Obama Chooses Sen. John Kerry as Secretary of State Nominee

Sen. John Kerry will be President Obama's pick to become the next Secretary of State, and replace Hillary Clinton as the nation's top diplomat.

The New York Times, among others, reports that the Massachusetts senator and former Democratic presidential nominee will be the selection for the post. 

Many expected Kerry to be the president's pick after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice took her name out of the running last week. Rice had been under scrutiny by Republicans in Congress for statements she made in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.

A recent poll indicates that Scott Brown, who lost his senate seat to Elizabeth Warren in November, is the leading candidate to replace the senior senator in a special election this spring.