John Kerry: Secretary Of State?

The Washington Independent reported before the election that John Kerry is a leading candidate for Barack Obama's Secretary of State:

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the Democratic nominee for president in 2004, has emerged as a leading candidate for secretary of state -- should Sen. Barack Obama win the presidency Nov. 4.

Obama campaign advisers declined to comment on the record for this story. Nor would many Democratic foreign-policy experts who might join an Obama administration. But off the record, Obama aides made clear that Kerry's name is on a very short list of contenders to become the country's top diplomat. Another person talked up by the great mentioner is Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), a Vietnam War veteran whose foreign-policy views align surprisingly well with Obama's.

Asked about the position, Kerry has refused to say much.

"I have no job I'm looking for in the Cabinet at this point in time," Kerry told WCVB-TV just moments after he delivered his victory speech. "If the president talks to me, I'll listen to him and talk to him, but there's very little I would leave the U.S. Senate for."

Asked specifically about secretary of state, a position mentioned because of Kerry's interest in foreign affairs, the senator replied, "Well, I'd talk to the president if he called me and asked me about it. But I never heard anything. It's speculation. We don't have a president yet. Let's get down the road and see where we are."

Comments

[Kate4Change]

Chuck Hagel!!!! I'm a Democrat but I think Chuck would be wonderful

[nomadicexpat]

agreed, i think hagel should get either defense or state . i saw him earlier this year give an amazing speech where he basically endorsed obama

i think hillary would be great at state as well, until her SCOTUS seat opens up!

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Kerry is a nice guy, honest, smart, likes the public and is trustworthy. But if I know obamma, he is going to choose people that can finess any situation. Clinton was such a guy, and Obamma wants someone with those same abilities. He has to be someone the world knows, trusts, can work with. It might be someone nobody expects him to choose. Hagle is too much of a war hawk, so I don't see him in that position. Webb? Yes. I see Kucinich or Hillary as house speaker. Gephardt will likely be head of the Labor Union, but nobody knows. He might have a totally different game plan.

[arethusa]

Hillary is in the Senate.

[conservativesoncrack]

Please say it is not true... Rather have Albright back. Heck, I would even take Colin Powell over Kerry!

[Z2221344]

Kerry is a senator. A good senator. But a senator he should remain. I agree that Richardson or Hagel would both be very good candidates. We do need some bipartisonship in this white house, and I think Hagel is an excellent way to achieve that.

[Merrysunshine]

Richardson or Hagel

[milo h minderbinder]

No. I don't want the stink of Kerry anywhere on this administration.

[aubrey8]

I don't either.

[MNmommy]

I adore Kerry, but please, don't take anymore important folks from the Senate. We have a lot of important work to get done.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

I don't think Kerry is the right person for the job, but if he were to be chosen, MA has a Dem Governor who would appoint another Dem to take the Senate seat.....

[blessedtoes]

PLEASE GOD, NO!
I don't care how much experience he has and I appreciate his service to my country, but the guy can't keep his foot out of his mouth.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

You got that right.

[koufax]

Ed Rendell was one of Hillary Clinton's key supporters during the Democratic primary, but has since campaigned for Obama. If he delivers his swing state next month, this spot (or another in Obama's Cabinet) could be his for the taking.
Rendell himself mentioned the Secretary of Energy spot as one he'd be interested in taking:

Gov. Ed Rendell said today that while he has no intention of cutting his second term short, he would be interested in a cabinet post later if U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) were president.

[koufax]

heard from a very good source that Nelson A. Diaz is strongly being considered for Sec. of HUD. He was Clinton's General Counsel for HUD and would be a terrific choice.

[LemonMeringue]

Oh come on, the monsters who twist words and take words out of context are not running things anymore.

Kerry is a good man with integrity, would have been a great president, and Obama would do well to use his experience.

[McChimp]

Kerry has been swiftboated by the right and nominating him would make Obama more like the leftist liberal that the right has portrayed him as.

I think that Hagel would be a much better choice. If Obama picks Hagel as Secretary of State then Obama will be more percieved as the pragmatic he ran as to get elected.

[ajm8127]

Wes Clark?

[whit4brains]

I really like Wes Clark. I wonder if he is being considered.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

There are so many better choices than Kerry for Secty of State. Clark. Richardson. Even Hagel.

[hortonhearsawho]

Richardson, yes.

[roshni]

kerry is a good guy for this job.

[Sock]

Not.

[redsongia]

With regards to the below comment, I'm a Massachusetts Democrat...but the guy just can't seem to make a single, understandable statement, ever :(

[RebelCPA]

What about Hillary as Secretary of State?

[hortonhearsawho]

Supreme Court....

[mairs]

Wouldn't Hillary's firing for unethical behavior when she was a young lawyer hinder a Supreme Court appointment?

[ElBruce]

That's what I'm thinking. It's high profile, you get to be gracious and nice and/or a tough bargainer, as necessary. It helps that she could bring Bill on trips, since a lot of foreign heads of state just love him.

[redsongia]

Oh, God...please, no!

[ohyes]

Obama YES please.