Obama nominates Kerry for secretary of state

— President Barack Obama nominated Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts as secretary of state Friday, choosing an elder of the Democratic Party’s foreign-policy establishment and a crucial political ally in the Senate to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“In a sense, John’s entire life has prepared him for this role,” Obama said, making the widely expected announcement at the White House. “He’s not going to need a lot of on-the-job training.”

With Kerry standing at his side, the president praised Kerry’s combat service in the Vietnam War and his three decades in the Senate, which Obama said had placed him at the heart of “every major foreign-policy debate for the past 30 years.”

Kerry, the president said, had also earned the respect of his Senate colleagues and expressed confidence that hewould be quickly confirmed. In recent weeks, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has jokingly referred to his colleague as “Mr. Secretary.”

Obama’s first choice for the job, Susan Rice, the ambassador to the United Nations, asked Obama to withdraw her name last week after McCain and other Republicans threatened to block her nomination because of statements she made after the lethal attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

In addition to Kerry’s foreign-policy credentials, Obama noted that Kerry had supported the president’s political career at key moments- not least, he said, by inviting a “young Illinois state senator to address the Democratic National Convention in 2004.”

Kerry, 69, was his party’s presidential candidate in that election, losing to George W. Bush. The “Illinois state senator” was Obama, who gave the keynote address to the convention that put him in the national spotlight.

He is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has carried out several diplomatic missions for the Obama administration, helping to persuade President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan to agree to a runoff election in 2009. Early in the administration, he also tried to engage President Bashar Assad of Syria, who has waged a brutal crackdown on his own people as he fights to cling to power.

During the last campaign he also played the role of Mitt Romney in Obama’s debate preparations.

“Nothing brings two people closer together than two weeks of debate prep,” the president joked. “John, I’m looking forward to working with you rather than debating you.”

Kerry has long coveted the job of secretary of state.

Clinton, who is recovering from the effects of a concussion, did not appear at the White House announcement.

“Hillary wanted very much to be here today, but she continues to recuperate,” the president said. “I had a chance to talk to her earlier today, and she is in good spirits and could not be more excited about the announcement that I’m making.”

Obama was expected to have unveiled his full nationalsecurity team Friday, but the administration has run into snags with former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., a leading contender for defense secretary who’s facing growing opposition related to his statements on Israel and gays. On Friday, Hagel issued an apology for remarks he made in 1998 about a gay ambassadorial nominee, saying they “do not reflect my views or the totality of my public record.”

Senate reaction to the Kerry nomination was overwhelmingly positive.

“We have known John Kerry for many years. We have confidence in John Kerry’s ability to carry out the job,” McCain said.

“I don’t anticipate any surprises,” said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a Foreign Relations Committee member. “Sen.Kerry was a very, very solid choice by the president,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Kerry was a “popular choice with the Senate.”

Kerry’s nomination will be considered by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a panel he has led for the last four years. Likely to chair the panel during confirmation proceedings is Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.

The top Republican will be Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, known for his temperate approach. Corker was one of the few Republicans recently who said Rice, the U.N. ambassador who withdrew from consideration, at least deserved a hearing should she be tapped for State.

The hearings are likely to involve the controversy over the U.S. role in protecting Americans at the U.S. Consulate and CIA annex in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, where Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died in Sept. 11 attacks. Republicans continued to raise major questions about security Friday, but they did not mention the turmoil when they pivoted and discussed Kerry.

One question that swirled as Kerry’s name was put forth for secretary was: What happens to his Senate seat? Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick would appoint a temporary senator, and an election to fill the Kerry seat would have to be held later in 2013, probably in June. Sen. Scott Brown, RMass., is expected to try to regain the seat he is leaving Jan. 3 - he lost in November to Democrat Elizabeth Warren.Brown had won his seat in a special election in 2010, after Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy died.

Several prominent Democrats could vie for the seat, including Reps. Edward Markey, Mike Capuano and Stephen Lynch. Actor Ben Affleck also has been mentioned.

Information for this article was contributed by Mark Landler of The New York Times and by Hannah Allam and David Lightman of McClatchy Newspapers.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 12/22/2012

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