I'll say it: Sec. Kerry has done a fantastic job.

[Drunken Irishman]

I am so happy to have him there leading the way. I truly believe he and Obama can do a lot of good on the international stage these next few years.

[Kaleva]

1. He certainly does seem to be on top of things.

[shenmue]

2. He's awesome.

[sheshe2]

3. Agreed.

Thank you DI!

[vadermike]

4. great job

Would like to see more details, but so far, Great Job, Mr. Kerry and President Obama!!!!! This should help raise approval rating of Dems/President O as well! American's like getting BFD like this!!! Way to go!!

[applegrove]

5. Yes it looks like Kerry will be SOS of the same caliber as Hillary Clinton.

[randome]

11. Not trying to start an argument but...

...it looks to me like Kerry will eclipse Clinton by a mile in the time that's left to him.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[applegrove]

13. Maybe. But don't you think Hillary deserves some credit for

helping the arab spring scare the smirk off Iranians faces? That and continued sanctions? Wasn't that the one two punch that made Iran afraid enough to want to deal?

[randome]

14. I'm not sure so I'll concede that's possible.

It just strikes me as a breath of fresh air that Kerry hit the ground running and has accomplished so much already. Maybe Hillary laid the groundwork for him, maybe he changed directions and tempo at the right time. I suppose the historians will tell us eventually.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]

[applegrove]

16. I'm just happy that Kerry is doing so well.

[karynnj]

38. I hope you are not giving HRC "credit" for the Arab Spring

It was a natural reaction of youth of the area to oppression and it has been both a reason to hope for change and a reason to fear instability.

I do think that everyone from Obama, Susan Rice (as UN ambassador), and Congress (including the tall Chair of SFRC) AND their counterparts in other major countries ALL deserve credit for the smart sanctions.

That said, if the past would have dictated the future, had HRC remained SoS, it is likely that a special envoy or someone else in the administration would have represented the United States - just as Biden did on Iraq, Mitchell did on Israel, Holbrooke did on Pakistan (until he was too hated and Obama had to send Kerry there and to Afghanistan).

Hillary did good in managing the State Department and she was an inspiring advocate for Women and children.

Not to mention, the BEST thing that could happen for Hillary is that Kerry (and Obama who is the one who is the final voice on anything foreign policy) have incredible success. The best case (and she has many good cases) for Hillary is that Obama is viewed as a huge success. She was part of the administration, so it is more natural to run ON their accomplishmants, than to have to run as change against your own party.

Kerry will not run for President. He can't and be Secretary of State. As long as there are places he can try to make more peaceful, he will likely be far happier doing that than fund raising for a grueling Presidential race. Not to mention, Teresa has health problems and that alone would stop him. Not to mention, winning a "Whose the best SoS" contest does not make you more likely to win as President. HRC has media support that Kerry never dreamed of.

Therefore, it is not good to see this as a zero sum game.

[karynnj]

33. I agree that HRC is very likely to be President, but even her supporters mostly

do not say that she was an exceptional Secretary of State - just a very good one.

She did not do a great deal of diplomacy. She is given credit for making women's rights and other issues a higher profile international issue.

Kerry has been focused on foreign policy since he was the young son of a diplomat. Note that HRC did not choose the SFRC. Kerry, when he entered the Senate was asked to pick three committees he would be interested in - he answered SFRC, SFRC, SFRC. (Pell then chair of the committee had actually said in 1971 to Kerry after he testified that he hoped he would some day be in that body.) He is an exceptionally skilled negotiator.

As to HRC, on Iran, she deserves some of the credit with Obama, then US Ambassador, and the US Congress (including the then chair of SFRC) for implementing the tough sanctions on Iran and not pushing to go to war - as McCain likely would have done.

Let's not forget that JK was not the sole foreign minister. The EU representative was incredible as well. As to JK, the most surprising thing I've read is that in the previous negotiations, when France balked, he met with the French minister and IN FRENCH renegotiated the parts that were in question. The allies then agreed to that, but Iran balked. (Reading this explains why it was true to say BOTH that France was the reason there then was no agreement AND that Iran was the country that rejected it - both are true.)

