Summary John Kerry has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next US Secretary of State.
John Kerry has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next US Secretary of State, even as Democrats raged over the successful Republican effort to drive Susan Rice, the UN Ambassador, out of contention.
Miss Rice s decision to withdraw from consideration after weeks of attacks over her role in the US response to the Benghazi consulate killings leaves the Massachusetts senator with no real competition for the job of America s top diplomat.
Democrats said they expected Mr Kerry would easily be confirmed as Hillary Clinton s replacement at the State Department, although leading members of the party struck out at the "outrageous" onslaught against Miss Rice.
Mr Kerry, 69, has made no secret of his desire to take charge of the State Department and a growing consensus in Washington suggested that he was likely to be appointed by President Barack Obama within weeks.
Mr Kerry had hoped to be appointed to the post after Mr Obama s first election victory in 2008 but in the interim four years has burnished his credentials by chairing the Senate s powerful foreign affairs committee.
