Obama taps John Kerry to be Secretary of State

President Barack Obama announces Senator John Kerry as his choice for the next secretary of state on December 21, 2012 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC. / Getty Images

Updated 1:55 p.m. Eastern Time

President Obama announced Friday that he is nominating Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

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Obama taps Kerry for Secretary of State

"John's entire life has prepared him for this role," Mr. Obama said in announcing his decision in the Roosevelt Room at the White House Friday afternoon. He was joined by Vice President Joe Biden, Kerry, and Kerry's wife Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Clinton, who is recovering from a concussion and suffering from a flu, was not present. Mr. Obama said she "very much wanted to be here today, but she continues to recuperate."

Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, has widely been seen as the frontrunner for the position since U.N. ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration. Rice came under heavy fire from Republican senators for putting forth a flawed explanation of the events in the Sept. 11 consulate attack in Benghazi, Libya in the days after the attack.

Kerry is expected to be confirmed with relative ease in the Senate. The 69-year-old senator is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is widely respected in Democratic foreign policy circles. A Vietnam veteran who spoke out against the war upon his return, Kerry was hailed by the president for having "played a central role in every major foreign policy debate" for nearly three decades.

"He is not going to need a lot of on the job training," Mr. Obama said, pointing to Kerry's many connections to world leaders. He called the Massachusetts senator who tapped him to give the keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention a "great friend" and reference Kerry's role in playing Mitt Romney in presidential debate prep sessions earlier this year.

"Nothing brings two people together better than weeks of debate prep," said the president. Kerry did not speak after Mr. Obama announced the decision.

Clinton plans to leave her post in January. The Secretary of State choice is the first major personnel announcement Mr. Obama has made concerning his second term cabinet.

In a statement, Clinton called Kerry "an excellent choice."

"John Kerry has been tested - in war, in government, and in diplomacy," she said. "Time and again, he has proven his mettle."

After Kerry is confirmed and steps down, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will appoint someone to serve in Kerry's seat until a special election is held between 145 and 160 days of Kerry leaving the Senate. Soon-to-be-former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who lost his seat in November, could run in the special election on the Republican side. Democrats being discussed include Ted Kennedy Jr., Reps. Ed Markey, Michael Capuano and Steve Lynch, and even actor Ben Affleck.

• Affleck leaves door open for Senate run
• Scott Brown's farewell speech hints at comeback

CBS News' Major Garrett and Caroline Horn contributed to this report.

[magnumdr]

Everyone that is elected into any Government office should all be limited to 8 years of service. These offices are used and abused by the people already in office. Make it 8 and done!

[joesapper]

And Hillary is where ? There is no deals at a dodge lot this time of year or perhaps that is not case , with signs of sales pitches that are every where other than in the Offices of true justice .

[rbockman]

Why does Kerry have such an enormous head

[owldog]

I wonder how Kerry feels about our secret military-security government within the government? The ones who tell Obama what to do, because they protect him too.

The most striking thing about the information for which Bradley Manning was tormented in solitary for 9 months, is that during Viet Nam, those "secrets" Manning revealed through Wikileaks would have been public information, exposed by the Mainstream Media, not "classified."

Today, whatever atrocities our forces commit on the field are "secret" and you can be executed for exposing them, for "aiding terrorists."

[knsn_for_cmn_sense]

I hate that Israel controls America.

Should be a security concern for us.

[ProudVietVet]

Let's hope he doesn't sell out his country like he did his troops in Vietnam Nam. With Ms. Heinz money anything is possible... Another elite power monger. When will the people of this country return the government to the people?

[jmn122736]

You must be confused; It was Sen John McCain who, almost immediately after being taken prisoner in the Vietnam conflict, traded military information to the Viet Cong for special medical treatment

[luadda22]

luadda22 says: It's just sad that we have stooped low enough to have a person like Kerry as Secretary of State. A person that threw many Vietnam vets under the bus.
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reply futuristic1-2009 replies:

luadda22:
Are one of the Swift Boat KLan.
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I don't know what kind of a simple a** little punk you are. Trying to use a mindless misspelling, thinking you're be cute, intelligent and witty.

Kerry was a 90 day wonder who only served 4 months in Nam as an OIC of a Swift Boat. After three Purple Hearts (for which one he did not lose any time off from duty) to then return "back in the world" as an a personal aide to an officer (a Rear Admiral no less). After leaving the Navy he had the audacity to go before a Senate Committee meeting and state;

"at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, tape wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the country side of South Vietnam".

With that broad paint brush, he soiled the reputations of every soldier who ever served in Vietnam and many of us will never forgive him for that.
(And yes I was in Nam the same time as Kerry, but I was there 8 months, 11 days, 10 hours and 37 minutes longer.)

Now if that is the kind of "fine outstanding person of great character" you would like as a Secretary of State, I really fell sorry for you.

If that makes me a member of the "Swift Boat KLan", then so be it. (you little goober)

[realtimecoffee]

It might as well be Michael Dukakis. No offense to Sen Kerry, but it is a messenger boy job. These days it could be replaced by a decent Twitter account. The only real purpose it to occasionally be a sacrificial goat. And whatever else she may be, Hillary is not that type, But Sen Kerry has a long history of yelling owie. Nothing to get worked up about here unless you are REALLY into political b!tchslapping for points.

[freepress6]

Kerry is a retread who should be put out to pasture. I had hoped for new, fresh names in an Obama Administration. Sterling Greenwood/AspenFreePress

[Russ217]

If this picture could talk.... The presidents face and J. Kerry's face says it all.... we are in trouble.

[Owll]

Oh goody. Another loser.