we asked americans how they feel about john kerry as secretary of state, but first, kerry's nomination hardly a surprise. people close to him already calling him mr. secretary. here's a little bit about him from kate bolduan. >> thank you very much, mr. secretary. >> reporter: his senate colleagues have joked about his ambition, what many regarded as the worst-kept secret in washington, even in recent senate hearings john kerry sound like he was looking ahead to the future job and the anticipated battled over the state department budget with with congress. >> that must change and in the next session of the congress i hope it will. >> reporter: he wasn't the president's first choice. u.n. ambassador susan rice took herself out of the running after republican backlash. >> it was unjustified to give the scenario as presented by ambassador rice. >> reporter: senator kerry knows himself about being torpedoed by attacks. accused in his 2004 presidential run of lying about his military record in vietnam. >> john kerry has not been honest about what happened in vietnam. >> reporter: and critic

now -- >> john kerry was the president -- >> no, exactly. obama did not blame john kerry. they think this president had a hard time taking romney serious. he was a sort of gaff-prone rich guy that was not at his level. i think he won that debate because of overconfidence. he went to -- was doing some tourism in the days leading up to that denver debate. he was not focused on it. >> it was also a two-way street, you see, because obama lashed out at his own team for not prepping him properly. they had gone in -- in august they will gone in with an aggressive strategy, and then romney had the 47% comment. we have folks quoting obama who say you have confused me. you don't really -- >> here is the president and john kerry standing by and watching this mom nation. >> our nation was engaged in two wars, and al qaeda was entrenched in their safe havens. many of the alliances were frayed, and america's standing in the world did suffer. over the past four years we have begun a new era of american leadership. we ended the war in iraq, but the al qaeda core on the path to defight, an

kerry falls in between. that's not an ideal. >> i think he has -- i have a column in the washington post dotcom about this. i think kerry has good instincts. if you go back to reagan and the latin american period when this country was intervening in really ugly ways, kerry stood up and spoke effectively about a different latin american policy. he might well take the lead as this administration should in ending the folly of an embargo on cuba. there are a set of issues that this country would do well to take on and kerry, i think, has the confidence of, you know, of many. do you want someone so -- you've had the cyrus dance debacle. it was a might mare. let's hope we don't see that battle. if it is kerry, we don't know -- >> we go forward with optimism in our hearts. i will say, though -- >> you are a brave woman. >> susan rice's national security advisor. >> that would be the consolation prize. this is the woman that took on the iranians in & the north koreans and somehow we're complaining she's too tough. t

. >>> senator john kerry is ready for a new challenge. we'll take a along at how his career has led to his next job opportunity. we actully keep track of how many times this kid picked his nose? hair pulls, stink eyes, man we see eveything. oh, it's the old man. hold on, i gotta send something out. you can have two apps open at the same time? how'd you do that? it's the galaxy note 10.1 man, it just does it. how do you think they made it? magic. do more with the samsung galaxy note 10.1. available at best buy and st buy mobile stores. [ male announcer ] jill and her mouth have lived a great life. but she has some dental issues she's not happy about. so i introduced jill to crest pro-health for life. selected for people over 50. pro-health for life is a toothpaste that defends against tender, inflamed gums, sensitivity and weak enamel. conditions people over 50 experience. crest pro-health for life. so jill can keep living the good life. crest. life opens up when you do. as part of a heart healthy diet. that's true. ...but you still have t

but i think that kerry-- it's wrong to think of kerry of just being a throack to 30 years ago. >> brown: is it clear still that this is a second choice to susan rice? >> i think that president obama felt a deep personal bond with susan rice. and susan rice speaks the things, the lines that he would love to say out loud sometimes. the fact that she is very in your face where the president is so reserved and reticent, i think he will love to have that. i think susan rice decided in the end that he was going to be too costly for her and for ama she we rough this bruising confirmation fight and decided to to duck that fight. >> brown: james mann n the meantime we said there was no nomination put forward for a next secretary of defense. and i think there had been an expectation that they would kind of be rolled out, the whole team at one time. what can you tell us about what is going on particularly with one of their front-runners, chuck hagel? >> well, i did expect a couple of days ago that there would be an appointment for secretary of defense as well. an that it would be chuck gel. the fa

