Obama nominates Kerry for State post

President Barack Obama has picked Sen. John Kerry for secretary of state, hailing him as an extraordinary lawmaker who has played a central part in every major foreign policy debate of the past 30 years.

Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and decorated Vietnam veteran, would replace Hillary Rodham Clinton if he's confirmed by his fellow senators.

"Today, I'm looking ahead to my second term, and I'm very proud to announce my choice for America's next secretary of state, John Kerry," Obama said. The president added: "Over the years, John has earned the respect and confidence of leaders around the world. He is not going to need a lot of on-the-job training."

Kerry's path to the nomination cleared last week when another candidate -- United Nations ambassador Susan Rice -- announced she would not pursue the post. Kerry, who turned 69 this month, has had a lifelong involvement in foreign issues. The son of a foreign service officer, Kerry fought in Vietnam and later became a leader of a veterans group that opposed the war.

Elected lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982, Kerry won his first U.S. Senate race two years later and is currently in his fifth term. He secured the Democratic Party's presidential nomination in 2004 but lost the general election to incumbent President George W. Bush. During his Senate years, Kerry opposed U.S. assistance to Nicaraguan rebels during the 1980s and criticized the Iraq war during his 2004 presidential bid against Bush.

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