In a little noticed mistake last week, John Kerry, the new secretary of state, seems to have made up the country of "Kyrzakhstan":
"The newly minted diplomat was referring to Kyrgyzstan, a poor, landlocked nation of 5.5 million, which he appeared to confuse with its resource-rich neighbour to the north, Kazakhstan," the British Telegraph claims.
"The State Department kindly omitted the error in the official transcript of Wednesday's speech, which Mr Kerry delivered on the eve of his first foreign trip as secretary of state. Mr Kerry's flub was all the more awkward, because Kyrgyzstan is a key ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and a major recipient of US aid, which totalled $41 million (£27 million) in 2011."
Kerry left yesterday on his first foreign trip as head of the State Department.
The United States Senate voted 94 to 3 to confirm one of its own, John Kerry of Massachusetts, for the office of secretary of state. Republicans John Cornyn and Ted Cruz (both of Texas) and James Inhofe of Oklahoma were the only senators to vote against Kerry's nomination to succeed Hillary Clinton at the State Department. Kerry himself voted "present."
In a joint interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama, Clinton reveals that Obama knew all along that expectations were set too high for him when he first came into office:
"What did he promise you [in order to accept the secretary of state job? And has he kept the promises?" Kroft asked Clinton, seated in front of Obama.
President Barack Obama sang John Kerry's praise today, as he nominated the former presidential candidate to be the next secretary of state. But after the president spoke, Kerry did not.
It is highly unusual for the person being nominated not speak at the press conference being held for him. Nevertheless, that's what happened today at the White House.
Even CBS reporter Mark Knoller notes this oddity on Twitter:
Barack Obama's deputy campaign manager, Stephanie Cutter, blamed Susan Rice for withdrawing her name from consideration to be the next secretary of state, not Obama. She made the comments this morning on national television:
It was believed that Ambassador Susan Rice, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, would either get the nod for secretary of state or, as a consolation prize, national security adviser. Regardless, the conventional wisdom held, Rice would be promoted in Obama's second term
But after today, it does not look like Rice, who has been under fire for mishandling the response to the Benghazi terror attack, will be appointed to either position.
Hillary Clinton reportedly prefers that her replacement be Senator John Kerry, and not Susan Rice, the current ambassador to the United Nations. Both Kerry and Rice have been rumored to be next in line for the secretary of state job. Clinton intends to step down from the post "days" after President Barack Obama's second inauguration in January.
Susan Rice, the current U.N. ambassador and a possible nominee for secretary of state, has been under fire recently for her involvement in the Benghazi scandal. Prominent senators have promised to block Rice's nomination over the matter, if President Obama puts her up for secretary of state.
Senator John Kerry, a Democrat from Massachusetts, was coy this morning when asked in the Capitol about his plans for the future. It has been speculated that Kerry might be a leading candidate to take over for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or even for Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta.
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