Kerry had some sort of presser outside the WH. ABC:

[beachmom]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/10/kerry-common-sense-that-obama-should-wait-on-new-afghan-strategy-until-runoff-compelte.html#

Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., freshly back from his five-day trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan where he brokered an agreement with Afghan President Hamid Karzai to accept a new presidential run—off election, emerged from his nearly hour long meeting with President Obama in the Oval office this afternoon.

Kerry said the President should wait until the end of the run-off election to make an overall Afghanistan strategy decision.

“I think you really want to know that this has worked and you want to know what kind of government is coming out of it,” the Senator from Massachusetts said, “I would absolutely counsel the president to wait until the end of the runoff.”

...

Kerry continued: “I don’t see how you turn to a mom or dad in Massachusetts, or California or in Wichita you know or anywhere and ask their kids to go out into an augmented effort in a country where a critical component of the mission you’re asking them to perform requires good government and you don’t know what the government is. So I would strongly urge the president to put this together in the next weeks.”

More at the link, including him acting as a "de facto" SoS. Kerry shot that one down fast.

[beachmom]

1. Also here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4113468#

[wisteria]

2. The de facto SOS suggestion is the press playing games.

They are waiting to see how Clinton reacts. What she should do is put out a statement commending Kerry for his efforts and thanking him for working with her as a team.

[beachmom]

3. Harry Reid quoted her on the Senate floor that Kerry was doing a great

job in Afghanistan.

I really don't think there is any rivalry in this instance. I think it was a crisis, they all were in crisis mode, and as you say, the press is playing games.

[TayTay]

4. Here, here!

John Kerry did a good thing. He meshed with Karzai after a lot of diplomatic work and got some action. (And I still have my suspicions about that first pitch, LOL!)

That doesn't mean others didn't try hard. They did, it contributed to the overall effect and softened Karzai up. Had it been only John Kerry telling the Afghan Pres that he lacked credibility, nothing would have happened.

It was a team effort. But there was someone who scored the goal in the end. Both things can happen.

[beachmom]

7. I think it is good to show class:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8710117#

[ginnyinWI]

5. in his element, isn't he?

I love seeing JK having the time of his life! :)

[beachmom]

6. I wonder if this was on camera. Anyone?

[fedupinBushcountry]

8. I found this

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/program/289576-1 But it has not aired yet. Not in the schedule either, but would check later depending when the Senate and House finish today.

[Luftmensch067]

9. Oh, nice find, Fedup!

Hope to catch it!!!

[Luftmensch067]

11. Right now, CSPAN sched is listing presser at these times

7:15 pm EST on CSPAN 3

Repeat at 8 pm EST on CSPAN 1

About 22-23 minutes

[YvonneCa]

12. I just watched the C-Span 3 coverage...

...of JK's press conference. It was great...he was very thorough and gave detailed answers to every question (he's so good at that). :)

[Luftmensch067]

13. Hooray!

I won't be able to catch it 'til the late night repeat, alas! Hope they really show it -- you know CSPAN!

[YvonneCa]

14. It should be on in five minutes...

...if I calculated correctly. C-Span 1. It's pretty long. And he did such a good job. He finally had the chance to demonstrate his knowledge about complicated foreign policy issues. And he said he will be giving a speech to the CFR on Friday. :)

[Luftmensch067]

15. OK, you convinced me!

Watching online now, before I go home from work! My, he looks good. And a CFR speech should be archived online, I hope!

[YvonneCa]

16. He does look great. It's good to see...

...the media focus on his leadership.

[Luftmensch067]

10. Just a smidge of presser in larger NECN report

Here:
http://www.necn.com/Boston/Politics/2009/10/21/Kerry-praised-for-persuading/1256161169.html

[beachmom]

17. Also, Politico has a video of excerpts from the press conference:

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1009/reporting_for_duty_f01fff11-51fe-4380-a17e-531a3fc22aab.html#

[beachmom]

18. Dick Cheney (like 2004 all over again):

http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#1MjmDh/www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/10/cheney_obama_is_dithering_over.html?ft=1&f=103943429/stumblethru:undefined

-- Said "the White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger" in Afghanistan. "Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries. Waffling, while our troops on the ground face an emboldened enemy, endangers them and hurts our cause."

-- Assailed the Obama team for not imitating the Bush administration on national security policy.

"Eight years into the effort, one thing we know is that the enemy has spent most of this time on the defensive -- and every attempt to strike inside the United States has failed," Cheney said. "So you would think that our successors would be going to the intelligence community saying, 'How did you did you do it? What were the keys to preventing another attack over that period of time?'

"Instead, they've chosen a different path entirely -- giving in to the angry left, slandering people who did a hard job well, and demagoguing an issue more serious than any other they'll face in these four years. No one knows just where that path will lead, but I can promise you this: There will always be plenty of us willing to stand up for the policies and the people that have kept this country safe."

Then he goes on to defend torture. Just awful. God he is evil.

[Luftmensch067]

19. Oh, God -- they aired this horrible "Keeper of the Flame" dinner right before JK last night

Before the late-night repeat. I had to wait to make sure it was over before I started recording JK. I had the sound off, of course, but just looking at Rumsfeld and Kyl introducing him and all those ghouls congratulating each other and handing each other "patriotic" trophies and then looking at Cheney spreading more hate with that twisted smile gave me absolute chills.