Kerry to visit Pakistan as bin Laden tensions grow

[Mass]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/05/10/kerry_to_visit_pakistan_as_bin_laden_tensions_grow/

So, our good senator is once again using his good relations in this area of the world to help the administration.

Where next? China? http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/hillary-clinton-and-chinese-doom-the-dave-chappelle-factor/238650/

(Just joking, but this is such a weird statement that you wonder what she was thinking)

[ObamaKerryDem]

1. He is amazing! Wishing him safe travels..

..that part of the world must be so incredibly nervewracking to travel in right about now, though I am sure he is in good hands. It really is incredible, all the things he does and how very knowledgable he is in this area!

[karynnj]

3. ditto

It is important that he goes, but being the first top level American there likely will make this a tough trip. It is scary.

[Inuca]

2. I was willing to bet that it was

going to happen. Here is the Politico account http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/John-Kerry-headed-to-Pakistan-1374990.php

[karynnj]

4. Nice article, but I wish that they were knock off the SoS stuff -

escpecially as it comes because he is doing a great job in his current position and, if the SoS was picked by reason of who had the gravitas and experience - and who Obama owed, he would have been the first Obama SoS.

I suspect that the same reasons Biden had for arguing that JK would be better (for the administration) as Senator still hold. There is also another possible reason. Let's say that the Democrats JUST held the Senate. There are two possibilities.
1) Warren beat Brown - in which case, the fear would likely be that Brown would have the name recognition to again win a special election. (Whether his proide would let him - and if he would then want to again face election in 2014, I don't know.

2) Brown won and would become the senior Senator and there would be risk (though low) that some Republican could take the other seat.

The politics might make it less likely - and JK would be again labeled as having "lost" relative to whoever is picked.

[Mass]

5. They wont stop with the SoS. It is a meme and they dont know how to stop memes.

Aside from that, my guess is that the likelihood of SoS Kerry in 2012 will depend on whether the Senate remains Democrat or not. I remember Biden in 2004 when he was asked whether he would be SoS of Kerry or not. His answer was that, if he could be SFRC chair, he would prefer this because it would give him more freedom, but of course, if he is no more chair, and in particular if Lugar is beaten and Corker or somebody like that becomes chair, it may look different. But of course, this SoS position is for Obama to give. We already know that.

As for the 2012 election in MA, a few cautionary points. First, Warren is not the candidate and there is at least one other serious candidate, Khazei. I have yet to see polls showing who will be the favorite. And there is still a possibility that the person who will see his representative seat threatened will jump in the Senate race.

If Brown is beaten by anybody, he is done. This election is his to lose and there are other names in waiting who would want a shot at the apple. In addition, it is expected that well-known Democrats are sitting this election out because they want to be ready for a potential special election in 2013 that would not force them to leave their current position in order to run.

[karynnj]

6. Great points

If the Senate majority goes to the Republicans, every part of his job there would be worse - and though he could still be an emissary for Obama, that would not be as good as doing that as SoS. (SFRC with a Republican other than Lugar would be awful.)

You are also right that I should have used the Democrat rather than Warren.