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Government

Senate Overwhelmingly Confirms John Kerry as Secretary of State

Jan. 29, 2013 6:05pm Jason Howerton

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 29: U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) looks at his watch while waiting for an elevator after the full Senate voted on him to become Secretary of State, on January 29, 2013 on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The Senate confirmed Kerry to be Secretary of State with a 94 to 3 vote. Credit: Getty Images

WASHINGTON (TheBlaze/AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed President Barack Obama’s choice of five-term Sen. John Kerry to be secretary of state, with Republicans and Democrats praising him as the ideal successor to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The vote Tuesday was 94-3. One senator – Kerry – voted present and accepted congratulations from colleagues on the Senate floor. The roll call came just hours after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved the man who has led the panel for the past four years.

Kerry could be sworn in as early as Wednesday. A welcoming ceremony is planned at the State Department on Monday.

Obama tapped Kerry, 69, the son of a diplomat, decorated Vietnam veteran and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, to succeed Clinton, who is stepping down after four years. The Massachusetts Democrat, who had pined for the job but was passed over in 2009, has served as Obama’s unofficial envoy, smoothing fractious ties with Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“Sen. Kerry will need no introduction to the world’s political and military leaders and will begin Day One fully conversant not only with the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy, but able to act on a multitude of international stages,” said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who will succeed Kerry as committee chairman.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the panel’s top Republican, called Kerry “a realist” who will deal with unrest in Egypt, civil war in Syria, the threat of al-Qaeda-linked groups in Africa and Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Kerry, a forceful proponent of climate change legislation, also will have a say in whether the United States moves ahead on the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, a divisive issue that has roiled environmentalists.

Voting against Kerry were three Republicans – Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and John Cornyn and Ted Cruz of Texas. Absent from the vote were Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and John Hoeven, R-N.D.

“Sen. Kerry has a long history of liberal positions that are not consistent with a majority of Texans,” Cornyn said in a statement. The senator is up for re-election next year and could face a tea party challenge.

Kerry’s smooth path to the nation’s top diplomatic job stands in stark contrast to the harsher treatment for Obama’s other national security nominees – Chuck Hagel to be defense secretary and John Brennan to be CIA director.

Hagel, the former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, faces strong opposition from some of his onetime GOP colleagues who question his support for reductions in the nuclear arsenal and cuts in defense spending. Lawmakers also have questioned whether he is sufficiently supportive of Israel and strongly opposed to any outreach to Iran.

Democrats have rallied for Hagel, and he has the announced support of at least a dozen members in advance of his confirmation hearing on Thursday. Six Republicans have said they would vote against him, with some opposing Obama’s choice even before the president’s announcement.

Brennan faces questions from the GOP about White House leaks of classified information and from Democrats about the administration’s use of drones.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threatened to block the nomination of both men until he gets more answers from the Obama administration about the assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Libya that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

Graham, who earlier this month signaled he would delay Brennan’s pick, said in an interview Monday night with Fox News’ “On the Record” the he would “absolutely” block Hagel unless Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 23: Secretary of Defense nominee and former U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE)(R) meets with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)(L), on Capitol Hill, January 23, 2013 in Washington DC. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Hagal will replace Leon Panetta as Defense Secretary. Credit: Getty Images

Clinton testified for more than five hours last Wednesday before the House and Senate, but that wasn’t sufficient for Graham.

“Hillary Clinton got away with murder, in my view,” he said. “She said they had a clear-eyed view of the threats. How could you have a clear-eyed of the threats in Benghazi when you didn’t know about the ambassador’s cable coming back from Libya?”

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., told reporters Tuesday that a hearing with Panetta on Libya is planned though the date is uncertain. Graham welcomed that news and said he would not thwart a committee vote on the nomination.

“Happy as a clam. News to me,” said Graham, who met with Hagel for 20 minutes on Tuesday.

Pentagon spokesman George Little said Panetta had not responded yet to the request but that the department has been forthcoming with information. He insisted that the Hagel confirmation process move as quickly as possible.

Two former chairmen of the committee – Democrat Sam Nunn of Georgia and Republican John Warner of Virginia – plan to introduce Hagel, according to officials close to the confirmation process. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the committee has not formally made an announcement.

As a White House emissary, Kerry has tamped down diplomatic fires for Obama. He also has stepped ahead of the administration on a handful of crises. He joined Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as an early proponent of a more aggressive policy toward Libya, pushing for using military forces to impose a “no-fly zone” over Libya as Moammar Gadhafi’s forces killed rebels and other citizens. He was one of the early voices calling for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down as revolution roiled the nation two years ago.

During his tenure, Kerry has pushed for reducing the number of nuclear weapons, shepherding a U.S.-Russia treaty through the Senate in December 2010, and has cast climate change as a national security threat, joining forces with Republicans on legislation that faced too many obstacles to win congressional passage.

He has led delegations to Syria and met a few times with President Bashar Assad, now a pariah in U.S. eyes after months of civil war and bloodshed as the government looks to put down a people’s rebellion. Figuring out an end-game for the Middle East country would demand all of Kerry’s skills.

The selection of Kerry closes a political circle with Obama. In 2004, it was White House hopeful Kerry who asked a largely unknown Illinois state senator to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic convention in Boston, handing the national stage to Obama. Kerry lost that election to President George W. Bush. Four years later, Obama was the White House hopeful who succeeded where Kerry had failed.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (110)

THX-1138
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:11am
You know, John Kerry served in Vietnam. (And we were worried they’d put a moron in that office…)

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gary kilmer
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 7:12am
there are 41 Republicans in the Senate = sad

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betterpart
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:10am
Hanoi John.

