I think they wanted Kerry out of the senate because they thought Brown was going to run, although they wanted him out of the senate anyway.
If that’s true they’re idiots. In the Senate he’s one of the 53 or whatever majority and one of a gang of senior Dems. At state he’s it; he’s the Grand High Poobah. And maybe if Clinton can do it without crashing and burning until late into the fourth year, maybe it doesn’t matter. Then again, Kerry is probably more of a True Believer than Hillary.