Kerry to opt for the senator who copied Kinnock (Biden tapped for SoS?)

[VolcanoJen]

From Times Online (London-UK); conservative-biased, but interesting nonetheless:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1334724,00.html

The man whose presidential ambitions were destroyed when he plagiarised Neil Kinnock is set to become America’s chief foreign policymaker if John Kerry is elected President next Tuesday.
Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware has been asked by Mr Kerry to become Secretary of State in a Democratic administration, according to Kerry campaign aides. Mr Biden, the leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the past four years, ran for President in 1988. His campaign ended abruptly when it was revealed that a key element of his stump speech had been lifted directly from Mr Kinnock’s general election speeches in 1987.

But Mr Biden has since emerged as a leading foreign policy figure in the Democratic party and is expected to take the job offered by Mr Kerry unless political factors intervene. Were the Democrats to retake control of the Senate, he might prefer to remain as a lawmaker, but those who know him think that unlikely.

Mr Biden’s possible elevation is one of the thousands of permutations circulating in Washington in the final days before the presidential election. If Mr Biden does go to the State Department it will be a disappointment for Richard Holbrooke, the UN Ambassador during the Clinton Administration and the architect of the Dayton peace accords that ended the Bosnian war in 1995. Mr Holbrooke has lobbied hard for the Secretary of State ’s job. But in what will be seen as both an effort to conciliate the famously self-confident Mr Holbrooke, and as a signal change from Bush administration policy, Mr Kerry is likely to offer him the job of special Middle East peace co-ordinator, senior Democrats say.

Mr Kerry plans to announce both appointments soon after the election as a sign of the urgency he assigns to mending diplomatic fences.

<snip>

One puzzle for the Democratic team is the Pentagon. Mr Kerry is understood to want his friend John McCain, the Arizona senator, to be Defence Secretary. But Mr McCain is believed to be reluctant. The confirmed maverick might fit uncomfortably even in his close friend’s administration. If the Republicans keep control of the Senate, the Arizona senator will take the powerful job of chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Another possibility is Chuck Hagel, the Nebraska senator, also a Republican. Mr Kerry is said to be intent on removing Porter Goss, who was confirmed as the head of the CIA only this month. A candidate to replace him is Bob Graham, the retiring Florida senator.

...more Kerry Cabinet Speculation here

[tishaLA]

1. Wow. I have to admit, Biden is smart....

but I was hoping for Clark or Rubin. I don't believe the Mccain bullshit.

[Carolab]

2. CLARK

definitely.

Graham, NO. He supported Goss wholeheartedly.

Biden is strong.

McCain--after he stumped for Bush? I don't think so.

[AngryLizard]

3. Tempting fate! Tempting fate!

Puh, puh! QUICK, SOMEONE GET SOME SALT AND TOSS IT OVER YOUR SHOULDER!

I don't want to hear anything about a Kerry Cabinet until Kerry is in a position to pick one!

GOTV!!

[VolcanoJen]

5. It's kinda fun, though, you gotta admit.

And, it pours baking soda all over the butterflies in my stomach.

VISUALIZE THE BUSH CONCESSION SPEECH!!!

[Eurobabe]

18. funny you mention, i was visualizing that this AM!!

he'll be cocky, no doubt.

[krkaufman]

4. Kerry had fricking better NOT pick a Republican to run Defense.

(1) Look what they have done.
(2) Exactly how is the Left supposed to demonstrate strength on national security, if we appoint Republicans to run the Defense Department?

[Voltaire99]

7. Agreed, the McCain idea is pathetic.

If Kerry holds out an olive branch to the right by nominating McCain, it will be tantamount to saying that the lies about the invasion didn't matter.

But let's be honest: Biden is no better. There is scarcely any difference between those two warmongers. Both are imperialists, both gung-ho Iraq invaders.

[Was_Immer]

15. I dunno I think McCain would be good

Definately show unity. Hes a moderate

[Skittles]

17. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NIO

McCain is a F***ING CONSERVATIVE who has lost every shred of respect by PIMPING for the man who TRASHED HIS FAMILY in 2000. ENOUGH WITH THIS McCAIN BULLSHIT - he deserves NOTHING.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. Bill Clinton had a Republican Secretary of Defence

http://www.defenselink.mil/specials/secdef_histories/bios/cohen.htm

[MADem]

21. Cohen was a New England Republican

They are more liberal than some southern democrats. Also, his wife, Janet, is a democrat--she was the most popular SECDEF wife, EVER. A very nice woman, lovely, too.

