Interesting article of SOS choice from Latin America

[karynnj]

http://newamericamedia.org/2012/11/john-kerry-vs-susan-rice----the-view-from-latin-america.php

Although I will not post this in GD, this shows how strange DU politics are. If you looked at just the profile's the left leaning DU's choice would be very easy. After all, how many promising Senators/statesmen/politicians questioned the support of the gun running Contras? (or our actions in Vietnam at the level JK did)

I went back looking through the key "leaks" etc and was surprised to see that nearly all originated with the WP. Could this be that they want the more status quo/ inside the beltway option - especially when she is a DC native?

[wisteria]

1. Interesting read.

Where did you come accross this?

[karynnj]

2. Google and then News

I wish that one of the fp magazines had a world wide summary similar to this. It would be interesting to actually discuss the world views and what the people did. the fact is that Kerry's fp is more in line with DU's usual views than hers.

It does open one question which is how much do we give up in having Kerry as a truth teller vs what having someone with his conscience and history as a truth teller inside the President's circle would mean. Edited to add, that the things that are most unique in JK's case may be mixed blessings in terms of being given things - but would have led him to be an incredible President.

[wisteria]

3. He would have been an incredible President, no doubt.

America missed out on an exceptional leader. That is why I think he can do extrodinary things as Secretary of State.But, will be will be.

[John2]

4. I

tell you what, Kerry is a pretty good Senator, but I do think he would make a pretty good SOS. This is a hard choice considering what we need in Congress. If he wasn't in Congress, I would probably favor Kerry after looking at his record. It is the President's choice though and I'm glad I'm not making it.

[wisteria]

5. I favor him a lot.

He well may stay put, but I will always wonder what could have been, like when he ran for the Presidency. Ms. Rice may be competant, but that doesn't make up for experience and respect around the world. I will be very disappointed if he isn't picked, but I have been disapointed before. It makes you a little more resentful and jaded, but it is what it is.

[Mass]

6. I saw this, but

this is not surprising and this may well be a logical choice for them, as they may not like Kerry's attempts to talk with people who do not like us and favor Rice's tougher approach. All these leaks have had only one role, shape the discussion so that Ambassador Rice looks like the unavoidable choice and the choice of Obama. Very little else has transpired.

There are so many camps in this story that we probably would need a decoder to follow, but basically, DU has been taken, like most places by the defense of ambassador (OOPS, not Secretary) Rice against these ludicrous attacks. Any serious discussion of policies has disappeared behind that. For most people, it would seem unseemly. However, if you follow threads that stop talking about that to start focusing on policy, she is not exactly a favorite from the "left" on DU (look at the threads about her statement concerning the Palestinian proposition).

Depending of what the right wanted, they have magisterially maneuvered (if their goal was to avoid Kerry) or their maneuvers have totally backfired (in the event they wanted Kerry, which is hard for me to believe as it would be a stronger voice for peace to support the Vice President). So, who knows.

This said, the point is still the same. We are not gaining anything by letting this drag, so I would hope that next week will tell us what the choice is.

[karynnj]

7. This all makes sense

To me, it will also tell us a lot about Obama. At this point, in two important ways, Rice is paradoxically the status quo choice - in spite of the out roar. She is far less likely to be an independent voice in the inner circle. It also means that Obama, even in a second term, is unlikely to do anything that different from the long term American policy.

If Rice is picked, it may free Kerry, while he will obviously still be loyal, to be a more independent voice than he was - though he has been willing to take independent positions - including the strong position he took on Honduras which was 180 degrees from where Clinton (and Obama) ended up.

Remembering that in one article where Admiral Hoffman, one of the SBVT was interviewed, he spoke of Kerry speaking to him in 2004 and said he asked why Kerry protested - Kerry's response per Hoffman was "his conscience". In Going Upriver, Bob Kerrey when speaking of Kerry leading those protests, he spoke of how if you wanted a political career, you would never do that. The same thing with going after the Contras and BCCI - and Kerry obviously knew neither would be popular things. (Gore and the Clintons supporting aiding (legally) the Contras were never hurt by that.) It may well be that the only position leading foreign policy that Kerry could get and retain his independence and ability to follow his conscience is chair of SFRC. It makes me return to my regret that the country did not have the courage to elect this moral man of integrity and knowledge, but it might have been fear of those very things that made some core Democrats less than enthusiastic.

[MBS]

11. great points

And your last two sentences seem to me exactly right.. When I read your last sentence, I thought: "Bingo!"

. . . . . It may well be that the only position leading foreign policy that Kerry could get and retain his independence and ability to follow his conscience is chair of SFRC. It makes me return to my regret that the country did not have the courage to elect this moral man of integrity and knowledge, but it might have been fear of those very things that made some core Democrats less than enthusiastic.

[Mass]

8. Interesting video

(I think this was before the election)

http://bigthink.com/collective-intelligence/john-kerry-we-live-in-a-dangerous-world

[wisteria]

9. Very good-some comments aside. Thanks for posting.

It makes me feel better about his ability to shape things from the Senate.

[MBS]

10. good description of Sen. Kerry

that brief bio encapsulated all the reasons why I so admire him. While the article also made evident how superbly qualified he is to be SoS, I was also left with the thought that he would have more scope, and more opportunities to lend his own voice to international policy, and get something really accomplished on issues most important to him, as chair of SFRC than SoS