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.
The State Department, like the White House, will now be run by someone who hates America more than he loves it, and loves the enemy more than America. Both are perfect for each other. Probably sleep together to make further plans to destroy the Republic as fast as they can.
At least he has experience meeting with America’s enemies.
Coburn must have sipped from the same poisonous well as did Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the panel’s top Republican. He called Kerry “a realist” who will deal with unrest in Egypt, civil war in Syria, the threat of al-Qaida-linked groups in Africa and Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
My two Texas senators voted against.
Sniff. I’m so proud!
Not Inhofe. He just needed something to offset all the caving he’s been doing. Anytime there’s an overwhelming majority in the senate for some liberal cause, he casts a dissenting vote. When it’s close, and his dissent would help us, he votes with the majority and tries to tell us that it was the conservative thing to do.
Throw the bums out. All of them. Voting for a lying traitor.
None of them are worth a plug nickel. NONE.
Hoeven and Murray not voting—Kerry voting present. Any thoughts on Hoeven, who seems the only other potential ray of light? Kudos to Kerry for not voting for himself.
Yup , he went through on his way to Cambodia for Christmas, dontchaknow.
How anyone could vote anything except “Off the island” for sKerry is beyond me.
Another Communist Comrade in the Administration!
At least he will be well received by our Communist friends
and will make inroads for the new Nation to join the Communist Bloc! Nikita Khrushchev must be smiling from Hell as America digs it’s own grave and Russia will not have to bury us. We have our own shovels. A sad day indeed!
Buy Rice futures!
The whole world is laughing. Unfortunately, the joke is on us.
He could always get a Barney Frank-style reach-around appointment. These rat turds never leave public office.
Maybe it was the end of the cold war, maybe it was the straw that broke the back not-so-bright.
Who knows
I'm so disgusted with politics and disillusioned, I'm going to actively pursue being a doddering old fool and lust after young girls again.
Christmas you say? I wonder if that memory was seared......seared in his mind?
Flake doesn’t surprise me, going native like that. He rode into Congress in ‘98 with the promise of staying only three terms, a promise he abandoned four terms ago....
Thank God for the three.
Globalists are Liberals...no matter how you spin it
Inhofe and Cruz are commended for not jumping off the RINO cliff
I have been saying this for 40 years but it falls on deaf ears more now than then.
Scumbag republicans put their membership in the Good-Old-Boys-Club ahead of the country, honesty or integrity.
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