"Senator Kerry's entire life has been preparation for this role." This is how President Barack Obama greeted the nomination of Massachusetts Senator John Kerry as the new secretary of state.
Obama opened the speech by recalling outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who worked "tirelessly" and would have liked to be present at Kerry's nomination, but who "is yet to recover" after last week's incident.
According to the President, Kerry understood that the US military needs "a clear mission" and "resources". Furthermore, Obama added, the new Secretary of State "has earned the respect of leaders around the world."
