 5 hours, and his death by smoke inhalation would very
likely have been prevented.
6 or 7 CIA could have crushed the terrorists.
Good post / links, Fed.
Pigotry wrote:
Merry CLIFF-MESS to you too, Pigotry!
Who says the Mayans got it wrong about today. From my perspective, our 'do-nothing' US Congress - that whole kit-and-caboodle of Democrat and Republican rascals - IS America's "Apocalypse"!
;-)
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, traveled to Pakistan around that time and recalled Kerry’s influence.
“I arrived in Islamabad, I think, five days after Ray Davis had been taken into a jail in the Punjab and was at very real risk of being hauled out of the jail and lynched,” Coons said. “Sen. Kerry was about to show up and negotiate on behalf of the administration. And it was clear that both the diplomats and the military folks we met with viewed him as a real man of credibility and experience who was likely to contribute meaningfully to those negotiations.”
Davis pleaded self-defense. After weeks of wrangling between the US and Pakistan, he was released in exchange for “blood money” paid to the dead men’s relatives.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/kerry-a-decorated-vietnam-war-veteran-and-former-democratic-presidential-candidate-a-familiar-face-on-the-world-stage/
The acquittal came when relatives of the dead men pardoned him in court.
They confirmed to the judge overseeing the case that they had received compensation - known as "blood money".
Under Pakistani Sharia law, relatives of a murder victim can pardon the killer.
Reports say about 18 family members of the two dead men were in court on Wednesday and confirmed that they wanted Mr Davis to be freed and pardoned because they had received "blood money".
The Pakistani media has reported that the families received 200 million rupees ($2.34m, £1.1m) but US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton denied the US government had paid any blood money.
Public anger intensified after unnamed US officials said that Mr Davis had been secretly working for the CIA at the time and questions are likely to remain as to what he was exactly doing at the time.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12757244
Good to know failed presidential candidates have a future in foreign policy..........
Shaking my head-2479300
Peter,
Is that another way of saying "sliding into Socialism"?
Dumbest thing ever said by a human being..........Do you know the definition of Socialism? Open a websters please......
Good for Kerry that he will be nominated. He will make a good SOS. Now with him going for consideration, will the GOP try their usual distasteful "Swift boat" tactics?
Of course they will. They have nothing better to do with their time. Unfortunately their relevance and consequential power is diminishing daily. Does anyone with average human intelligence listen to them anymore?
I know, soon everyone will be dependent on the Government!! Yay Big Government, Yay Socialism.
No, actually the war hawkes in the GOP (John McCain) are pretty fond of Kerry.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/16/john-kerry-obama_n_2311839.html
Look at all the liberals singing the praises of one of the nations most pompous one percenter. If Romney was an out of touch wealthy elitist, then Kerry is equally as bad if not worse. But no surprise liberals swoon to Kerry, standards only apply to that other party.
Kerry is a P.O.S. !!!!!!! Just like Obozo!!!!
I'm not happy with the Kerry nomination. If the Republicans don't voice any objections, I'll be really suspicious that his nomination isn't a good idea.
Intelligent & Independent
Kerry isn't a good idea unless you consider more U.S. involvement in overseas conflicts a good idea.
Scuse me Rick, but most Senators are 1 percenters. Democratic 1 percenters in the Senate want to pay their fair share. Republicans..not so much. Your point is....................? What does this have to do with Kerry as SOS.
Irving, did anyone with average human intelligence vote for Oblama.
You might take a minute to look at the exit polling discussing the average IQ of Oblama voters. Might open your eyes, but no surprise.
TorpedoYou....."Democratic 1 percenters in the Senate want to pay their fair share. Republicans..not so much. Your point is....................?"
Scuse me Torpedous.....better check who ARE NOT PAYING THEIR BACK IRS TAXES. Just search the Internet for the 41 Obama White House staffers, and some of their aides, and HUNDREDS of elected Congressional Representatives and HUNDREDS of government workers WHO HAVE NOT PAID THEIR BACK IRS TAXES. Yeah right.....the Progressives really pay their fair share.
Another Progressive lie.
Hey conservatives you should be happy with this choice, after all back in 2004 when Kerry was running for Pres., your pal O'Reily said he knew Kerry very well had been friends with him for over 25 years and that Kerry was a great patriot. I know Kerry was fearless and did a lot for our country in the vietnam war, he was a hero, unlike Bush who hid behind his mother's skirt back then.
