Any current news regarding Senator Kerry relating to Senate business?

[wisteria]

I think it is a little unusual to go for more than a week without any Kerry news. I hope Teresa and the Senator are well and this is just a much needed lull in Kerry activity.

[karynnj]

1. Haven't really seen anything other than some responses

on issues - and few of them. I hope that they are taking a very well deserved week (or longer) of vacation. Kerry seems to have been everywhere for the last several years - though there were a few breaks.

There was a BG story on Kerry and McGovern and Frank asking Grossman, the state treasurer to divest Hess holdings, as the state is fighting with them over a liquid natural gas facility - http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/04/19/mass_asked_to_divest_from_hess_over_lng_project/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Local+news (Obviously, JK had to sign off on the letter, but his staff is likely to have done any work on it. There was a quote from Kerry in an article where Brown said he wanted tax cuts in the bill to raise the debt ceiling. Kerry's quote sounded very much like what he said in a Senate speech in March - about a need for an adult discussion.

There was also a letter to the World Bank on energy - http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.12422.aspx

[wisteria]

2. Thanks for the information. n/t

[MBS]

3. Senate is on recess this week. .

hopefully he's had a renewing time (and undoubtedly spent it more honorably than some of his other colleagues, Dem and Republican alike, who have been enjoying expensive trips of dubious educational/ informative value (Reid, for instance, has led a delegation to China, but including a trip to a Steve Wynn casino in Macao.. was in today's Wa Po.)

[wisteria]

4. I have been so busy that I forgot about that. n/t

[karynnj]

5. completely agree,

whether he is having a quiet vacation with his family or quietly visiting one of the trouble spots in the world.

[karynnj]

6. Forgot to add, they are off next week too - but there are interesting sfrc hearings then

senate calendar
http://senate.gov/legislative/resources/pdf/2011_calendar.pdf

As to the hearings;

Afghanistan: What is an Acceptable End-State, and How Do We Get There? - May 3, 10 am

The Honorable Thomas R. Pickering
Co-Chair, The Century Foundation International Task Force on Afghanistan
Vice Chairman, Hills & Company
Washington, DC
Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter
Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
The Honorable Richard N. Haass
President
Council on Foreign Relations
New York, NY

(no administration witness - which is interesting.)



Assessing U.S. Policy and Its Limits in Pakistan - May 5, 10 am
Dr. Samina Ahmed
South Asia Project Director
International Crisis Group
Islamabad, Pakistan
Mr. Moeed Yusuf
South Asia Adviser
Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, U.S. Institute of Peace
Washington, DC
Mr. Michael Krepon
Co-Founder & Senior Associate
South Asia, Henry L. Stimson Center
Washington, DC

(interesting that there is no administration witness )

These should both be very interesting hearings. There have been times in the past where the administration would not send someone - and Senator Lugar - made strong comments about it. I wonder if this is happening again.

(I also wonder if the topics, suggest why we have heard nothing about Kerry. Both of these issues likely need substantial thought and - for Pakistan - possibly a visit, or at least a lot of phone calls. Pakistan/US relations are a mess. )

[TayTay]

7. I wonder how the CIA/DOD appointments will affect policy

new Sec of DOD Panetta is a good guy and Gen. Petraeus has had solid relations with the Senate, including the FRC.

I wonder if these hearings will be a chance to air out new things that might arise from these new postings.

Refer back to this DU: JK posting http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=273&topic_id=169459&mesg_id=169459