Reply #50: Exactly

[karynnj]

Not to mention the sheer number of hot spots needing immediate attention would have made it necessary to assign very skilled envoys to the biggest ones. This would have been true had Obama picked Mitchell, Holbrooke, Kerry or Biden (obviously having selected a different vp) - who are among the Democrats with the greatest foreign policy experience.)

Herr, though, it is very unlikely that Kerry was sent by HRC or Obama. He went as chair of the SFRC and he had previously gone to Syria in January 2005 and December 2006, as chair of the relevant SFRC subcommittee. I seriously doubt Bush sent him then - the difference is that Obama (and HRC) were obviously more interested in his observations.)