@LU, you are truly lost. Time to open the curtains and squint at the bright yellow orb in the sky to clear your head from all of the WOW gaming you have been doing. Why not do the research and compare bush with Kerry. How many Purple hearts did bush write himself up for? How many did Kerry? How many did Kerry write for his crew? NONE. By the way, this man Kerry, yeah he shot a 40mm grenade into rocks, got pelted with shrapnel and then wrote himself (and got it) up for a purple heart.....by his own hand and yet he claimed to be a hero.
Did you serve by any chance? This country that is?
Obama can't come up with someone better than Kerry,a useless New England Turd and someone who will sell out America!
He has more accreditation in his turds than you'll ever have in your life
I think the republicans should not do anything at all, they need to just let the libtards keep burying themselves, let the ship sink and the libs will all go with it-then they can't keep blaming the republicans their destruction of the country. They have been destroying since 2006 when took they took control of the house and then they try to blame Bush. Well, unemployment was 5% when Bush was in office and sure kept this country safer than it ever has been and he had guts to stand up and be a man and defend this country when it needed defending. All those weapons of mass destruction that libs say didn't exist are now coming to surface. I remember seeing it on the news, the caravans moving the weapons out before the US got there and oh my, where they have been hiding them-Syria, I believe, all surfacing now, but Bush was soooo wrong. I say let the libs sink themselves-they deserve it.
@ lu-Exactly what kind of hero was John Kerry????? Fearless-hahahaha. He walked around with a camera and took pictures-hero??????
Kanic: So, you have shrapnel to prove your war involvement? You have a purple heart? Who are you again?
TorpedoYou "Scuse me Rick, but most Senators are 1 percenters. Democratic 1 percenters in the Senate want to pay their fair share. Republicans..not so much. Your point is....................? What does this have to do with Kerry as SOS."
Democrats like John Kerry want to pay their fair share in taxes? You mean like when Kerry kept his 7 million dollar yacht in another state to avoid paying Massachusetts taxes? Kerry is flat out the richest person to ever run for president, and I think liberals should look into where his wealth is stashed just like they demanded of Romney. Unless you have different standards based solely upon party affiliation. You need to check out most of the laws they pass in Washington like ObamaCare, or insider trading, for which members of Congress are exempt.
Rick.....LOLZ......You troll........The dems are actually trying to raise taxes on the rich and maintain current rates for under the million dollars earners....So whatever you are saying......Can only be nonsense...They may have back tax or extension issues.....He may have moved his yacht out of state but he still understands that raising the taxes for the rich will not impair their lifestyle and if the devaluation of the wealth of the middle class is not restored......The countries largest consumer, the middle class, wont have any money to by his sh*t......and then he will be broke...... Your party is full of nonsense and out of control....After every war the tax rate goes up ...especially on the rich.......and why shouldn't it? They make 8% less this year and they going to sell the boat? Downsize their house? Sell off the antique car collection? Explain to me how a tax rate they were paying just 14 years ago, when the economy was excellent, is going to bring the country economically to it's knees? Please explain exactly because you are quite full of yourself....This isn't about you brother....It is probably about helping your idiot children in the future......
Reading the posts of the Obamanites patting themselves and each other on the back would be hilareous if it weren't for the fact that our country will suffer from thier short sighted, ignorance. I hope we do go off the cliff. We have to sometime. There is no way to keep handing out crony money, free phones etc to buy votes with fewer and fewer workers to pay the bills. Let's just cut out the freebies no one paid a nickle for and let the ship go over the freaking cliff already. Better to be at the bottom and start over than to keep on this Socialist track until we are just another failed USSR.
common sense, no you are wrong wrong wrong, Bush did nothing, Kerry won 3 metals and saved lives buddy just ask Bill O'Reily who's a better patriot. You are a fool mister. And I'm to young to have been in the that war. But you better believe it Bush did nothing, nothing. And you are no patriot to put down a man who did what Kerry did. The things you are saying you hear from Hannity or the fat man Limbaugh or Beck who are rotten to the core and lie, so keep spreading their lies. You are evil.
