Obama picks John Kerry as US Secretary of State Frontrunner
President Barack Obama has chosen Senator John Kerry to succeed Hillary Clinton as US Secretary of State. With U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice taking herself out of the running for U.S. secretary of state, attention is now turning to Democratic Senator John Kerry as the leading contender for the job.
Kerry, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, is expected to be easily confirmed by his Senate colleagues if President Barack Obama nominates him for the post.
The 69-year-old Massachusetts senator was an early Obama supporter and was considered to become his first secretary of state before the president chose Hillary Clinton. Clinton has long said she would retire after Obama's first term.
John Kerry, who has a long record in support of US affirmation of the Armenian Genocide, has frequently called for the strengthening of US-Armenia ties and recognition of the Armenian Genocide.
