Caroline Kennedy closer to being ambassador, Former first daughter Caroline Kennedy coasted through a Senate confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. ambassador to Japan, promising to carry forward John F. Kennedy’s legacy with humility.
Kennedy told the Foreign Relations Committee yesterday that if confirmed, she would work to strengthen the crucial bond between the United States and its Asian ally on trade, the military and student exchanges.
With her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, son, Jack, and daughter Tatiana seated nearby, Kennedy said she understood her responsibility to uphold the ideals of her father — “a deep commitment to public service, a more just America and a more peaceful world.”
Her father served in the Pacific during World War II, battling Japanese forces. The daughter, seeking the diplomatic post for a fierce enemy-turned-friend, said that if confirmed, “I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way and represent the powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies.”
Kennedy, who is president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and chairs the senior advisory committee of the Institute of Politics at Harvard, faced gentle questioning from Republicans and Democrats on the committee, signaling that she faced no obstacles to confirmation. Several senators said she would make a “great” ambassador.
President Obama chose Kennedy, 55, an attorney and best-selling book editor, for the diplomatic job. If confirmed, she would be the first woman in the post.
“You have a good sense of what national interests are,” said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the senior Republican on the panel.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia noted the unusual symmetry: President Kennedy was honored for his military service fighting Japan; decades later, his daughter would be the top diplomat in Japan. Kaine said it was a reminder that hostilities and foes need not be permanent.
If confirmed, Kennedy would replace John Roos, a wealthy former Silicon Valley lawyer and top Obama campaign fundraiser.
Kennedy’s confirmation to the post by the Senate would bring a third generation of her family into the U.S. diplomatic corps. Her grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ambassador to Britain, while her aunt Jean Kennedy Smith was ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.
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| Caroline Kennedy closer to being ambassador |
With her husband, Edwin Schlossberg, son, Jack, and daughter Tatiana seated nearby, Kennedy said she understood her responsibility to uphold the ideals of her father — “a deep commitment to public service, a more just America and a more peaceful world.”
Her father served in the Pacific during World War II, battling Japanese forces. The daughter, seeking the diplomatic post for a fierce enemy-turned-friend, said that if confirmed, “I would be humbled to carry forward his legacy in a small way and represent the powerful bonds that unite our two democratic societies.”
Kennedy, who is president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and chairs the senior advisory committee of the Institute of Politics at Harvard, faced gentle questioning from Republicans and Democrats on the committee, signaling that she faced no obstacles to confirmation. Several senators said she would make a “great” ambassador.
President Obama chose Kennedy, 55, an attorney and best-selling book editor, for the diplomatic job. If confirmed, she would be the first woman in the post.
“You have a good sense of what national interests are,” said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, the senior Republican on the panel.
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia noted the unusual symmetry: President Kennedy was honored for his military service fighting Japan; decades later, his daughter would be the top diplomat in Japan. Kaine said it was a reminder that hostilities and foes need not be permanent.
If confirmed, Kennedy would replace John Roos, a wealthy former Silicon Valley lawyer and top Obama campaign fundraiser.
Kennedy’s confirmation to the post by the Senate would bring a third generation of her family into the U.S. diplomatic corps. Her grandfather Joseph P. Kennedy was President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s ambassador to Britain, while her aunt Jean Kennedy Smith was ambassador to Ireland under President Clinton.
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