[sundancekid]

6. Clark just HAS to be named NSA and work closely WITHIN the W.H.

Together with the SoS and decent people at Defense and CIA, Clark being right there at the ear of President Kerry would allow the whole world to have faith in our foreign relations again ... we all fully respect and admire Gen. Clark, as does the global community.

[VolcanoJen]

10. I'm all about Wes Clark as NSA

:D

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

12. Yep...

... Clark is a natural for the NSA position. This has been mentioned for half a year or more.

[MADem]

23. He had his problems with Michael Jackson

...the general, not the child molester. So the Brits may not leap for joy at the choice.

[The_Casual_Observer]

8. This whole thing is sweet. Replacing the carpet while the

previous owners are still living in the house. They must be pissing off cheney & co big time.

[truthisfreedom]

9. uhh, excuse us please. we're going to need you to move your cabinet

over there? oh, you're busy?

WE'LL MOVE IT FOR YOU.

[DarthDem]

11. Biden His Time

Biden is my favorite Senator, so I would miss him. Moreover, the governor of Delaware, cruising toward re-election, is a Democrat, so we wouldn't lose the seat immediately, but the state's sole Rep., Castle, is a very popular Repuke who could win a special election. That worries me.

As for the McCain idea, PEOPLE, PLEASE. Relax about it. We would gain a Senate seat!! And it's not like McCain would be running things without Kerry's blessing.

[VolcanoJen]

13. Biden is the BEST Senator.

I've been at odds with him in the past, but after witnessing, in person, his impassioned speech on the floor during the Iraq War Supplemental (the famed $87 billion), I really came around. And forgave him for supporting it, because he made it clear to me what he was doing.

At any rate, he'd be a real gift to this nation as Secretary of State. I wholeheartedly support the notion.

[MajorFlaw]

14. I remember when Biden ran for pres. He seemed like a bright, decent

guy but a bit of a lightweight. This past year he has shown himself to be the toughest and most eloquent member of the senate. ("The reason we don't torture our prisoners is that we don't want our own prisoners tortured. Get it?") He starts by explaining his own concerns and then proceeds to rip the shrubco witness a new one. His tone and cadence are impressive, and the substance is there.

Since you seem to know more about Biden than I do, can you tell me when he became such a heavyweight. I could make a good argument for Kerry choosing him for VP--the Biden-Cheney debate would be brutal; Biden is quite capable of kicking Cheney's ass from one end of the room to the other. Although I admire Wes Clark, Biden would be an excellent choice for SOS. And Graham appears to be tailor made for DCI or whatever they end up calling the national security director.

[Momof1]

16. McCain...Genius...

What would give more stability to the Nation. Kudos

[MADem]

20. If Biden taking the job means losing the Senate

...there will be some rethinking there. I think there might be some bullshitting going on here. You tell a staffer that you think is talking too much a juicy lie, and see if it shows up in the paper. Then, to use popular GOP vernacular, you go about "caging" said staffer.

I like Biden, though. He is a smart SOB, and a reasonable man. He'd be fine in the job. Clark as NSA, though? Better than at the Pentagon, I guess. Wes's last year on active duty was fraught with a lot of shit, some of which he did not handle well. Nothing against him, mind you, but he was not working or playing well with others during his last tour. There were a lot of people who were very happy to see him exit early, and it had a lot to do with the way he treated people and failed to take counsel or close loops. He brought all of his woes on himself, too, and a lot of it had to do with his personality. No flames, please, these are my personal observances.

Also, remember that it was Wes who was delighted, and carried water about, the Alex Polier non-scandal. That was kind of a low move on Wes's part. His throwing another log on the fire with that subtle comment about JFK "imploding over an intern" was a cheap shot...and him not knowing enough about the political arena to say "off the record" before he opened his mouth did him in, because he got busted about his comments.

[progressivebydesign]

22. Oh BS. Kerry is NOT picking his staff or Cabinet. NO WAY! n/t

[MADem]

24. I agree with you

He's done some preliminary shortlisting, but he has not nailed down many choices. I'll bet he has a strong view on State, but the rest can wait.

You can bet any reporters with pals who do high level clearances will be sniffing around eagerly, looking to see who is vetted after NOV 2. It is way easier to pick people already in government, to include the military, because the process is truncated. Private schmucks, it takes forever.