Kerry's skills on display in Mideast trip
Senator John F. Kerry is reemerging on the public stage this week with a 13-day fact-finding trip through the Middle East, which supporters say shows that the Massachusetts Democrat is determined to maintain a high profile after his losing presidential campaign.
"He intends to play a prominent role in foreign and domestic policy, and this is clear evidence of this," said Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party. "The fact that his first major public outing following the election relates to Iraq and foreign policy tells us that he intends to be a strong spokesperson on those issues."
Kerry arrived in Amman, Jordan, yesterday and has planned a hectic itinerary, with stops scheduled in Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, Israel, and the West Bank. He has meetings set up with a wide range of specialists, local leaders, and military commanders, as well as troops from Massachusetts, said April Boyd, a Kerry spokeswoman.
"He'll be seeing things up close," Boyd said. "He wants to personally thank our troops for their service, focus on the steps that must be taken to achieve success in Iraq, and hear from experts in the region about the war in Iraq, the war on terror, and the Middle East peace process."
Kerry is the only elected official on his trip, and he is making an unusual number of stops in the Middle East, suggesting that he wants to go beyond the sometimes-scripted events planned by the Bush administration. Foreign trips are fairly typical for members of Congress -- a large number of House and Senate members are making trips to Iraq in the run-up to the Jan. 30 elections there -- but Kerry insisted on charting his own course for his trip. He is making stops in Israel and its occupied territories, as well as other Middle Eastern nations.
Kerry has maintained a relatively low profile since the Nov. 2 election. He has spent some time in Washington attending to Senate business. He has also appeared at ceremonial events such as the opening of the Clinton Presidential Library, but has spent most of the past two months shifting out of his grueling campaign mode and planning his return to the Senate.
Kerry's term expires at the end of 2008, and the fourth-term senator has not yet said whether he will seek reelection or make another run for the presidency that year. In the meantime, his associates say Kerry will try to fill the current power vacuum within the Democratic Party, while Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress.
Kerry has made foreign policy a cornerstone of his 20-year Senate career, and he has been a member of the Foreign Relations Committee since he entered the Senate. He has traveled extensively as a senator and completed a solo trip to Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia in January 2002, shortly before embarking on his presidential campaign.
Kerry sought to use his foreign policy experience in the campaign against President Bush, arguing that his knowledge of the subject would better position him for the presidency than his rival. But Kerry's sometimes tortured explanations of his positions left him struggling to connect with voters, and Bush accused Kerry of being too indecisive on world affairs to be president.
Kerry's current trip includes meetings with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel, , King Abdullah of Jordan, President Bashar Assad of Syria, and interim prime minister Iyad Allawi of Iraq. Boyd said Kerry does not have any plans to make public statements while traveling, but said he may speak with the media during the trip.
Failed presidential candidates have had mixed success in maintaining relevance after a campaign. Richard M. Nixon, for example, overcame his 1960 loss to win two subsequent presidential elections, but Michael S. Dukakis disappeared from the national stage after losing his race in 1988. Bob Dole spent more time in television advertisements than he did making political speeches after his 1996 loss.
Kerry still has his Senate seat to operate from, and he will benefit from the fact that recriminations about the conduct of his campaign haven't been particularly personal, said Jeffrey Berry, a political science professor at Tufts University. But Kerry will compete for time on the national stage with a growing number of ambitious Democrats, and he still has to contend with the fact that his views on military operations in Iraq have been confusing and seemingly contradictory to many voters, Berry said. "This is an effort to say: 'I'm not going to slip into oblivion. I'm going to be a voice in national politics,' " Berry said. "But he will not carry the mantle of leadership of the Democratic Party forward by himself. It's unclear who's going to do that, but he'll be one of the voices who'll be trying."
Johnston, state Democratic Party chairman, said Kerry has indicated he hopes to focus more on domestic policy, particularly as healthcare and Social Security become increasingly important issues. Late last year, Kerry issued a call for supporters to join him in pushing for an expansive health care bill for children.
"John's career in the Senate has focused on foreign policy issues," Johnston said. "But as a result of the campaign, he became very knowledgeable about domestic policy issues, and he became quite passionate on the health issue in particular. People are hoping that he will be very vocal in taking on Bush's policies."
Rick Klein can be reached at rklein@globe.com. 