But why do dems need to raise taxes on anybody? It isn't to pay down the debt. Obama wants to hang the rich so that his base will further consider him a deity. If he raises taxes on anybody, he will be seen as the great warrior, the protector of the middle class and small animals. It's all political BS. He wants to spend more, give out more freebie and widen the dem base. He doesn't care about anyone that won't vote for him or the dems, regardless of the class.
there are more Dems making more than $250 than Cons . So what the problem?
Hi Yellowdog, I have new found respect for John Kerry (admitting a previous misperception - I voted for Ralph Nader, heh heh) and think his stature and character is needed in the position. I hope his Senate seat isn't lost, but it had to be done.
Kerry, Stature?
Kerry, running around campaigning that his policies would be smarter and better, when he had lower grades than a stone drunk Bush got?
I'll give you that he stands staight and tall and the women think he's good looking though.
Congratulations to Sen. Kerry. An excellent choice for this important post. I'll bet he will be glad to leave the disfunctional Senate behind him.
P.S. Congratulations to Elizabeth Warren on becoming the senior senator from Mass!
Congrats to the new Indian chef of Mass...when is your first pow-wow? Another fraud from the left! I know I'm a racist!
What a joke that fake Indian is, but the bigger joke is the ones that were stupid enough to put that lying batch in office.
So if Kerry gets "advised and consented" by the Senate, then the Republican Gov of Mass. replaces Sen. Kerry with a Republican. That should work well for the Democrats. NOT !!
I wonder if liberals will be looking into money Kerry has in offshore accounts? Nothing like all liberals swooning over a wealthy elitist, but then he does hail from their party so its all good. No standards for liberals. Kerry is and has been nothing but a waste of space his entire time as a senator, nothing to show for it but 3 hour lunches and a weekly pedicure.
Hey Steeler fan, Got smoked by the Cowboys last week!!!! I was there...lol
CT: an Indian chef you say? What does she cook? I bet it's delicious.
Funny how Ricky just got worried about offshore accounts...but did not give a damn about the ISSUES of Romney and his offshore accounts he is hiding because he doesn't want to pay his fare share of taxes. Nor does Ricky give a damn about republicons blocking the votes to stop Romney and Bain getting tax breaks from the offshoring jobs...so they can fill up those offshore accounts...to avoid paying their fare share of taxes.
Got time on your hands Ricky ....being a stalker ofKkerry...? Watching him take 3 hr lunches...and getting pedicures.......? Turn you on watching Kerry get a pedicure?.......Strange....very....strange...!
starsailing
I much preferred your stories about your crazy family. When did you become so politically biased?
LeanFoward then BendOver says: "Kerry is a P.O.S. !!!!!!! Just like Obozo!!!!"
Very well said.
Do you remember his "hearings" about the corruption in the NCO clubs? That was really a feather in his cap.
Do you iemember when he threw his "combat medals - eg. Purple Hearts" over the White House fence in protest of the Viet Nam war?
In view of the above qualifications, he will undoubtedly make an excellent SOS.
A Vet.
amynoelle: "an Indian chef you say? What does she cook? I bet it's delicious."
Thanks for the laugh! And the obvious answer is that whatever she cooks, she uses lots of spicy Indian Kerry, right?
Swiftboat a valued member of Congress? Really?
sorry for the mistake amy...Do you understand FRAUD?? The point is still valid!
Kerry was one of the dysfunctional ones in the Senate!
Congratulations to Senator Kerry; he is well qualified to be Secretary of State. Personally, I believe that he was President Obama's preferred choice on the short list. Kerry was given a prime-time speaking slot at the Democratic Convention which he hit out of the park. I voiced my opinion at that time that Senator Kerry would be the next SoS.
Greentimer, no, it requires a special election in MA; no one is appointed.
Green Timer, the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick, is a Democrat.
We're seeing a lot of Conservative Cognitive Disability on the Vine today.
Rick it is totally okay if the leftist billionaires and millionaires keep their money offshore or their yachts in another state. That's okay, because the easiest thing there is to be a leftist. You don't have to be responsible for your actions, just blame the most convenient. They don't have to back anything up by facts, just say what they "feel" is right. If you don't agree with them, they simply write you off as a racist so that's that.
Since his failed presidential bid in 1984...
=========
Gotta get that headline out..
How quickly they forget. That was 2004.
Anna Molly tard....1984 was the year he was elected to the senate. I have a great idea for your dumbarse....read the article before you start posting your stupidity!