we have confidence in john kerry's ability to carry out the job. >> i think senator kerry was a very solid choice by the president. he has a lot of experience. he has been on the foreign relations committee for a very long time. he knows most of the world leaders. >> the susan rice/benghazi witch-hunt, what is your reaction to that? >> well, keep in mind john kerry is barack obama's first choice. susan rice wasn't a choice. she got tied up into the politics of benghazi. but this is who the president likes, believes in. kerry gave obama that great nominating speech slot in 2004. but kerry has been able to be bipartisan in the true sense. he has been able to cut deals and work with senators -- senator murkowski is a friend of his from alaska, for example. this is going to be one of the best appointments, selections that the president could have made. and most people on capitol hill feel the same. >> quickly, will he go through confirmation easily? >> he will go through. i think vicki kennedy will come in and be the senator for that interim period. it's 145 to 160 days until governor de

tell us more about senator kerry. he must be ecstatic. this is what he wanted for a long time. >> this is one of the worst kept secrets in washington. this has long been an ambition for him. as you see that profile piece, it's been kind of a long and winding road getting to this point, especially in recent memory. susan rice, as we know, many believed to be the top choice for president obama to take the seat of -- take the vacated position of hillary clinton when she steps down, when she retires, if you will, from being secretary of state, and now john kerry is obviously going to be the pick. i was just looking back just to kind of refresh my memory, when hillary clinton, when her confirmation came before the senate, she was confirmed some 94-2. so overwhelmingly confirmed by the senate. from what we hear on capitol hill, john kerry has many supporters on both sides of the aisle who think he would be a very good fit for that position, a very different kind of response from his colleagues than we heard in terms of the hypothetical of if su

obama plans to use kerry. see, he will bore our enemies to death. >> we will discuss the kerry pick and more challenging cabinet options next on "now." excuse me, sir i'm gonna have to ask you to power down your little word game. i think your friends will understand. oh no, it's actually my geico app...see? ...i just uh paid my bill. did you really? from the plane? yeah, i can manage my policy, get roadside assistance, pretty much access geico 24/7. sounds a little too good to be true sir. i'll believe that when pigs fly. ok, did she seriously just say that? geico. just click away with our free mobile app. >> nbc has confirmed that john kerry has been selected by president obama to be his next secretary of state. kerry's nomination has been one of the worst kept secrets in washington and had been held up by a range of factors, including this chaos in congress. last night the five-term senator was spotted making a rare appearance on the house floor shaking hands and chatting with democratic members, so then whe

john kerry can help barack obama be just that. joining me now is nbc news chief white house correspondent and political director chuck todd and "the washington post's" nia malika henderson. do you know when the president decided with or along with ambassador rice to decide that she should formally remove herself from consideration? >> well, this is not just the story, but it was my understanding the president was never -- never asked her to do this. she came to this conclusion on her own sometime in the last 24 hours and decided it wasn't worth it, that this was causing the president a share of political problems. this was causing extra headaches that weren't necessary, so she made this decision on her own. i can tell you, the president has been conflicted on this for some time, and he'd been getting conflicting advice. some of his -- some of the political advice he had been getting is, you know, mr. president, how many fights do you want to have on the hill? democratic senators were quietly sending word to the white house, we've

john kerry worked his way up to the political ranks. susan rice has done every job you need to have done in unelected politics, if you will, to be qualified, to have the resume, to have the experience to be secretary of state. and, by the way, don't forget there was also the fact that kerry and rice in some ways some could argue see the world a little bit differently. susan rice is somebody a little more of an interventionist. wants to get involved. look at libya. she was somebody that was strongly there. john kerry is somebody who has seen war firsthand and is somebody who is very much hesitant as an interventionist when it comes to things. voted against things. so there was a lot here i think that was more than just am i going to do something with my friend or do something to reward the party. more complicated than that. >> i guess that's why as a commentator i feel more comfortable with kerry, just that's my opinion. let me go to our other great correspondent, andrea mitchell, on foreign relations and 9 white house intrigue here. i s