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- THX-1138
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:12am
  lols
  
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Robert2078
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:00am
Disgusting. An abomination to the principles Freedom and Liberty. Kerry will help Obama speed up the demise of our once great country. Our political leaders are the equivalent of patients running the insane asylum.

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Uboatvet
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:24am
This is a mistake

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ejjensen
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:54pm
Just goes to show that 47% are still leaching off the rest of us most and the rest of the country minus a few are getting dumber by the minute john kerry what a waste of human dna!

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Mary Just
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:41pm
Look at these Republicans capitulate again. With the likes of Lindsey Grahm and John McCain who needs to vote Democrat. Hopefully the Republicans never win another election. Hopefully they are finished and a new party can form.

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Advection
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:30pm
There was never any doubt. This House of Lords’ main mission is to secure and increase their power.

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watashbuddyfriend
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:11pm
Another good example of ‘Going Along To Get Along!’

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THEDAYLIBERTYDIED
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:01pm
Not that this has not been said many times in response to this travesty, but it just goes to show you that there is no real difference in the Dem’s and Repub’s, all they have to do to divide us patriotic Americans is to spout inconsequential social issues that the federal government has no business dealing with to begin with!

It’s like a Penn and Teller magic trick, “look over here, while I do this right in front of your face and you won’t even notice.”

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CROCK-HANDLER
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:33pm
John Kerry, wow , Thanks for your service to the military in Viet Nam. And hey, 2 purple hearts. *( how’s the paper cut and syphilis treatments coming?) Oh and don’t worry about Hillary, because she could care less about you.

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- Advection
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 11:31pm
  Medals? You mean the ones he threw over the White House fence?
  
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Totally Domestic
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:48pm
A stab in the back to every American Soldier

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- Totally Domestic
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:50pm
  Wonder how much catchup he had to pay for that appointment?
  
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- barber2
  Posted on January 29, 2013 at 10:23pm
  Totally: Agree, Kerry is the male version of Hanoi Jane. They, along with Bill Ayers , should have been sent into exile to some Communist / anti-American country years ago. The Romans had that idea right.
  
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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:33pm
Kerry has not 1 single qualification to lead anything. He is a career politician and that should disqualify him immediately. He has never been right about anything foreign policy. Ketchup boy also has a history as a traitor. Obama appoints him! Satan? Is that you?

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Stab_friendly
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:21pm
For those who continually say America us dead,

Just move!!!

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motherboard
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 9:12pm
Eh, they just wanted to get rid of him. Now they don’t have to deal with him, and will only hear about him for another 4 years, as opposed to forever from now.

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Skrewedretiree
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:45pm
Wow.

What a surprise. Wow.

Hey John, don’t forget to tell them you served in Viet Nam.

I wonder how long it will be before BO is given an Enabling Act, combining the offices of President, Vice President and Secretary of State, similar to what the Germans did for Hitler.

Yes, I said Hitler. The comparison is correct, and I think Obama wants to be the American Hitler.

By the way: Hitler passed Gun Control. The Democrats in the US (Senator Dodd) got copies of the Nazi gun laws and used them to pass the Gun Control Act of 1968. Yup….Nazi gun laws to stop crime in the US in 1968. Look where we are now.

Sieg Heil! Heil Obama!

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Uechi
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:21pm
I do not trust nor do I have any trust in the Federal Government. Voting has become a joke and until we have people that don’t represent moral decay or moral decay compromise, I am done. ” A plague upon their houses”!

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bankerpapaw
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 8:01pm
What a shame that this traitor winds up being the Secretary of State. He’s not worthy to be driving at
garbage truck. My apologizes to all garbage truck drivers.

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BehindBlueEyes
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:51pm
Maybe Mr. Kerry will put his trusted outstanding running mate John Edwards as his undersecretary. What a bunch of clueless narcissistic losers.

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roadhog
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:49pm
Finally the good people of Mass. got rid of Kennedy and Kerry. The Gigolo that never had a reel job in his life. What apopisass

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TJexcite
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:36pm
Well all they need is Hagel to get the 95+ and the trifecta will be compete. Just what new war will that group and the media will report it, will they send boots on the ground to.

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ALL4FREEDOM
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:23pm
Thank God! Bay Staters finally got this turkey out of the Senate!

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RationalMan
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:17pm
How come Bill O’reilly didn’t have Kerry on his show, you know “Fair & Balance”?

Bill loves to talk about “Foreign Policy” and through tough questions like he did to Sara Palin and Herman Cain. What happen Bill O???

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Jake Dog2
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:16pm
I think that the Senate thought that they may as well vote for Kerry because Obama would keep sending loser after loser and as might as well get it over with.

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Gargent_Furball
Posted on January 29, 2013 at 7:15pm
Why is it , that we keep electing this lying horse faced bastards.
This guy was re elected over and over and Yet has been caught in a thousand lies.
I’m Not Kidding. This guy could not tell an honest statement if it earned him a million dollars.
He is , along with his colleagues, a dishonest, untrustworthy and incapable of telling the truth, lire.
It is truly ashame that all we have to choose from are these venomous snakes.

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