I know a mental giant like you is incapable of making an error, but the rest of us mere mortals occasionally do
gpotts-1106111
The article was re-edited to correct the dates after Anna posted. Dumbarse! BTW, Anna could run circles around the tripe you post standing still.
Here comes Scott Brown. At least we have another chance at some moderation.
I am an independent voter from Massachusetts.
Who told you that Scott Brown is a moderate. He will not win John Kerry's seat. Democrats better put up a strong candidate to win John Kerry's seat.
He is much more moderate that the far left dems or the far right GOP and has good reasoning to take either side on certain issues when it makes sense.
That is my opinion and many others. As you say, better put up a strong one because if you remove Boston and Springfield from the equation, it could be argued that Mass is actually at Republican State.
Umm, actually, Glen, the only remaining Republican areas in the Commonwealth are the more upscale rural towns, especially on the North Shore, central Mass, and the Cape. Just take a look at a red-blue map from the last two elections. The whole western part is politically a southern extension of VT, and not just Spfld. Other old mill towns like Brockton, Lowell, and Worcester are solidly Democratic. The upscale western suburbs of Boston and the less upscale inner suburbs are also pretty blue. But overall, like pretty much anywhere else in New England, the voters are quite independent and have been capable of electing Republicans to statewide office until recently, when the wacko teapartiers drove the remaining sane Republicans out of the party.
I am glad to see Kerry go. His actions during the healthcare debate on the senate finance committee show he has lost interest in representing the people of MA. Failure to index the Cadillac tax to regional cost of living as recommended will have a huge negative impact on MA and other high cost of living states. Since Obama was inaugurated he has been John, Mr President tell me which way to vote as long as you make me Secretary of State, Kerry.
I know Wall Street wants to get its boy Scott Brown, back but hopefully we wont take him away from his new career doing real estate closing and chasing ambulances.
If little Scotty does run I wonder if we will get those wonderful robo calls from Karl Rove that we received in the fall? Will we see commercials featuring the "union construction worker" who has an incredibly racist face book page?
Scott Brown is a Tea Party lap dog who wants to go back to the senate and do the same thing he did after getting elected.....saying "No" to everything Obama wants done.
Scott Brown needs to now get a real job...
Nooooooo!
Don't give up a senator. Obama should have tried to get Gore.
I agree. Gore would have been a better choice for a variety of reasons.
Who is more pompous?
Who is more pompous?
Boehner
Glen, are you really that dumb???
Mr I fragged myself to get home war protester nor Mr "I invented the internet" are even close to being right for the job.
Crow there is a level of sarcasm which I failed to convey in that posting.
Two bad nickels, pick one not based on qualifications but based on present position in the stack..
Oh puh-leeze. Gore, Kerry, and Romney are all cut from the same pompous cloth. We have so many equally qualified current and former senators who don't have tin ears. And Gore is such a polarizing figure. He may be smart, experienced, and right on global warming, but I can't stand to listen to the man. I would much prefer someone like Feinstein, Huntsman, Dick Lugar, or even Lindsay Graham. In fact, I really wish Obama had nominated a Republican to this position, which historically has been quite apolitical. It would have sent an excellent message to the country and the world.
Gore may not have invented the Internet ,but give the guy some credit as an inventor because he did invent global warming.
Gore never said that he "invented" the internet. But Marc Andriessen, who founded Netscape, the company that started the Worle Wide Web explosion that is one of our major industries, has credited Gore, as chair of a Senate committee, as being instrumental in getting the funding for a University (Indiana, I believe) project that invented the first Web Browser. Without the Mosaic browser, there is no WWW, and Andriessen has stated bluntly that private industry would never have funded it, it needed the government.
Of course, the upside would be that we wouldn't have to read comments from all those sufferers of Conservative Cognitive Disability. The old internet bulletin boards weren't easy enough to use.
Yeah global climate change is a hoax. Because we've always gotten hurricanes in NY city.
Dur dur duuuuuurrrrr!!!
No global climate change is not a hoax, but suggesting it is definitely the result of humans and not an earthly cycle simply cannot be proven. There have been 84 tropical or subtropical cyclones that have affected the state of NY since the 17th century. The strongest of these storms was in 1938 when a category 3 storm hit Long Island. Sandy was a category 1. So yes, NY has always gotten hurricanes over the course of history, and long before global warming was being blamed on climate change brought on by human behavior. The only dangerous mind is one that refuses to look at the facts.
