BET Wire: A Weekly Political Roundup

John Kerry is in, Booker to D.C. and more political news.

News You Can Use - So much news, so little time. Welcome to a new weekly roundup of additional news you can use, but may not have read yet. – Joyce Jones(Photos from left: Lester Lefkowitz/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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News You Can Use - So much news, so little time. Welcome to a new weekly roundup of additional news you can use, but may not have read yet. – Joyce Jones(Photos from left: Lester Lefkowitz/Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Rice Out; Kerry In - President Obama is expected to name Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as secretary of state to replace Hillary Clinton since U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration.  (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Rice Out; Kerry In - President Obama is expected to name Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as secretary of state to replace Hillary Clinton since U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice withdrew her name from consideration. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Black American Express Card - The Obama administration is reportedly considering American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to replace outgoing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner or to serve as a White House advisor, Bloomberg reports. Chenault has served on the president's jobs council. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

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Black American Express Card - The Obama administration is reportedly considering American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault to replace outgoing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner or to serve as a White House advisor, Bloomberg reports. Chenault has served on the president's jobs council. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Case Closed - The House Ethics Committee announced on Dec. 20 that it is closing its investigation against New York Rep. Gregory Meeks. It determined that while he failed to disclose a $40,000 loan from a real estate broker on his financial disclosure forms, there's no evidence that he knowingly or willfully withheld the information.  (Photo: Wikicommons/US House of Representatives)

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Case Closed - The House Ethics Committee announced on Dec. 20 that it is closing its investigation against New York Rep. Gregory Meeks. It determined that while he failed to disclose a $40,000 loan from a real estate broker on his financial disclosure forms, there's no evidence that he knowingly or willfully withheld the information. (Photo: Wikicommons/US House of Representatives)

Parting Shot - Florida Rep. Allen West, who was defeated in November, accused Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of feigning illness to get out of testifying before Congress about the fatal attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Libya. "I'm not a doctor, but it seems as though … [she] has come down with a case of Benghazi Flu," he said on Fox News' Fox and Friends. (Photo: Fox News)

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Parting Shot - Florida Rep. Allen West, who was defeated in November, accused Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of feigning illness to get out of testifying before Congress about the fatal attacks on the U.S. Consulate in Libya. "I'm not a doctor, but it seems as though … [she] has come down with a case of Benghazi Flu," he said on Fox News' Fox and Friends. (Photo: Fox News)

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12 Days of Nutter - A group of displeased union members created a Christmas carol to protest Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, whom they say focuses more on the one percent. They also passed out related holiday cards as they serenaded the mayor's office to the tune of the "12 Days of Nutter."   (Photo: Courtesy of Chris Brennan/District Council 47)

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12 Days of Nutter - A group of displeased union members created a Christmas carol to protest Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, whom they say focuses more on the one percent. They also passed out related holiday cards as they serenaded the mayor's office to the tune of the "12 Days of Nutter."  (Photo: Courtesy of Chris Brennan/District Council 47)

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Intervention - Rumor has it that the White House played a role in Newark Mayor Cory Booker's decision to "explore" a Senate bid instead of a challenge to Gov. Chris Christie. Two sources have told BuzzFeed that the White House and others convinced Booker that that he would lose a race with Christie and "they wanted him in the Senate." (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

TIME Out - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin mocked TIME magazine's "Person of the Year" award to Obama — and herself. "[C]onsider some who made that list: yours truly! That ought to tell you something right there regarding the credence we should give TIME magazine and their list of people," she told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren.  (Photo: Fox News)

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TIME Out - Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin mocked TIME magazine's "Person of the Year" award to Obama — and herself. "[C]onsider some who made that list: yours truly! That ought to tell you something right there regarding the credence we should give TIME magazine and their list of people," she told Fox News host Greta Van Susteren. (Photo: Fox News)

There They Are Again - Republican lawmakers and operatives planning to make controversial comments in public might want to sweep for bugs and other recording equipment before letting loose. A video has been uncovered featuring RNC finance chairman Ron Weiser telling tea party members that "voters in Detroit hanging out at pool halls and barbershops get bused "from precinct to precinct where they vote multiple times."  (Photo: Courtesy of The Times Herald)

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There They Are Again - Republican lawmakers and operatives planning to make controversial comments in public might want to sweep for bugs and other recording equipment before letting loose. A video has been uncovered featuring RNC finance chairman Ron Weiser telling tea party members that "voters in Detroit hanging out at pool halls and barbershops get bused "from precinct to precinct where they vote multiple times." (Photo: Courtesy of The Times Herald)

Deval Patrick: July 31 - The Massachusetts governor and Harvard law grad turns 58 this week. (Photo: The Republican /Landov)

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Brown vs. Patrick - Many African-Americans would love to see Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick succeed Sen. John Kerry, who will likely be the next secretary of state. But in a matchup with outgoing Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who was defeated in November by Democrat Elizabeth Warren, he would lose. According to a poll conducted by MassInc Polling Group, Brown has a 58 percent approval rating, higher than any of his potential rivals' in a race against him.  (Photo: The Republican/Landov)