president kerry, you're up. "the a-team" is next. >>> who else could be a gun owner while creating all sorts of anti-gun propaganda in his movies and then, finally, linking gun ownership to racism? michael moore? you guessed it. >>> contraception. cath thick -- catholics and the high court, the battle between church and state, also put your money on catholic league president bill donahue. bill donahue. we do are and he is ♪ music body language-- without saying a word, it can tell you so much. likeomeone is having a stroke... know the sudden signs. learn f.a.s.t. f- face drping a-arm weakness s- speech difficulty t- time, time to call911 i. the sooner they get to the hospital, the sooner they'll get treatment, and that can make a remarkable difference in their recovery. learn the body language, the sudden signs, and spot a stroke f.a.s.t. lou: joining us now bill donahue, president of the catholic league. bill, i want to start by saying merry christmas and i want to find out where we are on the war on christmas

president kerry, you're up. "the a-team" is next. >>> who else could be a gun owner while creating all sorts of anti-gun propaganda in his movies and then, finally, linking gun ownehip to racism? michael moore? you guessed it. >>> contraception. cath thick -- catholics and the high court, the battle between church and state, also put your money on catholic league president bill donahue. we do are and he is lou: joining us now bill donahue, president of the catholic league. bill, i want to start by saying merry christmas and i want to find out where we are on the war on christmas. i mean this is getting to be a really peculiar kind of annual thing. it doesn't seem to recede. one side orrthe other doesn't seem to ever prevail and e contention goes on. who's winning? >> i think in the last couple years i'm somewhat optimistic. back in the 1980s the whole thing started with the aclu. they went into the courts to ban this from public policy. 1990s, got worse. multiculturalism, into the workplace, idea of not offendin

they were for kerry. did they ever lobby for kerry? >> hillary clinton understood where the president's loyalties lie. he was leading towards rice. he wasn't going to start to debate and try to -- and i think that, in fact, those close to secretary clinton, i think andrea can speak to this, really try to snuff out these stories that secretary clinton wanted kerry over rice. didn't want to have rice replaced. she wasn't going to get involved with that. i think she stayed out of that a lot. i don't think that they were going to speculate that at all. i think they were always close. but some of that all goes back to the '08 primary campaign. in fact, you have some people who believe that that's what -- that's the issue john mccane has with her. that this goes back to the 2008 campaign when susan rice was the prominent foreign policy surrogate. let me go back to the same question here. i've heard it a couple of strong ways. that they did have an opinion in this matter. >> i'm sure they had an opinion. but i do not think they voigsed it. th

president kerry, you're up. "the a-team" is next. >>> who else could be a gun owner while creating all sorts of anti-gun propaganda in his movies and then, finally, linking gun ownership to racm? michael moore? you guessed it. >>> contraception. cath thick -- catholics and the high court, the battle between church and state, also put your money on catholic league president bill donahue. we do are and he is copd makes it hard to breathe, but with advair, i'm breathing better. so now i can be in the scene. advair is clinically proven to help significantly improve lung function. unlike most copd medications, advair contains both a anti-inflammatory and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve your lung function all day. advair won't replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms and should not be used more than twice a day. people with copd taking advair may have a higher chance of pneumonia. advair may increase your risk of osteoporosis and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a h

john kerry has other problems of his own. for instance, if you're john mccain and you're hawkish about interventi intervention, you might not like the idea of a john kerry. on the other hand, they're friends. i'm not saying anything is smooth sailing but john kerry is certainly the front-runner. there aren't any other strong candidates. >> you'd be surprised if it wasn't him. >> i'd be astonished. >> we'll hold you to that. >> thank you. >> we'll need you to weigh in on another story. >>> today on this show, let's call it the budgetary boondoggle. both sides met last night in what they'd call a frank conversation. boehner earlier in the today accused obama of dragging this out. >> i've been pushing all year for us to address this problem. here we are at the 11th hour and the president still isn't serious about dealing with this issue right here. it's this issue. spending. >> if we go over the cliff will you permit a vote to decouple that and fight again on the -- >> ifs and ands and buts are like candy and nuts. if that were

