Posted on 01/29/2013 2:05:27 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Senate confirms Kerry for State in 94-3 vote By Julian Pecquet and Ramsey Cox - 01/29/13 04:32 PM ET
The Senate approved one of its own to become President Obama's second secretary of State in a near-unanimous vote on Tuesday.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) sailed through the chamber in a 94-to-3 vote, with Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Texas Sens. Ted Cruz (R) and John Cornyn (R) casting the only “no” votes.
Kerry's approval to replace Hillary Clinton was a foregone conclusion after Republicans urged Obama to nominate him in lieu of his ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice.
“I don’t know too many people who have oriented their whole life to be better suited for secretary of State,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the top Republican on Kerry's Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on the floor ahead of the vote.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), who is replacing Kerry atop the committee, echoed those sentiments.
“I can think of no one better to take on the challenges of this position,” he said. “John has already built strong relationships across the world. ... He will need no introduction to the world’s political leaders.”
The Senate vote capped a whirlwind day for Kerry, whose nomination was approved by his committee in a unanimous voice vote a few hours earlier. His colleagues on the committee he's chaired since Joe Biden became vice-president four years ago gave him a standing ovation and a committee resolution honoring his service as chairman.
The resolution “commends the long and distinguished service of John F. Kerry, whose exceptional skill as a lawmaker is matched only by his commitment to an America that is, in President John F. Kennedy’s phrase, not 'first but, first when, first if, but first period'; and extends its best wishes for his continuing service to the Nation.”
Kerry is the first cabinet selection confirmed in Obama's second term, but the rare showing of bipartisan support will not extend to the rest of the president's national security picks, however.
Six Republicans — including the three who voted against Kerry — have vowed to oppose former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) for secretary of Defense, and members of both parties have raised questions with the choice of John Brennan for CIA director because of concerns over his record on drone strikes as Obama top counterterrorism adviser.
Kerry could be sworn in as early as Friday, Clinton's last day at State.
ANyone still think the GOPe is on our side?
How many times do I have to correct you Kerry haters? He met with both sides in Paris. The North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong!
It’s called the Logan Act, which prohibits private citizens from having dealings with foreign governments. This is tantamount to putting Patches Kennedy in charge of the DEA.
You and people like svcw did everything you could to make sure obama won a few months ago and now squeal the loudest when traitors are in charge of our State Dept. We could have a good Americans in all important positions in the executive branch and the judicial branch if we had won the election. That battle is over and we lost. This is what happens when we lose. So just shut up and take it and when the next primary election is over, work, speak and vote against the socialist democrat party and defeat these sob. I said I wouldn’t forget the treachery of those who claimed they were too conservative to work to defeat obama and I never will.
Does it matter? If he was rejected, he would still be in the senate and zero would simply queue up the next commie America-hater in line until until he got a new SOS. Maybe this way we are being screwed a little less?
The Senate is full of dumb-a$$e$
A Vietnam vet that lied about his comrades, got them killed, lied to Congress, threw his medals back at the US, and a Republican voted for that to be the foreign leader of the US???
They are my Senator's.
Gave the person answering the phone's an earful...and told them I'm switching to Independent.
Prolly doesn't matter....but made me feel better.
Your thesis is flawed.. whether Romney won or lost is irrelevant the fact is all but 3 of the GOP senators gladly voted for Kerry. Personally I'm not surprised by that, the GOP is not a Conservative party nor does it represent Conservatives .. the only thing that surprises me is that folks who claim to be Conservatives continue to support the GOP...
Post of the day...Post of the week...Post of the month...Possibly the POST OF THE YEAR!!!...(why do I bother to vote anymore?)
Keep your powder dry.
FMCDH(BITS)
Stupid GOP strikes again. I don’t want to hear any of the claptrap about how Kerry was in the Senate (blah, blah, blah) or members are differential to one of their own or Republicans defer to the Presidents choice, ad nauseum.
Let’s not forget Condi Rice was only confirmed by a vote of 85-13, the most against any Sec of State since 1825!!!!!
And according to Barbara “I’m a total idiot” Boxer the dissent was because they wanted to “to hold Dr. Rice and the Bush administration accountable for their failures in Iraq and in the war on terrorism.”
