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Given the surprising -- but undoubtedly politically beneficial -- withdrawal of Ambassador Susan Rice from consideration for the position as Secretary of State, a new, more moderate, Obama foreign policy team seems to be taking shape. Senator John Kerry, the all but putative nominee to be the country's top diplomat, is well versed on foreign policy issues, well liked by Senate colleagues of both parties (where he chairs the Foreign Relations Committee), and, if he is unlikely to prove to be the reincarnation of talented and creative Dean Acheson, is also unlikely to scare the horses, either. His confirmation hearing should be a breeze, sparing the administration an endless (and damaging) further discussion of what went wrong in Benghazi.

Even more to the good, former Republican...