Appearing with Kerry at the White House, Obama said Friday that the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had "played a central role in every major foreign policy debate for nearly 30 years."
"In a sense, John's entire life has prepared him for this role," Obama said.
Obama picked Kerry after the wrenching withdrawal of Susan Rice, his envoy to the United Nations, as his preferred candidate. The White House delayed the announcement to avoid interfering with national mourning over the mass slaying at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
Kerry's nomination is likely to sail through Senate confirmation hearings, where he has strong support.
But it came as the White House struggled to pick a new secretary of Defense. Aides say Obama's preferred choice is Chuck Hagel, a Republican and former U.S. senator from Nebraska. But Hagel faces mounting opposition from influential pro-Israel groups, gay rights activists and defense hawks.
Obama had been expected to announce both nominations Friday, but Hagel's absence in the Roosevelt Room — and Obama's refusal to answer reporters' questions — suggested that the president may be considering other candidates. White House officials insisted that Obama had made no choice.
Kerry, 69, a highly decorated Vietnam combat veteran, later helped lead veterans opposed to the divisive war. Obama cited his military service as a special qualification.
"Having served with valor in Vietnam, he understands that we have a responsibility to use American power wisely, especially our military power," Obama said. "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."
The nomination risks the loss of what has been a reliable Democratic seat in the Senate. Democrats control the Senate by a 55-45 margin but face midterm elections in two years that could narrow the difference.
Scott Brown, a Massachusetts Republican who lost his Senate seat in last month's election but remains popular in the commonwealth, could run again in a special election next year. Edward Kennedy Jr., son of late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy — whom Brown succeeded — is among several Democrats who have indicated interest.
Rice withdrew from consideration Dec. 13 after a tenacious campaign by Republicans who said she misled the country after armed militants killed four Americans in September at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.
Several GOP lawmakers who led the opposition to Rice, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), urged Obama to choose Kerry instead.
McCain praised the nomination Friday, but also said he intended to carry out his responsibility to carefully review Kerry's suitability for the post.
Obama, in his remarks, acknowledged the special debt he owes Kerry.
In 2004, when Kerry was running for president, he chose Obama to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, providing the obscure state senator from Illinois an invaluable introduction to U.S. voters.
Republican hawks may challenge Kerry's resistance to U.S. military intervention abroad in some conflicts. And a group of Vietnam "swift boat" veterans who opposed his presidential campaign have vowed to voice their objections again.
Kerry has shared Obama's interest in trying to talk without preconditions to adversary governments, and he shares Obama's desire to shift the U.S. military from the grueling ground wars of the last decade to a "light footprint" abroad.
Kerry "would much rather solve problems by negotiations and diplomacy than by war," said Jonah Blank, a former Kerry aide and South Asia specialist. "He's seen war: He knows it ain't pretty, and very often it doesn't work."
At the beginning of Obama's first term, Kerry sought to help the White House work out a broad Mideast peace deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad — a mission that continues to come under strong criticism by Republican hawks.
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