2004 electoral flameout notwithstanding, Senator John Kerry deserves credit for picking himself up, dusting himself off, and throwing himself into international foreign political issues with the zeal of someone plotting a future run for president. Since losing to George W. Bush, the former soldier has tackled countless unglamorous but important issues that could otherwise be neglected by the American public and politicians alike. At the international climate conference in Bali in late 2007, for example, the former Democratic presidential candidate was the only elected representative from the US to show face—having traveled day and night to do so. And now, as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he’s kept the pressure on in Congress, for appropriations to help develop Pakistan and Afghanistan, restore the capacity of the State Department and USAID—gutted under Bush—and encourace private American companies to invest in poorer nations. He’s also been a constant, vocal supporter of tackling climate change in 2009.
The most recent example of his dogged diplomatic manner came this week, from Sudan, where Kerry has been attempting to get leaders from the north and the south to sit down and talk about the United Nations-brokered “Comprehensive Peace Agreement,” geared at power-sharing and an end to the killing in Darfur and the rest of Southern Sudan. With his leadership, leaders from opposing political parties “have made commitments to enter into tripartite talks with President Obama’s Special Envoy for Sudan, General [Scott] Gration.”
There is, Kerry notes in a statement, more work to be done. But getting the rival factions to sit down together is already a victory of a kind. Plus Heinz ketchup seems to be one of about five companies actually doing well in this recession. Good for him!
—DAYO OLOPADE
Also: Read Jason Zengerle’s great piece in THE NEW REPUBLIC on Kerry the comeback kid.
Covers the White House and Washington for The Root. Follow her on Twitter.