John Kerry

David Wade, a longtime aide to John Kerry known for his eye-catching statements, is returning to Kerry's office after a stint with President-elect Barack Obama's campaign.

Kerry's office confirmed that Wade, who was the travelling spokesman for Kerry during his 2004 president run, will return to the senator's Washington, D.C., office.

Wade served as Vice President-elect Joe Biden's spokesman during the presidential campaign this year.

 U.S. Sen. John Kerry may be named chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as early as Wednesday, the Boston Globe reports.

Kerry, who has been rumored to be a candidate for secretary of state in President-elect Barack Obama’s administration, is in line for the committee position by seniority. Per Senate rules, however, Reid, a Nevada Democrat, must name Kerry to the chairmanship.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office said Tuesday that it is time to move past prior differences of opinion and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's efforts this year to help GOP nominee John McCain.

In a caucus meeting Tuesday morning, Democrats voted by secret ballot to allow Lieberman, a Connecticut Independent, to keep his chairmanship of the Homeland Security and Government affairs committee. However, Lieberman will lose his seat on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In a statement to PolitickerMA.com, Brigid O'Rourke, Kerry's spokeswoman, said the caucus decided to move forward. "The Democratic caucus voted today by secret ballot and the result of that vote was to put aside old differences," she said.

O'Rourke also highlighted President-elect Barack Obama's call for leniency toward Lieberman.

"President-elect Obama asked for forgiveness for Sen. Lieberman, the caucus has made a decision to censure his comments and strip of his membership on the EPW Committee, and it's time to move on," she said.

O'Rourke declined to comment on how Kerry voted. Politico reported, however, that Kerry spoke out in support of Lieberman.

If the Secretary of State gig doesn't work out for U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D), maybe he'd go for Secretary of the Interior? That's one possibility according to Marc Ambinder.

Jeff Beatty (R-Harwich)

Jeff Beatty, the Massachusetts GOP's nominee for U.S. Senate this year, said Monday that he is currently not seeking the chairmanship of the party, but wouldn't shut the door on any future possibilities.

"I am not pursuing it," Beatty told PolitickerMA.com. "I have had people ask me to consider it, but tomorrow will be two weeks since the election and I said I wouldn't consider anything for a couple weeks."

Beatty lost to U.S. Sen. John Kerry by 35 percentage points this year. Since the loss, his name has surfaced in some Republican circles as a possible candidate for the chairmanship following current chair Peter Torkildsen's decision not to seek re-election.

Beatty would not, however, rule out the possibility when asked if he had shut the door on a run.

UPDATED - Politico's Mike Allen says if John Kerry leaves the Senate, he won't be heading to the State Department, even if Hillary Clinton says no to the reported offer. The remaining short-list below the fold.

While speculation surrounding who President-elect Barack Obama will appoint to his cabinet runs rampant, there are several local positions the Obama administration will fill as well.

Here is an early breakdown of some of the names we've heard as possibilities for U.S. Attorney, U.S. Marshall, regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and regional administrator of the Small Business Administration, in no particular order. Most Democratic officials have said that it is too early to talk about specific candidates for federal jobs, but some have been willing to speculate about lists of potential appointees.

Who are we missing? Who shouldn't be on this list? Send tips to jeremy.jacobs@PolitickerMA.com.

U.S. Attorney

• Gerard Leone, Jr., Middlesex County District Attorney
• Daniel Conley, Suffolk County District Attorney
• Ben Clements, Gov. Deval Patrick's Chief Legal Counsel
• Garrett Bradley, State Representative of Hingham
• Andrea Cabral, Suffolk County Sheriff

WORCESTER - If a Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat were to open up, Worcester County Sherriff Guy Glodis said Thursday that he would expect, and look forward to, a crowded and spirited Democratic field running for the seat.

Glodis, who is said to have one of the largest political machines in the state, told PolitickerMA.com at the Democratic State Committee meeting Thursday that it is "very premature" to speculate about who would run. But in the event the U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Boston) were to be tapped for a post in the Obama, Glodis said there are some pols that would already be serious contenders.

"I think you have [Attorney General] Martha Coakley, who would be a very strong candidate," Glodis said. "[Congressman] Steve Lynch has represented labor and has a great base in Suffolk. And some people say [Congressman Michael] Capuano and [Congressman Bill] Delahunt. I think all four of them would automatically be considered frontrunners."

Andrea Mitchell, one of NBC's top political reporters, hinted Friday morning that there isn't a lot of excitement among President-elect Barack Obama's transition team about the possibility of U.S. Sen. John Kerry becoming secretary of state.

Mitchell's remarks on NBC's Morning Joe came on the heels of her breaking a story that U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is being considered for the top State Department post.

"I am told she is being seriously considered," Mitchell said Friday morning. "And the other candidates who are on the sort of long watch list for secretary of state, no one is terribly enthusiastic about a couple of those names."

Host Joe Scarborough immediately jumped in and said, "No one is excited about John Kerry."

Mitchell responded, "I shouldn't say no one, I'm sure that friends are," though it was unclear at that point if she was referring to Kerry.

Scarborough chimed in: "Kerry's enthusiastic, but just the reporting that you've gathered, not a lot of excitement."

Mitchell tepidly responded, "Inside the Obama headquarters."

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