John Kerry

I have actually been following this Flickr stream regularly and the pictures speak volumes more than the soundbites and sometimes snide articles elsewhere about Secretary Kerry's tenure so far.

From this stream (and the email updates I signed up for on Kerry's daily public schedule) it's clearly evident how hard and deliberately he's been working since he took on the job. Along with relationships he'd formed as a senator and head of the SFRC, he has laid the groundwork in his first few months, by traveling to every corner of the globe, for the intense, effective diplomacy we've seen over the past week with Lavrov, Fabius, Hague, Abbas and Netanyahu. And now he's going to fold the Chinese minister in on Syria, too.

He is proving himself a superb statesman and a great American in his role as Secretary of State. Many of us have long thought him so, but now the world is seeing it and the world is better for his dedication.

Besides his hard work and constant travel, following this picture stream does also show the "soul" you speak of, and his heart, too. He never fails to connect with groups of embassy employee kids during visits with their parents, and he takes much delight in walking (and eating!) in local public places wherever he is visiting. He shows great respect for his staff and for embassy staff and I imagine he's a great SoS to work for. I did have to laugh when I read the other day that one of his principal connections with Lavrov is their shared love of hockey and soccer -- those of us who follow JK's doings know he is fluent in Sportsese!