President Obama's nomination of Sen. John Kerry for Secretary of State, Dec. 21, 2012 (Transcript) Over the past four years, we've begun a new era of American leadership. We ended the war in Iraq. We put the Al Qaida core on the path to defeat. And we're winding down the war in Afghanistan. We've strengthened our alliances, including in Asia, forged new coalitions to meet global challenges, and stood up for human dignity from North Africa to the Middle East to Burma. We still, of course, face great challenges, but today I can say with pride that the United States is safer, stronger, and more respected in the world. In this work, I've been grateful for an extraordinary national security team. Tom Donilon has been a part of that, and I'm grateful to him. Of course, one of the most important people in this whole transformation has been outstanding secretary of state, my friend, Secretary Hillary Clinton. Hillary wanted very much to be here today, but she continues to recuperate. I had a chance to talk to her earlier today, and she is in good spirits and could not be more excited about the announcement that I'm making. Over the last four years, Hillary's been everywhere, both in terms of her travels -- which we've seen her represent America in more countries than any previous secretary of state -- and through her tireless work to restore our global leadership. OBAMA: And she is looking forward to getting back to work, and I am looking forward to paying tribute to her extraordinary service in the days to come. Today, though, I'm looking ahead to my second term. And I am very proud to announce my choice for America's next secretary of state, John Kerry. In a sense, John'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. Having served with valor in Vietnam, he understands that we have a responsibility to use American power wisely, especially our military power. And he knows from personal experience that when we send our troops into harm's way, we must give them the sound strategy, a clear mission, and the resources that they need to get the job done. In an extraordinarily distinguished Senate career, and as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, John's played a central role in every major foreign policy debate for nearly 30 years. As we turn the page on a decade of war, he understands that we've got to harness all elements of American power and ensure that they're working together -- diplomatic and development, economic and political, military and intelligence, as well as the power of our values which inspire so many people around the world.