For John Kerry, It's a Blue Christmas

Move over all you people under Barack Obama's bus, there's a high profile Senator who needs a spot:

SENATOR John Kerry's fate illustrates the new political order under President-elect Barack Obama: Reward your enemies, not necessarily your friends.

Hillary Clinton, Obama's tough primary opponent, became Obama's choice for secretary of state; Kerry, an avid Obama ally, was passed over. Obama's vice president, Joe Biden, is also a former rival. Yesterday, Obama named Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, another primary challenger, as his pick for commerce secretary.

What's next, Dennis Kucinich as secretary of labor?

Before that, Obama stood behind Senator Joseph Lieberman, a Democrat turned Independent who campaigned hard for Republican John McCain. With Obama's blessing, Lieberman retained a prestigious committee chairmanship.

If you're Kerry, you've got to be feeling a bit like the Rev. Jeremiah Wright - thrown under the Obama bus, while ex-rivals climb merrily aboard.

Poor John. It just hasn't been his decade.