OK, am I the only one who was PRAYING it would be Biden so JK could be Chair of SFRC?!?!?

[Luftmensch067]

He will be, won't he? At this point, I think it's not officially offical yet that Biden is Obama's pick, but it's pretty close to! I have been waiting *forever* for the joy of seeing JK take the reins of that committee...

[JI7]

1. well, Dodd is next in line

but i was hoping Dodd for VP , Biden for Sec of state and Kerry gets to head up the committee.

of course we could do those in other combinations.

but i like the Biden pick because it puts the focus on issues rather than geography and other non issues the media always like to talk about.

[Luftmensch067]

2. Thanks for correcting me -- I wasn't sure!

I really, REALLY want JK to be Chair, but Dodd would at least let him get a few more words in edgewise, in my opinion.

And I agree with your reasons for being happy about Biden for VP!

[Inuca]

3. No :-)

And I don't think it always goes strictly by seniority, does it? I have no idea about the rules, but it seems to me that nobody is chairing two committees, at least not two major ones. Dodd chairs the banking and something else committee, and he seems to be less into FP than JK. I am almost sure that come January we will have the pleasure of seeing the tall guy in the middle (I will miss Hagel on the side though :-().

[Luftmensch067]

4. Thanks for giving me hope...LOL!

I'll miss Hagel, too. I love the way you talk about it in terms of seating -- that's how I think of the committee, too!

[MH1]

5. I was kinda hoping that Obama would come up with some GREAT but unexpected choice

so the media would have egg all over their faces. :evilgrin:

But I'm happy with Biden as the pick. I hadn't thought of JK on Foreign Relations, but it's an added bonus.

I agree with the comment that JK could get the chairmanship instead of Dodd, and I think that would be a VERY wise move. Unless of course JK is tapped for cabinet. :)

[Inuca]

6. I am very happy with Biden

but that egg thing would have been very satisfying! Watched some MSNBC and CNN last night, and I don't think there were many times when I laughed so much while watching TV. The live feeds from Biden and Bayh's houses were unbelievable. Showing Bayh through a window licking his fingers after eating a yogurt or something as breaking news! Fox (I switched to that as well, I confess) with the breaking news banner showing Biden's house in the dark, or a pizza delivery. It was insane and hilarious in the extreme. Anyway.... GO OBAMA/BIDEN!!

[ProSense]

7. Me too.

"so the media would have egg all over their faces."

Now I'm starting to believe the leak was intentional. Biden did get introduced before he appears with Obama today.

[Mass]

8. Well, I am both relieved and disappointed.

Relieved because I like Biden and that he is a lot better than the two other choices.

Disappointed because Biden is no change (36 years as a senator ), and because once again, the inside the Beltway thinking seems to have prevailed.

As for Kerry, who knows. Unfortunately and logically, this is not the preoccupation here.

[karynnj]

12. With Biden as VP, it might depend on what Obama promised Biden on Foreign policy

THree is a huge amount that needs to be done on foreign policy and Biden is likely to be involved in that as well as the SoS - with Obama himself making the key decisions. Can one Senator head two committees? Dodd may prefer his banking committee.

[TayTay]

9. Sen Dodd could pick any of 3 committees to chair if Biden becomes VP

He is the first with seniority on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee. He is not chair of that committee by choice, Sen. Feinstein of CA is.

Dodd is current chair of Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. That Committee is slightly less prestigious than the Senate Finance Committee in terms of powerful committees that control the money.

Should Sen. Biden be elected VP, then Chris Dodd will probably take the chairmanship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It is one of the original committees of the Senate and is both powerful and prestigious. Sen. Kerry would be the second ranking Dem on that Committee.

[MBS]

10. this seems to be a quite realistic assessment of the probable outcome. n/t

[Luftmensch067]

11. I'm glad to have your educated thoughts on this

And, again, I think JK will be able to say and do a lot more, even if Dodd is Chair. But I still wish...! :-)

In any case, Cabinet or no, we now know that JK stands to have a great deal more influence than ever before in terms of our nation's foreign policy and I, for one, can't wait to see him get to work!

[ginnyinWI]

13. JK might be up for a cabinet position himself-you never know.

Same for Dodd. It's going to be musical chairs for a while--so JK might end up as chairman after all, or some other post. But I'm sure Obama wouldn't want to empty the Senate of all its most senior Dems--not right away anyway. On committees, we know that often the second in seniority fills in for the chairman if he/she's not there, too--so we'll be seeing more JK for sure.

[MBS]

14. I fervently hope he does.. but -- I seem to be in a pessimistic mood today --

I'm not holding my breath. In his "truthiness" mode, Biden hasn't always been a boon to JK (wisteria posted an apt link. .), and other colleagues come and go in terms of loyalty that walks the walk. So I just hope, whatever he does, that he's not taken advantage of (which is my great fear with the S o S scenario: he would lose his senate pulpit, but then wouldn't have real power at State (a frustration for many secretaries of state in recent decades). Also, it's rare for a secretary of state to serve all 8 years, and often they leave before the end of the first terms.. and then he'd no longer have a senate position to return to . )

[Luftmensch067]

15. Hm, are they listening to us?

:-)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/08/23/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4376869.shtml

{The Politico) Sen. Barack Obama's decision to pick fellow Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as his VP nominee could have some interesting fallout in the Senate if Democrats win the White House in November.

