John Kerry

He held up all appointments - such as on EPA - as hostage on Cuban policy in 2009.

Barbara Boxer has more seniority than he does - so I guess they are assuming she will keep the environmental committee. Part of what this shows is that the SFRC lost most of the top people from as recently as 2006 - Biden, Sarbanes, Dodd, Feingold and Bill Nelson (Fl) - the latter is still in the Senate but left the committee. If they can skip Boxer, I wonder if they can skip Menendez to get to Cardin who seems really good.

I think that if the replacement is delayed because Clinton wants to stay until the Bengazhi hearings end, that could minimize the Brown problem a little - especially if he can not count on Kerry being picked. (Also, how does it work now that he is in the MD National Guard and NOT a Senator? )

I think this and other articles that make the same point that Kerry is extremely valuable in either position and a very talented legislator and diplomat are flattering. It is not his value just as a generic place holder voting D, but the fact that he is valuable on financial issues as well as foreign policy. His value on the Finance committee is that he really is the only true liberal - at least in terms of senior members. (I know some would say Schumer - and he often makes a show of that to get coverage.)