Andrea Mitchell has spoken of how Kerry and the Vatican have been working on Cuba

[karynnj]

for about 18 months -- since Francis became Pope and Kerry SoS. There is huge credit due Obama and Kerry for the steps to normalize relations. Many threads in the main DU forums will speak of the importance and the politics. The Pope's role should really give Obama some cover here. It is interesting to see how this could be a game changer for our relationship with Latin America. (The summit in April will be fascinating)

However, as a Kerrycrat, one thing that immediately came to mind was how fantastic it has to be for this practicing Catholic, Jesuit law school educated Secretary of State to be on the same team as the current Jesuit Pope. I remembered that a half year ago, he wrote an oped for the Boston Globe speaking of working with the Vatican on human dignity. This is obviously a different issue, but this likely has to be a very sweet accomplishment.

Last month, I traveled to Rome with President Obama, where I was honored to meet His Holiness Pope Francis. As an altar boy six decades ago, I never imagined that I would find myself crossing the threshold of the Vatican to see the Bishop of Rome.

My wife, Teresa, and I took our own pilgrimage three years ago at Easter to Assisi, and traveled to Porziuncala to see the chapel which St. Francis restored out of the rubble, one of his own special ways of acting upon the prophecy visited upon him to “repair my house.” Two years later, Teresa and I sat in Mass at Georgetown as our priest shared the moving story of the moment Pope Francis decided to take Francis for his name as the Holy Father – after the Cardinal from Brazil shared his caution not to “forget the poor.”


Today, all the world knows that this was more than a symbolic statement by Pope Francis, but rather the start of a mission that is now an example to the world
Today, as the first Catholic secretary of state in 33 years, I find special joy and pride in the way that the United States can partner with the Holy See to help meet some of our greatest global challenges.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/04/19/cooperating-with-vatican-against-modern-slavery/5yQWBqDf9xF320ruta08rN/story.html

[MBS]

1. I remember the video clips and

how obviously thrilled Kerry was to be there. . I was also struck by how comfortable Obama was with the pope, how they seemed to be having a good time.
So pleased by the Cuba thing.

[YvonneCa]

3. Wonderful, isn't it?

[YvonneCa]

2. Good people who care about the world's...

...future and it's people are coming together with action to build a better world. That gives me great hope!

[MBS]

4. YES! n/t

[karynnj]

5. Absolutely true

I keep remembering that the Hanukah song that Peter Yarrow wrote and sang at the 2010 Boston Pops celebration of Kerry's 25 years as Senator and 45 years of public service. After telling the story of how he came to write it, he commented that it was also an appropriate song for the person being honored. Listening after that insight, Yarrow was right.

As SoS, he certainly hasn't ever given up on chances to do good. By the way, here is his statement on Cuba - http://www.local10.com/news/secretary-of-state-john-kerry-issues-statement/30285442 Here is some video from NBC - http://www.nbcnews.com/watch/nbc-news/kerry-speaks-about-gross-and-cuba-374073923986

[YvonneCa]

6. He never 'let's the light go out'...

...does he? You are so right that he never misses a chance to do good.
I remember watching that performance. Thank you for the link...it was great to watch it again. It is a very fitting description of our current SOS.

[MBS]

7. yes, this is essentially his theme song

it's exactly who he is!

[karynnj]

8. True and the memory of that night that you had a lot to do with as far as our group goes

comes back whenever I hear that song.

That event really was amazing and two takeaways I had then were that the person who suggested the words "the real deal" in 2004 was incredibly correct and that although he was incredibly worth defending here and elsewhere, his accomplishments to that point already defined well who he was and there was a very large group of people, including all he cared most about who knew how good and how special he was. Even before his remarkable first two years as Secretary of State, his position in history was already strong and positive. Everything from the words of "his guys" on the swiftboats, to the comments of Peter and Paul going back to the 1970s, to the fantastic biography that Ken Burns did added to the fun of the Boston Pops playing carols.

[MBS]

9. He was and is the real deal.

And that was a great night, wasn't it?

[blm]

13. Still sorry to have missed that -

I had committed to a friend in NYC that I would help her through her surgery and recovery before I received the invitation. Just bad timing for me. Still glad that others here attended, though.

[mylye2222]

18. Wich night are you talking about folks?

That 25/45 one in 2010?

[karynnj]

19. It was the 25/45 one

Last edited Sat Dec 20, 2014, 07:36 PM - Edit history (1)

One other highlight was that Kerry conducted the band for one piece of music -- imitating how Ted Kennedy often had done that. All in great fun -- and dedicated to Teddy and he pointed out Vicki Kennedy who there before the show.