Senator Robert KKK Byrd voted against Rice’s appointment, indicating that she “has asserted that the President holds far more of the war power than the Constitution grants him.”
Oh, but the worthless, spineless idiots in the GOP just defer their obligations. Even after Benghazi? Even after no evidence of really getting Bin Laden? Does anyone think Bush would have gotten away with no photos, no video and dumping the body at sea within 24 hours?
The GOP are like Fredo Corleone to me!
As they say in the old country, “That’s a Corker”.
What a jerk.
Kerry is UNFIT FOR ANYTHING other than having a WANTED POSTER in the TRAITOR’S HALL OF SHAME!
John Kerry will adopt the “what difference does it make” policy.
How the repubs voted was irrelevant, we don’t have a chance to win any votes in the senate for the next two years. You are so proud of how you and your little friends helped elect obama because the GOP wasn’t conservative enough for ya. You guys are the socialist favorite useful idiots
I wonder if the muzzlem countries will make Jon Carry wear a burka before they’ll talk to him.
Yes, he was, and Joey Welz named the Beatles, would you guess what he named them? - The Beatles!
Looking at this strategically it may be a chance for a Republican to pick up Kerry’s Senate seat in a special election.
WH picked Kerry because he’s controversial with pro-military pro-constitutionalists. He provides a distraction while the debt crisis goes unresolved and healthcare takeover continues, should serve to burn up a least a few days and many hours of talk show, political blog effort. In the mean time, the “real” Secretary of State decisions are probably made by an unknown group of steely eyed Marxists close to BO who will form/implement foreign policies while Kerry’s out there providing a nice PR target/distraction.
Kerry’s a well-known, offensive ‘decoy’ to distract everyone.
I truly think this is the RAT’S evolving strategy - do things ‘behind the scenes’ while generating distracting nonsense like loudly appoint Do-nothing Shiny-Object Lurch-Kerry. Having observed them for some time, this is the kind of crap they’re always doing nowadays, and we need to wise up and keep our eye on the ball — the dire Federal Budget and the shaky financial markets............
4L
IMO.
Romney lost because he was a nice guy in a street fight.
You are upset that conservatives didn’t fall over themselves to support Romney but the fact of the matter is that he did nothing to earn their support. No one was obligated to vote for him and the result of the election proves this.
Come 2016 it is incumbent upon the GOP to field a candidate who can motivate the base or else we’ll see another Democrat take office. In any case, if you have to resort to name calling and condemnations to support a candidate then he really wasn’t worth supporting in the first place, was he?
I saved this old post:
The Night Before Christmas (Cambodian Version)
[BY: Russ Vaughn 2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division Vietnam 65-66]
Twas the night before Christmas and we were afloat
Somewhere in Cambodia in our little boat.
While the river was lightened by rockets red glare
No one but the President knew we were there.
The crew was all nestled deep down in their bunks,
While the Spook and I watched the sampans and junks.
Our mission was secret, so secret in fact,
No one else would remember it when we got back.
When out on the water there arose such a clatter
I leaped down from the bridge to see what was the matter.
The incoming friendly was starting to flash
And I knew that the ARVN’s were having a bash.
The snap of friendly fire on the warm tropic air
Convinced me for sure no one knew we were there,
On a clandestine mission so secret it’s true
That I’m still convinced only Tricky Dick knew.
While I huddled for safety in the tub on the bow,
I thought of a title, “Apocalypse Now.”
To give to the films I was I making each day
To show all the voters when I made my big play.
As I sat there sweating in my lucky flight jacket,
Spook said, “Merry Christmas!” and tossed me a packet.
And what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a new lucky cap, which I still have right here.
I keep it tucked here, in this leather brief case,
Just sharing with the press its secretive place
As I regale them again with my senate refrain,
That Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain.
Don’t bother to quibble with history my friend,
By pointing out Johnson was President then.
Don’t listen to Swiftees who try to explain,
For I tell you that night is seared into my brain.
Down Hibbard, down Lonsdale, and you too O’Neill,
So you don’t remember? Well it’s something I feel.
I don’t need all you Swiftvets to support my campaign,
Cause Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain,
Into my brain, into my brain, into my brain...
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