John Kerry poised to clear first confirmation hurdle for secretary of state post

President Barack Obama announces US 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

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., today appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing to be the next Secretary of State, a hearing that isn't expected to feature many fireworks. (Incidentally, Kerry is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee; Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., will preside over the hearing in his place.)

Kerry will be introduced at the hearing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fellow Vietnam veteran and Foreign Relations Committee member Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.., and Kerry's colleague, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

The hearing is not likely to be contentious; he is expected to clear the committee today and the full Senate shortly thereafter. However, there remains the possibility he could receive tough questions from some Republicans on the committee on issues such as his post-Vietnam protests, government spending on foreign aid and his philosophy about America's role abroad.

• Hillary Clinton on Benghazi: "I do feel responsible"
• Obama taps John Kerry to be Secretary of State

Kerry, who has served in the Senate since 1985, was nominated by President Obama to replace outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. For weeks prior to the announcement of his nomination in December, he and U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, were reportedly the president's top two choices for the slot. Rice was harshly criticized by Republicans for her reaction to the Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, and she eventually withdrew her name from consideration for the post. (Clinton testified before the Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday on Benghazi; Kerry recused himself from the hearing.)

Play Video

McCain jokes about "waterboarding" Kerry at confirmation hearing

To prepare for the post, Kerry and his wife Theresa Heinz Kerry have divested nearly 100 investments that could be considered conflicts of interest, the Boston Globe reports. They have sold their shares in ExxonMobil, Cenovus Energy, which has stake in the Keystone XL pipeline, and other national and international companies. 

After he's confirmed by the full Senate, Kerry will have to resign his Senate seat, putting into motion a two-step process to replace him. First, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, will announce a special election date that, by law, must happen 145 to 160 days after Kerry resigns. Second, Patrick will appoint a temporary replacement, who will hold the seat until the special election. 

Even though the election date hasn't been set, the race to replace Kerry is already underway. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., has announced his intention to run, has already hired staff and fundraisers and has locked up the endorsements of some of the biggest names in Massachusetts politics, including Vicki Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Former Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., who lost a reelection bid in November to Elizabeth Warren, is considered a potential Republican candidate.

[[e-mail]]

"I will be voting to give the President of the United States [G. Bush] the authority to use force -- if necessary -- to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security."
-- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

And, sure enough, Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA)
voted for the US intervention in Iraq!
#############################################

Just a friendly reminder, especially for the hard-core Obamarxists, Libtards & Kleptocrats still sucking hard & deep on that WMD *** and falsely accusing President Bush about the WMD'S in Iraq issue:

"If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program."
--President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

"Iraq is a long way from [here], but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face."
--Madeline Albright, Feb 18, 1998

"He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983."
--Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

"[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."

Letter to President Clinton, signed by:
-- Democratic Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, and others, Oct. 9, 1998

"Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process."
-Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

"Hussein has ... chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies."
-- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

"There is no doubt that ... Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to redefine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer-range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies."
Letter to President Bush, Signed by:
-- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), and others, Dec 5, 2001

"We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them."
-- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country."
-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power."
-- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

"We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction."
-- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002

"The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons..."
-- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002