president kerry, you're up. "the a-team" is next. >>> who else could be a gun owner while creating all sorts of anti-gun propaganda in his movies and then, finally, linking gun ownership to racism? michael moore? you guessed it. >>> contraception. cath thick -- catholics and the high court, the battle between church and state, also put your money on catholic league president bill donahue. bill donahue. we do are and he is look, if you have copd like me, you know it can be hard to breathe, and how that feels. copd includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. spiriva helps control my copd symptoms by keeping my airways open for 24 hours. plus, it reduces copd flare-ups. spiriva is the only once-daily inhaled copd maintenance treatment that does both. spiriva handihaler tiotropium bromide inhalation powder does not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden symptoms. tell your doctor if you have kidney problems, glaucoma, trouble urinating, or an enlarged prostate. these may worsen with spiriva. discuss all medicines yo

kerry didn't say anything while he was in the white house. it is only two faces and voices you're supposed to see when you go to the white us. it is carney and t president. >> there are two explanations for that. one, they don't want to make any news. john kerry occasionally committed verbal gaffs in the past. remember i voted for it when before i voted ainst it. he is proud of ft that he speaks language of diplomacy which is french. you don't want to him to go up to the microphone and laps lapse into french. lou: kt mcfarland joined us. ambassador bolton is beside himself. he had run out of countries that kerry was going to mess up. what are your deepest fears? >> look, i mean for the obama administration i think john kerry is fine choice. he will do exactly what the president tells him to do. he will help the united states pass what he once famously called the global test. this is what john kerry was made to do. i agree with judy. this is it sort of the perfect. lori: job for him. he is looking to have a job for this if not years but for de

john kerry. i think it's fair to say that few individuals know as many presidents and prime ministers, or grasp our foreign policies as firmly as john kerry. this makes him a perfect choice to guide american diplomacy in years ahead. >> president obama earlier today, busy day for him, announcing john kerry as the nominee to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. kicks off the lightning round. do you think he will sail through for confirmation? >> yes, i do. i think he will work on the benghazi problem because he doesn't want anything to happen on his watch. >> how does he work on the bening problem? >> i don't know. a real question. early test for his tenure as secretary of state. republicans will demand answers and they should. >> obviously, security for the consulates around the world is going to be the big issue for kerry. does he say look, give them everything they need? he has to work in a budget. they were using local militias, local law enforcement, charles, because it was too expe

we saw a moment ago here on cnn he nominated senator john kerry for a role kerry spent his entire career planning and preparing for as secretary of state. we will take a closer look at the massachusetts senator's career next. [ female announcer ] what if the next big thing, isn't a thing at all? it's lots of things. all waking up. ♪ becoming part of the global phenomenon we call the internet of everything. ♪ trees will talk to networks will talk to scientists about climate change. cars will talk to road sensors will talk to stoplights about traffic efficiency. the ambulance will talk to patient records will talk to doctors about saving lives. it's going to be amazing. and exciting. and maybe, most remarkably, not that far away. the next big thing? we're going to wake the world up. ♪ and watch, with eyes wide, as it gets to work. ♪ cisco. tomorrow starts here. >>> president obama nominates senator john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state. you know the deal. the rumors have been circulating for quite a while after a political firestorm engulfed u.n. ambassador to

. >> thanks, this is "studio b" today, the president today tapping senator john kerry to replace hillary clinton as secretary of state in the experts say he will not face much opposition. details ahead. plus, the head of the n.r.a. making the first public statement since the sandy hook elementary school shooting amid protests there. his plea to put armed guards inside schools coming up. >> the united states marine held in mexico for an technique gun set to walk through today. all ahead, unless breaking news changes everything. this is "studio b." first from fox at 3:00, president obama revealing his choice to be the next secretary of state today nominating senator john kerry to that job. many analysts had already called it washington's worst kept secret. if confirmed senator john kerry takes on a key role in the national security team during the second term. senator john kerry would replace the current secretary of state, hillary clinton, who will step down early next year. this afternoon, president obama calling senator kerry an exemplary public servant. >> we turn the page on a decade

kerry: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from massachusetts. mr. kerry: mr. president, thank you. we are now, as everybody knows, on the convention -- on the disabilities convention. and it's my understanding we have about 48 minutes for each side. i would ask that the opponents of the treaty do what we normally do here, which is go back and forth from one side to the other. i notice there isn't anybody here for the other side, so what we'll do is use up a component of our time and then because they're not -- i think it would be fair not to chew up the time in a quorum call. so i would ask that if they are not ready to speak, to use their time that the quorum call be charged against them because i don't think we should give up our time as a result of their simply not being here. so i'd ask unanimous consent that if there is a quorum and we're not speaking, the time be charged to their side. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. lugar: reserving the trite to object. the p

we've heard an endless stream of republicans come forth and endorse john kerry. as a matter of fact, i just saw john kerry coming out of a briefing on, guess what? a closed briefing from the dni, james clapper, on benghazi.

