President Barack Obama on Friday nominated John Kerry to replace Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, calling the veteran U.S. senator the “perfect choice” for America’s top diplomat as he began reshaping his national security team for his second term, Reuters reports.
Obama settled on Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the 2004 Democratic presidential candidate, after the frontrunner, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, withdrew from consideration last week.
With Kerry standing at his side, Obama expressed confidence that the senator – a stalwart supporter who has long coveted the State Department job – would win swift confirmation from his Senate colleagues.
“As we turn the page on a decade of war, he understands that we’ve got to harness all elements of American power and ensure that they’re working together,” Obama said.