Looking for Kerry conducting, I found this little piece -

Here is whometense's thread written the day after where many of us described the event -
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=273x167977

[mylye2222]

20. Merci!

[Mass]

10. Thanks to her for reminding people that there is a State department

According to Politico, it is all the fact of the WH staff and Ben Rhodes specifically. I have no doubt he and the White House were important(crucial) actors, but these types of articles give credence to former Secreraries of Defense on how the WH deals with foreign/defense policy issues.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/obama-castro-cuba-talk-113657.html

If I can believe politico (which I do not) somebody with NO experience in foreign policy/diplomacy brokered the deal all by himself. Seriously. If the WH thinks this is a way to be taken seriously, they've got to be kidding.

[karynnj]

11. This may be weirdly like the climate change pact, where Kerry was barely mentioned at first ---

then gradually seen to have been the key Obama administration person. It is true that had any of these things happened in the first term, it was have been exclusively seen as the work of the then Secretary of State.

Here, while Rhodes was involved - and many like that one give him full credit - reading key MSM sources, there are many pieces where Kerry was key. For example, the WP credits Kerry for getting the Pope involved. Kind of an important piece - especially when some accounts credit Pope Francis for starting the entire thing!



"In their first conversation after Obama named John Kerry his new secretary of state, the two discussed Gross’ ongoing incarceration in Cuba and their broader dissatisfaction with America’s policy toward the island. Kerry quickly enlisted the assistance of the Vatican, one of the few institutions in the world broadly respected in the U.S. and Cuba. The Roman Catholic Church’s help would prove significant."

and

"Kerry, meanwhile, held four telephone calls over the same period with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez. The calls focused on Gross, senior administration officials said, with Kerry telling the Cubans that if anything happened to the 65-year-old Maryland native their chances of better relations with the U.S. would be over."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/how-revived-ties-with-cuba-came-to-be/2014/12/18/247857ac-868e-11e4-abcf-5a3d7b3b20b8_story.html

[karynnj]

12. Well --- crediting Rhodes, who did work on it better than Josh Rogin's assignment of primary credit

to Hillary Clinton. (I have found him the least honest reporter anywhere in the mainstream media - usually slighting both Obama and Kerry on everything and often misstating there position. Often adding the statements of their press spokespersons - 180 degrees from the position ascribed to them in the headline and article - far down in the article. )

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-12-18/hillary-clinton-secretly-pushed-cuba-deal-for-years

[blm]

14. Rogin's way of using HRC's eager PR team to undermine Kerry's success.

Rogin overstated everything she did….deliberately, no doubt. This way would guarantee conflict.

Not ONE mention of Kerry in Rogin's piece.

[karynnj]

15. Whether Republicans or Clinton team, the truth will win out

- whatever it is. The fact that HRC was for changing the policy made her one of many -- in fact, Kerry voted against Burton/Helms which put many new sanctions in place --- signed by Bill Clinton -- and he was up that year in a very tough race -- his toughest -- against Weld.


Remember in 2006 when it started to look like the Clinton team was claiming the idea or even writing of SCHIP? We posted many 1996 vintage articles and argued against that claim -- repeated by people like Begala, who had found nothing in Kerry's career to cheer -- even writing the precursor to SCHIP with Kennedy? The same SCHIP that in 2007 he listed as HRC's biggest accomplishment. Remember that when the primaries got really hot, first Hatch then Kennedy came out saying that she WAY overstated her role?

With something like this, I would assume that if there is a competitive primary, claiming something done 2 years after you left doesn't seem reasonable. In the general, it would be hit both because they disagree -- and they will use any account from anyone that says she had little or no role. Here, saying she authored the policy is crazy. First of all this is not legislation and clearly she did not have a hand in the negotiations.

[blm]

16. I assess everything they do and say through their past actions and words

and, so far, they have been running true to form. Hunter Thompson had the Clintons pegged correctly.

[karynnj]

17. I think I know the quote you mean and its clear he had little respect for Bill Clinton

His quote on Kerry showed the opposite:

Of course I will vote for John Kerry. I have known him for thirty years as a good man with a brave heart — which is more than even the president’s friends will tell you about George W. Bush, who is also an old acquaintance from the white-knuckle days of yesteryear. He is hated all over the world, including large parts of Texas, and he is taking us all down with him.

Rolling Stone - in his endorsement of Kerry