few people in our country with greater experience than senator kerry. >> perhaps kerry's biggest challenge is not his confirmation on capitol hill but rather following in hillary clinton's footsteps. she's become one of the most popular officials in the obama cabinet, both here and abroad. and then it becomes the big political fight or at least political interest in who will fill the vacated senate seat of senator john kerry. >> she couldn't go there for the announcement at the white house because she didn't feel well. >>> the n.r.a.'s call for armed guards in schools has many furious right now. senator blumenthal is standing by to join us. >>> and avoiding that fiscal cliff. some millionaires say they're ready to take a hit. >> this country is in a lot of fiscal trouble. and i think it's the obligation of all those that can give and help out the country, we're americans and we should. welcome to chevy's year-end event. so, the 5.3-liter v8 silverado can tow up to 9,600 pounds? 315 horsepower. what's that in reindeer-power? [ laughs ] [ pencil scratches ] [ male announcer ] chevy's giving

now that senator john kerry has been officially nominated for secretary of state we'll look at his evolving stance on whistle blowers and wiki leaks if he was for it before he was against it what does that imply if he becomes america's top diplomat. and a contentious bill to ban u.s. parents from adopting russian children is making its way to vladimir putin's desk how does this bill compare to regulations in place in the usa and why are so many american parents why do they pick russian kids in the first place. and while many now feel its users are watching their favorite shows perhaps they should be asking themselves who's watching that we'll tell you about the latest u.s. bill and what it means for your online privacy in just a moment. it's wednesday december twenty sixth two thousand and twelve it's four pm here in washington d.c. i'm liz wahl in you're watching our t.v. . oh looks like massachusetts democrat john kerry will succeed us secretary of state hillary clinton the former presidential candidate got a reputation as a flip flopper during his presidential run constantly changing his

if anything, you know, john kerry will come in absolutely unscathed. with incredibly powerful relationships, throughout washington and the administration. and, i think he has the full power, you know, you look at susan rice, he has been loyal to obama and i have known her since she was a kid. she was the attack dog against john mccain, in the, you know, 2008 election and, i think that that is what hurt her in the senate, as much that's fact she used the talking points on benghazi. >> rick: fair enough. does john kerry sail through confirmation? >> sail through like a missile. the funny part -- >> rick: like a missile, you say? >> like a very fast missile. >> rick: a discussion about our top diplomat... i know what you mean. >> the rule used to be, a senator was the easiest person to confirm, because there's all kinds of privilege and all of that. but what we are seeing with chuck hagel, a republican, whose name has been bandied about for secretary of defense, he's getting shot at and, we see the words, getting rice -- because of comments he made about

i suspect secretary kerry would travel enormously. they are both very scholarly, substantive, serious people. they're also politicians. they've been elected to major offices in the state and they know how to deal with people and they know how to deal with the bureaucracy. they know how to deal with the congress. the public has very high approval of both of them so i think you're going to see similar styles, but i think you will see senator kerry in his areas of expertise which are the middle east, arms control and climate change and that will be a very strong effort on his part and then iraq. >> i hope he pays it -- >> north korea. he knows the issue well. i hope, personally, he pays more attention to latin america as someone who is a border governor, the relationship with mexico and latin america. i always feel it deserves more attention. >> governor bill richardson, former governor of new mexico. thank you so much. >>. >> thank you. >>> one of the busiest travel days of the year and mother nature making it slow going in many parts o

