US President Barack Obama said today that he has nominated Sen. John Kerry to be his next secretary of state, succeeding Hillary Clinton if confirmed by Congress.

With the senator and wife Theresa Heinz-Kerry standing beside him, the president said Kerry's "entire life has prepared him for this role."

"As the son of a foreign service officer, he has a deep respect for the men and women of the State Department; the role they play in advancing our interests and values; the risks that they undertake and the sacrifices that they make along with their families," he said.

Obama said the senator's service as a Vietnam veteran taught him the "responsibility to use American power wisely, especially our military power," and the personal responsibility of sending troops into harm's way.

Kerry, 69, the Massachusetts Democrat who was his party's nominee for president in 2004, chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is unlikely to face fierce opposition from senators across the aisle.

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