Pretty good as BG goes, even if there is still a little bit of snark.
http://bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2013/01/30/senate-foreign-relations-committee-recommends-john-kerry-confirmed-setting-senate-vote/OS1pbXalhhS3GDG29htN4N/story.html
The Senate confirmed President Obama’s nomination of Senator John F. Kerry to be secretary of state on Tuesday, handing the Massachusetts Democrat a redemptive career victory that ensconces him in an elite echelon of national leadership nine years after his failed bid for the presidency.
The 94-to-3 vote was the final hurdle for Kerry, whose nomination roared through the Senate after Obama’s first choice of UN Ambassador Susan Rice encountered stiff GOP opposition and never got off the ground.
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Kerry maintained a strict radio silence about his prospects for the top diplomatic post in recent weeks, as speculation swirled about his long-standing interest in the job and as Rice’s prospects flamed out. In the last week, a security detail began accompanying him. On Tuesday, just hours before the vote, he was finally beginning to publicly look ahead, reporting that he attended a breakfast meeting about the Middle East, where Israel, Syria, Iran, Egypt, and other volatile diplomatic problems await. Northern Africa, China, and North Korea will be high on his agenda as well.
In addition to his diplomatic role, the career lawmaker will face significant administrative challenges, such as the security failures in Benghazi, Libya, that contributed to the violent deaths of four Americans last year, including the US ambassador to Libya. The State Department has a budget of about $50 billion, more than 50,000 American and foreign employees, and nearly 300 embassies, consulates, missions, and other posts around the world.
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The Massachusetts congressional delegation also issued a flurry of congratulations — including a House member campaigning to succeed Kerry. Representative Edward J. Markey of Malden.
“Going from Hillary Clinton to John Kerry at the State Department is like the Red Sox going from Ted Williams to Carl Yastrzemski,’’ Markey said, “both possessing hall of fame talent and passion for the job.’’
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