John and Teresa are listed as guests for the China state dinner

[karynnj]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2011/01/expected_attendees_at_the_stat.html

They showed Michelle and Barak greeting the Chinese President - Michelle as always looked fantastic. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x594630

[Mass]

1. Good to see, even if not really surprising...

More remarkable is that Lugar will go too, only Senate Republican to go (and there is no House Republican either, not even Kerry's counterpart).

BTW, your governor will go. He seems to be one of the very few governors to be there.

[Inuca]

7. I saw the short exchange with Christie as he was arriving

this morning on MOrning Joe. Asked how come he is there since no other R is (an exageration, but close enough it seems), he replied something like "that makes me more special". Not a fan of Christie, but he has spirit which is a plus in my book. How horrible is he from inside NJ, Karyn?

[karynnj]

20. He is a complete jerk - in every way possible

He is a bully - and so unlikable that the Morris County Republicans defeated him when he ran for re-election to be a freeholder.

[karynnj]

9. I am completely impressed with Lugar

He was incredible standing up to Heritage et al on the START treaty - even to the point of calling all the other Republicans who were making outrageous excuses. No matter how good a job Kerry did leading the floor fight or Obama did in marshaling administration forces, it would not have passed without Lugar.

Add to that, he is now speaking of favoring reinstating the assault weapons ban.

I think it is disgraceful that the head of the House Foreign relations Committee sees fit not to attend. It is interesting that the head of Human Rights Watch understood that going does not mean you support the Chinese government. http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/01/ileana-ros-lehtinen-turns-down-invite-to-state-dinner-with-chinas-hu.html

I would bet that had a significant number of people in China's government refused to attend a dinner when an American President visited China, Ros-Lehtinen would be among the first to take that as a slight to the United States.

Christie likely loved the attention - and the food. I would guess that few governors were invited. It is good that he attended.

[Inuca]

13. Absolutely agree about Lugar

he has become the almost only standard bearer of R decency. And it's kind of gutsy of him to annouce so early that he is going to run for reelection. I know that 2 years is a long, long time, and that he is supposed to be very popular in IN, but still...

[wisteria]

2. Good to see Teresa attending also. I figured Kerry would be there.

And yes, doesn't Michelle look beautiful?

[Inuca]

8. She does. And

that dress, combined with her skin not to mention body, is an absolute stunner. I don't go ga-ga easily over fancy dresses, but that dress (with Michelle in it) seems almost a work of art.

[wisteria]

10. Oh, I agree! n/t

[karynnj]

3. They were at Obama's table -- and I found a picture of them walking in

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2011/01/rs-_seating.html

Here's a link to the photo - http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-250_162-10006358-25.html?tag=page;next

[wisteria]

4. Thank you! I couldn't find one of them. They both look wonderful.

And, seated at the Presidents table too.

[ProSense]

5. Great find.

JK and Teresa look wonderful.

Thanks.

[karynnj]

6. They seem to have re-ordered them - and that link now goes top Kissinger

but - here is the new Kerry one - http://www.cbsnews.com/2300-250_162-10006358-26.html?tag=page

For what it's worth, here is the seating plan - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/19/AR2011011906961.html

[wisteria]

11. Wow, directly across from Jintao and almost directly across from Obama. n/t

[karynnj]

12. Another photo of the Kerrys

http://www.ctpost.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=535670&width=628&height=471

[Mass]

14. The Herald seems to have taken offense of Kerry being there.

http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/20110121a_merry_kerry_wines_dines_hobnobs/srvc=home&position=also

I am not surprised by that (unfortunately). In fact, all that is part of an effort to make Kerry look out of touch (I wonder what he could have done to help people during the snow storm, but it works). It is absolutely stupid, of course, but this is what happens when you are absent from the state for a long time.

[karynnj]

15. Here's one answer - though too complicated for the BH crowd

Connect the dots:

Look at the seating chart ( http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2011/01/rs-_seating.html ) and see who the President seated next to Senator Kerry - Jeff Immelt. Who is Jeff Immelt, the CEO of GE, who "will chair a new Council on Jobs and Competitiveness that Mr. Obama intends to create by executive order." ( http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/business/economy/21volcker.html?hp ) What was Kerry's last very well received speech on - improving competitiveness. ( http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2011/01/if_you_read_only_one_john_kerr.html )

So, in addition to being where he should be as chair of the Senate Foreign relations committee - as was Senator Lugar, the Ranking Member of the SFRC, he had face time with the man who will lead the administration's effort to CREATE JOBS. Yes, Senator Kerry is working to make America competitive and create jobs.

As to the snow, he has NO jurisdiction over clearly snow or declaring a national emergency - the Governor and other state and local officials have the first and the Governor the second. What can a US Senator do? After the Governor asks for federal help - back him up. This, of course can be done (possibly easier) from DC. Not to mention, the fact that he is clearly well regarded by the administration likely gets his office's calls answered far faster than other Senators.

[Luftmensch067]

18. I was glad to see that there are some positive comments

on that thread. Personally, I think they are magnificent.

[karynnj]

21. I'm out of there now - taking some wise advise from someone here that when they

resort to personally attacking me - I have essentially won the substantive argument.

What is really bizarre here is that it shows how little they really have when they think that a candid picture taken from a distance likely without their knowledge of a Senator with his arm around his wife on a boat is considered a "gothcha" moment.

[beachmom]

16. Again, huh? What does a Senator have to do with snow removal?

Sorry, but the situation in Georgia was MUCH WORSE, and I point my finger at the state, not elected officials who serve in DC. As in the governor and the state DOT. Maybe some mayors. But a U.S. SENATOR?

And to be clear, I criticize Sen. Kerry when warranted but in this case no way.

[wisteria]

17. He just got back from Sudan very recently. Interesting how they fair to mention that.

And, who knows when the picture was taken?
Oh, and did you notice it took three people to write that one smear piece?

[karynnj]

19. I went and read it and it really is what Mass said - another story

to remind people that the Kerrys are very very rich.

As you said the picture could have been taken at any time - but it's possible that Kerry left after his Tuesday speech and returned before the dinner. That, though would mean at most a one week vacation -- with his wife and daughter - when the Senate was in recess.

Yes you would think that the week in Sudan and the hundreds of hours he spent on New START might count for something.

Not to mention - he got money for Massachusetts hospitals yesterday - http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2011/01/mass_slated_to.html?rss_id=Top+Stories

[wisteria]

22. According to the BH, he is not suppose to have any down time. Meanwhile where is Brown? n/t

[karynnj]

23. I found where Brown will be in March - speaking to people in a conservative area of Illinois

http://www.dupagegop.com/lincoln-day-dinner

(Here is an article from an IL Conservative complaining about it - http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/publius-forum/2011/01/an-open-letter-to-the-dupage-county-gop-protesting-sen-scott-brown-visit.html )

I wonder if Brown, with his one year of being Senator, will face the same MA hurt that he is clearly exploring higher opportunities that Kerry seemed to - even though he is a fifth term Senator.

[wisteria]

25. Republicans are given the benefit of wanting to acheive more, Democrats are not.

It will be interesting to see what developes between Brown and the people of MA.

[ObamaKerryDem]

24. Great pics! Teresa and Michelle look lovely. Beautiful couples, the Kerrys and the Obamas..

..:loveya: So awesome that they were seated in such close proximity!

And the BH criticizing him for being there...pft. Typical. They just do.not.get.it. :)