Caroline Kennedy will be the next U.S. ambassador to Japan,
The Washington Post reported Monday, ending months of speculation.
The appointment will be seen as a reward for her strong political and financial support of President Barack Obama since his 2008 campaign, and will thrust the 55-year-old lawyer and mother of three back into the political limelight.
The Japanese, who have become accustomed to hosting big-name envoys, are expected to delight in the announcement, the Post says. Previous heavyweights who held the Tokyo posting include former Vice President Walter Mondale, former House Speaker Tom Foley, and former Senate Majority Leaders Mike Mansfield and Howard Baker.
Just a few months ago, Fox News reported that John F. Kennedy’s only surviving child was under discussion to serve as the top emissary to Canada.
She also was rumored to be under consideration for the top U.S. diplomatic post in Ireland, a position her aunt, Jean Kennedy Smith, occupied from 1993-1998.
In December 2008, Kennedy had announced her intention to run for Hillary Clinton’s vacant Senate seat, only to withdraw her name a month later, citing privacy concerns.
The Post says Kennedy’s husband, Edwin Schlossberg, is unlikely to join her full-time in Tokyo.
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.