Umm, isn't this the same psycho guy who was flip flopping every 10 minutes? Yeah seems like a great choice?
Yup. That's him.
No. He's the patriotic hero guy that was Swift Boated and made to look like a flip-flopper by the same people who backed Mitt Romney.
He's 90% of the reason Bush got re-elected, because he was so awful
You mean that hero that panicked and dumped one of his crew off the boat and is called a hero because he had to go back and pick up his mistake???
That is no hero, that is an idiot!
Only when John Kerry wears a Mitt Romney mask!
Right. I really don't understand Obama's choice. I don't think this is going to end well...
It appears as though the Netanyahu crowd don't really like Kerry, according to this article in the Jerusalem Post. Apparently, Kerry isn't vigorous enough in his support for Israel, despite the fact he has voted 100% in favor of every bill sent through in Israel's behalf.
They absolutely hate the thought of Chuck Hagel being Secretary of Defense. Expect AIPAC to vigorously oppose both nominees, if Hagle is in fact the nominee for Sec. of Defense. I sure hope he gets the job, as he was the only Republican in Congress who would not kiss the a$$ of the Israeli lobbies and would dare to criticise some of it's actions. Every other Congressman and woman is subservient to Israel, as evident by the fact that not one of them has even mentioned cutting aid in order to help balance our over burdened budget.
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?ID=296204&R=R1
Dag-freaking-nabbit. We just got rid of Scott Brown here in Massachusetts. No wonder he came out yesterday as no longer supporting unrestricted gun rights.
That's what I was thinking. The only reason John McCain and his merry friends opposed Susan Rice is to get John Kerry out of the senate and leave an opening for Scott Brown.
I'm so angry that Obama fell for this obvious power grab. He should have just done a recess appointment of Susan Rice and let John McCain stew in his angry juices....
Scott Brown will always throw his finger in the air and vote where the wind blows. He knows he must appear to be bipartisan, even if it is usually regarding matters of fluff. In this case, he knew he wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of regaining his Senate seat, if he didn't change his position on assault weapons.
He has been bought and paid for by the bankers.
The President should let the GOP Senators know that messing with Chuck Hagel's nomination to head Defense would have serious repercussions...for them. I think he can scare them off.
Oh for Gsakes. As Elaine would say - Well, this is JUST GREAT
While lots of democrats out there slam President Obama, they continue to see republican legislators in their state who they never go after. Everything is the president's fault, not theirs for continuing to see R's voted in in their states who will NEVER work with President Obama.
Okay, back to work and hopefully not disappoint.
Can anyone spare a dime to help out? Yet again?
BP, funny how you use 'work' in the same sentence with Oblama. Before the country screwed-up (twice) and elected him president, had he ever really had a job and 'worked'?
Shocking the POS obummmer is at it again. Blind leading the Blind, just like ding dong biden on the gun control BS. This PS in the WH is no more then a half breed POS. kerry is another POS.
You sound smart. That Texas education really is the envy of the land.
You can always tell a weak di*# Texas knob. Don't you have a sister or cousin to get back to? Any un-patriotic inbred retard that has such little respect for U.S. should move. But then, where else do they let retards live in peace, hell, you guys elect them into office.
He put Biden in charge because he knows it will fail and he did not want to be the one to blame.
So enter scapegoat Biden!LOL
Great another war monger. How many more muslim children will Obama and kerry Kill. Disarm america while sending arms to the mid east and drop bombs on innocent people. Same old story, just new dirtbags.
Uhhhh.....Kerry may be a lot of things .....but he is the farthest thing from a "war monger " that you can get .....
So he will not support Obama's Wars? doubt that very much. They will both be for more troops, more war, more americans and innocents dead, for nothing.
More troops?? More war?? What the h3ll are you smoking?
Pull your head out! we are fighting and dying in the mid east and Barry is arming Egypt, Syrians and using drones. Barry is sendning more troops into iraq and I am sure it is not to sing songs and dance.
Obviously Obama does not pick his Secretary of State by looks...Clinton...Kerry...LOL!
Looks, nothing, he doesn't pick them for proper qualifications either. God help America!
