Feingold Could Become Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee if Kerry Nominated

[tekisui]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Feingold_could_become_Chairman_of_Foreign_1111.html


If Sen. John Kerry becomes President-Elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairmanship will likely pass to one of the most outspoken critics of the Bush Administration and the only senator to vote against the USA Patriot Act: Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.

"Speaking of secretary of state, it's looking increasingly like Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) may get the nod for that post, a possibility that is driving some Senate Democrats to distraction," Washington Post insider and In The Loop columnist Al Kamen revealed Tuesday.

Kamen said Democrats in Congress are nervous about the appointment because Kerry would be the third member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to depart.

Foreign Relations Chairman Sen. Joe Biden has been elected Vice President; Sen. Chris Dodd has announced he's staying on as Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee; Kerry would be third in line of seniority.

Next in line to chair the committee is Sen. Feingold.

more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Feingold_could_become_Chairman_of_Foreign_1111.html

[Buzz Clik]

1. Ok...

The Obama transition team has made it abundantly clear that any announcement of a nominee that does not come from them is speculation based on nothing.

The "short" list for Secretary of State is at least 5 names long.

[natrat]

2. bummer , we have to accept a scumbag as sec of state in order to get someone with integrity

[tekisui]

3. You think Kerry's a "scumbag"?

[karynnj]

5. Kerry's integrity is second to no one's

You might want to go over to the Senate record and see the number of joint Kerry and Feingold bills there are - on Iraq, Afghanistan, voting and other issues. I doubt Feingold would agree with you.

[karynnj]

4. Dodd would not be departing - he would still be on the committe

He would just waive being chair. I also think that Kerry will be chair of SFRC. Though I think he would be an awesome Secretary of state, his Senate assignments put him in a strong position to really help get Obama's plans through. Kerry's spokeswoman has tried hard to tamp down the SOS speculation saying that he wants to stay in the Senate - and he spoke of a broad range of things he wanted to do in his victory speech. Given his relationship with Obama and chairing the SFRC, he could influence foreign policy enormously. (Remember that he was with Obama before the FP debate, his convention speech was unvetted, and he did the closing MTP)