Biden chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, and is he becomes the next vice president, the panel's gavel would be up for grabs.

Next in line is Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), who like Biden, unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination this cycle. Early betting by Senate insiders is that Dodd would not give up his chairmanship of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee in order to take over Foreign Relations. The thinking is that since Obama and Biden would set foreign policy from the White House, the Foreign Relations Committee wouldn't be as attractive a post. Also, the housing/sub-mortgate crisis has still not run its course, and with insurance and financial services companies still such an important part of the Connecticut economy, Dodd may be reluctant

Under the Senate Democrats seniority rules, that leaves Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) next in line for the chairmanship, and Kerry would jump at the opportuity, according to Democratic aides. Kerry chairs the Small Business and Entrepeneurship Committee at this time, but taking over an "A" committee would be a huge boost for Kerry. He'd get more staff, first of all, and he'd been at the center of any policy debates during an Obama administration over foreign policy, from a nomination of a new Secretary of State to ratification of a future treaty/status of forces agreement on Iraq.

Kerry currently chairs the Near East, South and Central Asian Affairs subcpmmittee on Foreign Relations.

The Massachusetts Democrat also has seats on the powerful Finance Committee, as well as Commerce, Science and Transportation.

If for some reason Kerry were not to take on Foreign Relations, next in line is Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), followed by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

[TayTay]

16. I cannot speculate on this

It is not ethically right. I am an advocate for Senator Kerry for the US Senate from Massachusetts. I cannot and should not talk about the Senator in any context but the US Senate. That is what he is running for and that is where his focus is. The Cabinet and chairmanships and all that is putting the cart before the horse. I can't go there with you guys. I have to be in the 'one thing at a time' mode.

Sen. Kerry has a primary on Sept 16th. His whole political efforts right now are bent on that reelection to the US Senate. Anything else happens after Nov 5th is neither forseeable nor real until it happens. And I can't speculate on it. I can't and won't do that in public and, to tell you the truth, I prefer not to do so in private either. (It unfocuses things.) I basically try to think of the Senate race as if it is happening all by itself. The Presidential race, from this narrow perspective, is almost not happening and is a sort of distraction to the Senate race.

The future will take care of itself, as it always does. Right now, I am narrow-focused in on the Senate race. That is my world entire at the moment. I have no idea what will happen in Dec or Jan. But I do know that we are going to overwhelmingly win this Senate race. In saying that, I serve you guys, myself and my candidate most honorably.

[Mass]

17. TayTay, just a small question if you can answer it. If not, please just say so.

Will Senator Kerry campaign for either the presidential race and/or other congress races this fall and continue to be an active surrogate for the campaign or will he focus exclusively on his work in the Senate and his reelection campaign?

For the rest, I agree this is selling the chicken before the eggs hatch (not sure it is the correct image, but I am sure you understand).

[TayTay]

18. When he is able to do so, yes

However, I cannot. I work for one candidate and one race until Sept 16th and that primary is over.

Watch the news to see what Sen. Kerry says. He has a huge amount more leeway than I do to speak. I should be speaking about one campaign only. The rest is not something I have any knowledge about.

On Sept 17th, we start the coordinated campaign for all Dems up and down the ticket. Then, dammit, we can talk.

[Mass]

19. My son ordered his absentee ballot as he will be in college then. I gave him strict instructions

about who to vote for (Just joking, he already knew).

[Democrafty]

20. I am very interested to see

what is going on on college campuses re: O'Reilly.

[Mass]

22. No clue as my son will start on Sept 1 as a freshman.

However, there seems to be a slightly higher support for EOR in Western Mass than around Boston (from lawn signs and bumpersticker). However, it is still very, very small (2 lawn signs at Longmeadow, a couple around Amherst and Northampton), but, given that there are more or less the only signs except for a few local signs and a few Obama ones, I noticed them.

[karynnj]

23. I'm there with you on that

one of the saddest things I read on the 2004 campaign were the accounts of people looking for what they could get - when they needed to focus on electing Kerry - and then figuring out how things play out. Also, whether Obama wins or not, there almost certain;y will be a Democratic Senate.

One thing I realized watching a Finance committee hearing on the hiding of income in the Cayman Islands is that Kerry is the only person on both SFRC and Finance - on many issues from the tools for falling the money of terrorists internationally to people hiding money overseas to avoid taxes, only Kerry is conversant on both the Finance and the diplomacy part. Kennedy is an example of someone who has accomplished more than many Democratic Presidents, VPs or Secretaries of state.

Given the breath of areas where Kerry is a leading Senator - not because of seniority, but because he is incredibly dedicated, creative and brilliant - he might be able to work on more as Senator.

[TayTay]

24. I think so.

I think this is a gifted person who is also a gifted and able legislator who actually cares about what he is doing as a Senator. It is not just a vanity thing for him or a chance to simply have his name attached to stuff. He knows these subjects and cares

[MBS]

26. this is what I admire so much about him.

and it's such a rare quality. . .this is why MA carpers drive me NUTS. Why they can't see how lucky they are. . Jesus.

[Luftmensch067]

25. I agree, too

My greatest hope is that JK will continue to do the amazing work he's been doing for the whole country as a Senator from MA, except now with more power and influence, in whatever configuration.

[beachmom]

21. Well, unless Dodd gets a position in the cabinet.