[Whisp]

6. He should set an example for all SoS in the future.

A good man, with a good heart and a lot of common sense.

[karynnj]

34. +1000000 Couldn't have said it better

Reminds me of the Hunter Thompson endorsement of him for President in Rolling Stone.

Of course I will vote for John Kerry. I have known him for thirty years as a good man with a brave heart — which is more than even the president’s friends will tell you about George W. Bush, who is also an old acquaintance from the white-knuckle days of yesteryear.

[RKP5637]

7. Yep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[hog]

8. Remember McCain

Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

[progressoid]

22. Oh god,

can you imagine what horrors would have ensued with him at the helm?

[karynnj]

35. Or his most recent comment that JK is a "wrecking ball"

Coming from McCain, this is the highest endorsement we could get that JK is pursuing a sane path in the world - taking a wrecking ball to McCain's neo con dreams.

[ZRT2209]

9. The President of Iran is less of an asshole than John Boehner.

[NBachers]

10. Or John Bolton

[NBachers]

12. World leaders trust him- John Kerry is an extraordinary man to have working for all of us.

[TheDonkey]

15. Proud of JFK

Even though the media will always attack him, he is a great leader and I'm not surprised at his early success.

[Tanta]

17. Talking now

On MSNBC.

[WinkyDink]

18. One weeps for what was stolen.

[Whisp]

19. He is a true leader of what the job should represent.

Diplomacy.

[pasto76]

20. Sec Kerry is a veteran of a foreign war

maybe most of you missed his testimony back then: How do you ask someone to be the last one to die for this war?

go back 2 months with so many people calling him a warmonger and 'itching' to go to 'war' with syria. Bullshit then and bullshit now. No war veteran would ever rush to conflict. Thats the difference between Kerry and JFK (re: cuban missile crisis when he was pushed very hard to start a war) and shitbags like Bush.

Im happy he's there.

[fadedrose]

21. He's the right man for the times

[Pretzel_Warrior]

23. another K&R so hopefully some of these Kerry/Iran threads get to top of Greatest Page

WHERE THEY F'ING BELONG!!

[ancianita]

24. I think of Kerry & Obama as a team. Kerry speaks softly and Obama carries the big stick.

[creeksneakers2]

25. He got a great result with Syria too

Maybe the best SOS ever.

[seveneyes]

26. Good that Kerry has insured neither Iran nor its Jihadists will have a nuke to threaten anyone with

The last thing we needed was to have millions incinerated by a thermonuclear weapon.

[CherokeeDem]

27. Absolutely!

A tremendous accomplishment to get to this point and if they can keep Iran to their word, a major accomplishment for the Administration.

[DonCoquixote]

28. syria, now iran

Looks like the thrid world war will have to be on hold.

[CanonRay]

29. End the Iraq War. Killed bin Laden. No war in Syria. Now a deal with Iran.

Geez, what a lousy President.

PS: Die of shame, Republicans.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

30. you bet he has!

[babylonsister]

31. Agreed!

This is monumental; can't wait til Israel shows their appreciation!

[karynnj]

36. Many might - Israel is no more all Likud, than we were all Republican in 2003

As to American Jews, he got about 75% of Jewish votes in 2004. Netanyahu lobbied hard for Romney (some say inappropriately hard), but Obama got about the same percent.

[ProSense]

32. Kick! n/t

[UTUSN]

37. R#65 & K n/t

[treestar]

39. And I'll bet this will get a lot of attention in the M$M!

Yeah, probably not.

[Beacool]

40. Good job done by Kerry, the president and the other countries who were involved in the deal.

Also, kudos to Rouhani, none of this would have happened if he hadn't approached the international community. There would have been no deal under Ahmadinejad, unfortunately he was in power until the summer.

[awoke_in_2003]

41. K&R. nt

[MoonRiver]

42. Absolutely!

Just love Secretary Kerry!