Colleagues and Senate aides see Kerry as eager to be part of a significant legislative achievement and that concerns liberal groups and labor unions. They fear the supercommittee may cut entitlement programs…

“Like President Obama, Kerry is fatally attracted to the notion of a grand bargain, sacrificing cuts in Medicare and Social Security in exchange for increased revenues to reduce long term deficits. And he is simply wrong-headed about what the nation must do in order to get the economy on track,” said Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America’s Future, a progressive advocacy group.

Alan Charney, policy and strategy director of USAction, said Kerry’s selection raised eyebrows among liberal groups.

“Kerry is a little bit of a surprise to many of us. He hasn’t really been a central player in taxes and revenues,” he said.