>> john kerry is very qualified. i had the occasion to work with him on the foreign relations committee for four years. he has been very active and engaged in international diplomacy. in particular the comprehensive peace agreement in sudan successfully concluded last year. i think he would be a good nominee for the president. jon: the senate is said to be a club, members are polite to one another? do you see any impeding his way to nomination. >> we have our approval hearings and at vice and consent in the senate. i'm sure there will be questions and analysis of his career but i think he will be confirmed. jon: would you, i presume that is going to happen fairly quickly? do you know a timetable on all of this? >> that is an important question. i think we need closure on the benghazi issue and he is in particularly interesting position as chairman of the committee while we're holding hearings on benghazi. i think it vest important for his sake and the country's sake we have closure what happened on benghazi and put t

i like john kerry like she said. john kerry is weak, i'm sorry. i voted for him. but he's not the strongest person against the republicans. and we need to pick our battles and start now. i'm sick and tired of being told by republicans who blankety blank we can pick and who we can choose while they think this is the reason why they're the way they are now because this president gave gave, gave. i'm sick of the give. i worked my butt getting people out to win ohio. i've been writing him. do not pick john kerry. i'm sorry. i don't care how many battles he has to fight. he ain't got no more time to run. fight him off. i'm here to help fight against all of those people in michigan, too. i'm sick of this. oh, we have to do this because of the republicans. >> rack her. >> bill: brenda, you're my baby! i love you! interesting, that spirit, right? i think if the president went with susan rice, it sounds like he would have a -- make a lot of people happy and have a lot of people fighting with him. >> doesn't mean he wins. >> bill: fight the fight. >> it seems there are a lo

senator john kerry. but glenn can speak more to the kerry role. >> they had the early practices. were they tough? were they encouraging the president to go after the guy? was kerry a guy who said go after him or what? >> kerry was a fairly passive participant. he was more of an active than a screenwriter in this. >> i see. >> the thing they were really worry about. this is what i found fascinating. they thought kerry was going to play pattycake with obama in order to curry favor to become secretary of state. at the first couple of prep sessions at the dnc in washington, he was really soft on obama. but it turned out obama is just not the kind of guy you can walk up to and call a failure to his face. i think that holds true with every president in these practice session. obama particularly. >> guess who did? romney did. tell me, check me on this. i had a sense he had never been talked to with such lack of deference for four years, and all of the sudden romney with all this cordiality and phony civility we

mccain sort of gigged john kerry and kerry teased him back. >> thank you very much, mr. secretary. >> thank you very much, mr. president. >> and there was a lot of joking after that. a lot of laughing. >> we should have showed. >> two of them have been close. people forget that the vietnam caucus, as strained as things have gotten in washington. >> they worked hard on that. >> what remains of it. >> with kerry and jack reed and the guys that are left, they're all -- they all look out for each other. >> where do you think it stands? there are some suggesting the president should let the susan rice issue quiet down and let her withdraw. >> there are aides in the white house a little frustrated saying hey, mr. president, you got to make a decision. the fact of the matter he hasn't made a decision between susan rice or john kerry. the argument being made, they're sort of hanging in the wind. john kerry has been very -- he has really kept a low profile. susan rice chose the opposite, a decision to say i have to save my skin here. maybe prove or disprove whether i'm worth the

will kerry be allowed to do that? or will he essentially be an executor of what the president wants. >> jamie: >> jamie: what type of foundation did hillary clinton, as secretary of state lay for the next secretary? >> it's really fascinating. she was a secretary of state who came to the office with more star power and quality than any of our previous successes with the possible exception of colin powell. i mean, she had 8 years in the white house. she was almost the president -- at least she was almost the democratic candidate for president. so she had tremendous appeal. i think by and large, she understood that barack obama is a withholding president and she identified in issues -- they weren't what i would call first tier issues. but she identified issues-- the environment, gender issues, improving -- which i think was a very important role for her to play -- improving america's image and credibility abroad through her relentless travel and the fact that she was very good at what she does. kerry's a lot stiffer and

to fill the kerry seat assuming he's confirmed? >> well, i mean, there's going to be a place holder that governor patrick will name in an interim four or five months until the special election. governor patrick has said that person will probably not be sun who would likely run for the seat. once the special election occurs in the spring, it's anyone's guess. scott brown, former governor william weld has been talked of as somebody who would run. >> and ben affleck. >> ben affleck has come up. and the democrats will be a divisive bloodbath of a primary. >> we're expecting the arrival of the president so i'm probably going to have to cut it short at this juncture and go to the president and hear what he has to say. we're going to go to the white house right now in anticipation of president obama. mike viqueira, i know you're still with us, and here is the president of the united states. let's all listen. >> good afternoon, everybody. over the last few weeks i have been working with leaders of both parties on a proposal to get our defi