Ahhh...the life of some people. Trolling the 'net looking for hot politicians.
He sould have picked one of the Kardashians, or may Snooky.
Scott Brown your BACK
What's on his back?
wow, same old same old. Nothing new here. Good old boys club.
The fact that Kerry is an actual "boy" is still debatable ....
OMG! IS the President nuts! He couldn't nominate a worse candidate! Honestly.
Yeah the current UN Ambassador.
What's happened to Hillary Clinton ? Is she planning on a run for Prez ?
No not after Benghazi she won't.
No .....she fell and bumped her little head .....
If the GOP/TP tards can't find at least one candidate with an IQ over 50, she would win without even running
Even though you Republiclowns joke about it, you truly don't have anyone that could beat her if she runs in 2016. That is the funniest thing I know of. The GOP doesn't have a viable candidate for 2016. Zero. And now, with the antics of Sphincter of the House John Boner, the chances for a Republclown President are even dim for 2020.
Feeling pretty confident aren't we fellaz .......You got what you wanted.....Lets see how things look in 2016....after the other shoe has fallen off.
Kerry is an anti-America traitor so that makes him the perfect choice for the anti-America Marxist
you mean an American who used his American constitution right of freedom of speech to protest a war he felt wrong, after he did go-and not use phoney deferments.
Lori .....He betrayed his fellow troops/brethren....calling them baby killers in front of the entire nation. He is an activist traitor ......
The world has gone completely crazy...I'm agreeing with PValdes...forget the Myan calendar...Absolutley right on brother. For those of us who served and earned our medals, he's a sorry ass cheese d i c k. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I heard all the BS stories about Kerry, but the Swiftboat people had Kerry's number. If he gets through the Senate confirmation process it'll be another indication just how far things have sunken.
Yeah but Bush "serving" in the air national guard and then going AWOL to party in Mexico....That's perfectly fine. And Cheney and Romney dodging the draft that's fine too.
Very heroic.
Perfect. He can talk for hours and not say anything. That really is in the job description.
Oh, really? Watch the 2004 debate tapes. W won by a thin margin in Ohio with irregularities in the vote, just like Florida. there's nothing clean about today's Republican politics. You're all a bunch of political terrorists
You should probably save that rant and use it in context next time.
Monumental failure.........
Yippitydoo.. Yet another already rich progressive Democrat gets to make even more money.. Oh wait a minute.. I thought only conservatives were evil rich guys... Well it's not like Kerry married into money he worked for it, right, oh wait.. Why again do progressives promote themselves as the party for the little man when most if not all their so-called leaders are obscenely wealthy themselves? Why again do progressives spout off about the evil rich when they themselves elect evil rich as their representatives? I'm really getting confused here...
You are definitely confused. Progressives love money as much as the next guy. They just believe everyone should have a shot. We can't all inherit or money
right gspot...let's just steal it from those who earned it. You can have your shot if you get off your fat a$$, shut off your free flat screen, and get a fluking job...you idiot!!
gpotts, are you saying that the 99% only get their money by inheritance? Have you ever considered maybe you should get an education, or (horrors) go to work???
You might be surprised that you could make more money doing this than electing the Oblamas to feed you.
ct Where do you get the free stuff? You seem to know all about it. Tell us please cause I don't know where to get the free stuff.
11 of the top 19 Richest congress types are Dems....
@gpotts
Is that why Heinz pays there workers so well to get a shot? (sarcasm)
Maybe they look for lessons on tax evasion from someone like Kerry who is experienced in it.
Hahaha.
What a bunch of sore loser crybabies. Are all you right wing trolls going to throw tantrums for the next 3 years? This should be fun to watch.
You know, Dec 21 really is the end of the world, Obama is nominating Kerry.
Another fine example of Obama's plan to ruin the USA.. Kerry, anit-war (Viet nam) party, no solid or good record in the Senate, etc. etc. The USA just keeps going downhill with this admin. Hang on folks. We are lost.
Great move. Now we need to put Hagel in Defense Dept and we'll have to Viet Nam heroes at the helm .Do not let the sissy draft evading talking heads dissuade you from it
Is this the same "Haughty" John Kerry, Swift Boat Hero, who ran for President?
The one and only ....LOL
Thats the one. Oh, he also tried to evade some taxes. I guess Jane Fonda must have turned Obama down.