A very stupid post by a generally very good reporter.

[Mass]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/john-kerry-might-want-elizabeth-warren-to-lose/2012/11/05/a8265692-2751-11e2-b4f2-8320a9f00869_blog.html

John Kerry might want Elizabeth Warren to lose

I let you discover this totally stupid article, which of course relates to SoS and holding the Senate. Pure DC talk.

I feel totally desperate concerning the future of this profession. And even the good ones are barely better than Chuck Todd when it comes to repeat Village Talks.

BTW, Seems to me that Senator Kerry spends time electing somebody he wants to lose. Seriously?

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/20008034/sen-john-kerry-campaigns-in-springfield-for-elizabeth-warren

Edit: More here

http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/11/sen_john_kerry_mocks_mitt_romn.html

[Blaukraut]

1. I commented as soon as he posted that junk this morning

His reasoning makes zero sense! But to your point of the future of the DC punditry: We can only hope that after this election, they and their beltway wisdom will die and stay dead.

[ladym55]

9. Oh, please, please, please

As a nation we would benefit from much less noise from pundits. I am convinced that they are making it up as they go along.

[Inuca]

2. Idiotic

They have to write too much and come up with something "new"

[bottomofthehill]

3. I dont think he is wrong

The President can not appoint Senator Kerry to Secretary of State out of a closely divided Senate. Scott Brown would be the odds on favorite to win a special election. The Governor only gets to appoint a short time Senator (remember Senator Kirk). Senator Kerry is a statesman and is doing what is best for the country and not what is best for his self interest.

[Mass]

5. His framing is insulting as well as the title of the column.

We dont know how the Senate will be. We dont know whom president Obama wants to name as SoS. We dont know who would run if Kerry became SoS. But the framing is that Kerry may not want Warren to win? This is not respecting Kerry as a stateman.

[Inuca]

16. 100% agree n/t

[Blaukraut]

6. Capehart's logic is faulty though

Why would a Brown win increase Kerry's chance to be picked for SoS?

Say Brown wins, JK becomes SoS, Patrick appoints EW to JK's vacant seat. We then have Brown, Warren until a special election, which Warren could well lose, because not many Dems turn out for those. We might end up with two Repubs for Senate from MA.

Say Warren wins, JK becomes SoS, Patrick appoints a Dem to the vacant seat. We then have Warren and Dem until a special election. Brown will run then for sure, and will probably win. So we end up with Warren, Brown. (Dem,Rep. Just like we have now.) However, if Patrick himself decides to run against Brown in the special election, we could even end up with Warren, Patrick representing MA in the US Senate.

So again, Capehart's reasoning is faulty.

[bottomofthehill]

8. It is only my opinion, but, I think if Senator Kerry becomes Secretary of State

We end up with Senator Warren and Senator Brow. Even if Senator Brown wins (and I don't think he will) Liz Warren would become the odds on favorite to win in the special. There is not an issue or a non incumbent republican on the horizon that could beat her

[karynnj]

14. But that makes the reporter wrong - Kerry is working to help Warren

The earlier time Kerry spent a day with Warren, he made a very strong argument based on the control of the Senate. He has also fund raised for Warren.

I fully agree with you that Kerry is motivated by the good of the country.

I agree that if the Senate is very narrowly divided, it could hurt Kerry's chances, but it is very likely that as Chair of SFRC he would still be a very key player. It is also worth noting that even RCP is predicting 53 Democrats (or independents caucusing with them). This is far beyond expectations a half year ago.

It also ignores that Brown, out of office and a loser, will not be as strong as he is now. In addition, I wonder how losing will impact this emotionally insecure person - who even if he ran and won, would then be AGAIN the most junior Senator with no seniority and not even the pretense of being the ranking member of any committee! (Warren might set a record as the least senior Senior Senator of a state.) Would kings and queens - or the President or Secretary of State - want to call the most junior Senator there is?

[1StrongBlackMan]

4. Uhhh ...

wouldn't Kerry's shot on getting the SoS post rest on HRC's stepping away from that post ... something she has hinted at continuing in?

I think, the only way HRC steps down from the SoS post is if President Obama nominates her for a SCOTUS seat ... and that will, most likely happen, after the election ... after January, 2013. And would happen whether Kerry AND Warren are in the Senate, or not.

[bottomofthehill]

7. I think Mrs Clinton said she will step down sometime after the election.

She has had an incredibly busy 6 years, she won her senate re-election, then turned to the Presidential Primary and then served as Secretary of State for the last 4 years. She is entitled to a short rest before running for President at the conclusion of the second Obama Administration.

[wisteria]

13. Do you have a link supporting what you are saying?

The last interview I remember her giving-which was recently- she said she would be stepping down after the election. It is certainly fine if she wishes to stay on, but that was not what I have been hearing. Frankly, 2016 (dare I start this) would be good for her to run in for President, if Obama wins.

[1StrongBlackMan]

15. Here ya go ...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/25/hillary-clinton-secretary-of-state_n_2016388.html

From my reading ... she's not going anywhere, anytime soon.

[Mass]

17. She said it was unlikely.

Of course, the DC pundits try to have her say something else (as usual and this was the point of this post), but she clearly said it was unlikely (I am sure she will stay if Obama asks her, for example).

The usual tempest in a teapot that makes me doubt that we will ever have a decent media.

[bottomofthehill]

18. She actually says it is "unlikely" that her departure date will slip. Looks like she still plans to

When asked if current events will force her departure date to slip, she said it was "unlikely," but for the first time left open that possibility for the short term.

Clinton has previously said that she plans to step down from her position in the Obama administration after the president's first term should he win reelection.

What the future holds for Clinton, however, remains to be seen.

[ladym55]

10. Wow. This is a dumb article

JK wants Elizabeth Warren to lose so badly he was campaigning for her in Springfield today.

[bottomofthehill]

11. Senator Kerry's service to our country continues.

Working to elect Liz even though it is not in his best interest

[wisteria]

12. President Obama plucked Senator Clinton to be SOS, and that worked out fine. n/t

[karynnj]

19. Election results changed Capeheart's view

His opinion is that with a likely 55 Senators caucusing with the Democrats, only Obama stands between Kerry being SOS.

Interesting conclusion.
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is the one who has to worry about all this. He and Kerry have a great relationship rooted in mutual respect. If Kerry wanted to leave the Senate for State (one of the two jobs he has always wanted), it is highly unlikely Reid would stand in his way either publicly or behind the scenes. Therefore, the only person standing between Kerry and “Mahogany Row” is the president."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/john-kerry-is-in-a-good-state/2012/11/08/0ac8c374-29bf-11e2-b4e0-346287b7e56c_blog.html