here is senator kerry tonight. >> and i'm going to continue to do my work. >> senator kerry's statement red are in part as someone who was weathered my share of political attacks and understands how difficult politics can be. >> i know that she will continue to serve with great distinction and passion. >> today i made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the american people that i not continue to be considered by the president for a nomination of secretary of state. i didn't want to see a process that was very prolonged and distracting and disruptive. because there are so many things we need to get done as a country. >> ambassador rice said this. >> did you want the job? >> i would have been very honored to serve in that job. yes, sure. how can you not want to serve at the highest possible level? >> republican senators have reserve theed the nomination but they have welcomed the possible nomination of senator john kerry the current chairman of the committee that holds the hearings for the secretary of state. >> i think it works in his favor, but i love to hear hi

we've got to compare john kerry with john kerry, not with somebody else. >> what do you think his biggest hurdle will be in his upcoming confirmation hearings? >> i do not think he will have much of a hurdle. the senators know him. there has been a tendency for the senate to easily confirm one of their own. he is knowledgeable. no one is going to deny that. he has all the credentials necessary to be a good secretary of state. >> mr. rogin? >> the senate usually does confirm members -- we know there is a huge opposition to the nomination of chuck hagel to secretary of defense. he referred to the pro-israel lobby as the jewish lobby. do you think it is fair to hold chuck hagel accountable for that remark? >> i think that remark is troublesome. it shows at the best lack of sensitivity. at the worst, prejudice. i am concerned about the nomination. obviously chuck hagel has been at the center for many years and has good attributes. there's a lot of controversy not only with that remark, but with some of his votes. it is troublesome. i've been hearing a lot from my constituents, mainly in oppos

and what does it mean for kerry's senate seat? susan milligan and robert costa. >>> susan, president obama and senator kerry have shared a unique history over the past eight years and that's something that the president referred to today. >> of course, i also have to say thanks because john invited a young illinois state senator to address the democratic convention in boston. i was proud to serve with him on the foreign relations committee under the tutelage of joe biden where we all became friends. of course, nothing brings two people closer together than weeks of debate prep. john, i'm looking forward to working with you instead of debating you. >> susan, i guess the point, they've known each other in a variety of context and work apparently well together. >> they do. and ill think the other thing that's important about senator kerry in this role is that he can help bridge what has historically been a riff in the state department. they have different missions, but hopefully towards the same goal. he has street cred in both agenc

but i think john kerry will be there giving advice. i think we've had two brilliant secretaries of state in a row. what's really happened the last four years aside from all the headlines about osama bin laden, the drone strikes and the fact that we're ending the war in iraq is that we've been restoring respect for america around the world. i think kerry will make a huge contribution to that. >> now, believe it or not, just moments before the president was announcing his nomination of kerry, republicans were on the hill attacking susan rice over ben benghazi this afternoon. >> the word she told on 16, september was completely out of line with reality on the ground. i just thought she was very eager to tell a story that did not make a lot of sense. i believe to suggest this thing was anything other than a terrorist attack fit a political narrative. >> i think senator kerry will be confirmed. i don't think there will be a huge dust up about this. there may be no dust up at all. people in the senate know him. republicans have said how much

a nice statement from john kerry. i assume, by all account, until there's something we don't know, he's going to be nominated for secretary of state. >> yes, i think he will. what is interesting about john kerry is he has been out there publicly defending susan rice, saying that she would be a terrific secretary of state even as everyone knew that it's a job that he's coveted forever but being a statesman and someone who is a team player and someone who knows, likes susan rice, he went out of his way on capitol hill to defend her should she be nominated for that job. >> do you have any idea what is is going to happen for nomination as far as secretary of state is concerned? >> there hasn't been anyone else discussed. susan rice -- the main opposition was from the right but a little bit of drumbeat on the left from her record in africa that was an interesting development towards all of this. all of the signs are that senator kerry could sale through the one concern has been, can you hold his seat in a special election