WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday nominated Sen. John Kerry as his next secretary of state, elevating the
longtime lawmaker and foreign policy expert to the top diplomatic job he had coveted.
"He is not going not need a lot of
on-the-job training," Obama said, standing alongside Kerry at the White
House. "Few individuals
know as many presidents and prime ministers or grasp our policies
as firmly as John Kerry."
If confirmed by the Senate, Kerry would
replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who plans to leave
Obama's second-term
Cabinet early next year. Clinton, who is recovering from a
concussion sustained in a fall, did not attend the Roosevelt Room
announcement.
The 69-year-old Democrat is expected to be
easily confirmed by his Senate colleagues. He would be the first of what
are expected
to be several new faces on Obama's national security team,
including a new defense secretary and director of the Central
Intelligence
Agency.
The son of a diplomat, Kerry has served as
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a decorated
Vietnam veteran
who was critical of the war effort when he returned home to the
United States. He has represented Massachusetts in the Senate
since 1985.
"John's entire life has prepared him for this role" said Obama, who praised Kerry for his belief that the country must harness
"all elements of Americans power."
The president picked Kerry for the post even
though his nomination could create a political problem in
Massachusetts. Republicans
are eying the Senate seat Kerry will vacate after five terms, and
recently defeated GOP Sen. Scott Brown would be a favorite
in his party for the job.