AP's excerpts of interview with Sen. Kerry today

[beachmom]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggVjA7M68eJB1pFi9fRXUHGhmX-AD9BFQ3G81

You can read all the stuff about Karzai at the link. I just thought this was interesting:

On the division of labor between himself and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton:

_ "I had a lot more time. She did the phone calls, and that's a briefer amount of time."

_ One time, "I was in the room when she called. And they had a very respectful conversation. It was at the earlier stage when he was pretty forceful about not doing this or that."

_ "My luxury was that I could take a little more time. But I turned up the dial a few times, believe me."

He also was asked if he wanted to be SoS (kind of stupid), but he says he has a "great job" now. Then this, which is quite interesting:

On Kerry's loss in the 2004 presidential election and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's influence:

_ Kennedy "advised me initially to run for president again. That was his first advice, not long after the race, about six months after. He thought there was no reason in the world that I shouldn't think about doing it again. He felt very strongly about that."

_ "One of the things I'm proud of is that literally when the campaign was over, I did not go down for some period of time and hide and sit around and say, 'What happened?'"

_ "I kept working. Bottom line is one of those things that Ted Kennedy said to me: 'Look, you know, go do the work. You gotta do the work. Stay steady. Keep your head down and you know, life changes.'"

So Teddy both told him to run and then told him not to run.

[beachmom]

1. This HuffPost article (which appears to use the AP article) has more quotes

than anything I have read yet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/kerry-becomes-global-advi_n_329426.html

I KNEW it:

Karzai, Kerry said, felt deeply that he had won the election and that he was being insulted for trying to have a democratic process. Kerry could relate.

"Do I understand the day after an election where you think you've won, or you have votes that weren't counted or something? Been there, done that," Kerry said. He talked to Karzai about his own loss to George W. Bush in 2004 and about the 2000 election, in which the Supreme Court called the contested election for Bush.

"It helped him see that ... every country's gone through its difficult races," Kerry said.

I think this is the most Kerry has talked about his electoral loss in 2004 in a very, very long time.

This is also a better ending than the original AP article I read:

Earlier Wednesday, Gibbs slipped during an off-camera briefing and called Kerry, "Secretary Kerry." Gergen did the same thing during a telephone interview.

"I'm famous for making one or two slips in my public life," Kerry said with a weary smile. "So I wouldn't take that too seriously."

:)

[wisteria]

2. Where does Senator Kennedy change his advise about running again?

Kerry never says he changed his mind on this recommendation.

It is interesting though that Kennedy would suggest this to Kerry. The Democratic party is notorious for never running a candidate more than once. They always find some way to defeat them if they try.
And, as for SOS, I am fairly certain that Kerry is happy where he is right now at this place in time. I think that is why Clinton was comfortable letting him do his magic. And, right now, we do not need competition inside and outside the White House. Who knows what the future holds though. I never say never. But, if he will always remain the Senator from Mass. that would not diminish what the Senator has done on behalf of this country.

[beachmom]

3. In December '06. Remember? He kind of gave him an ultimatum in the Globe.

I remember reading it, and it was clear the PARTY did not want him to run, and that Teddy was delivering the message. That is why I am shocked a bit that he told him to run again 6 months after the 2004 election.