Secretary of State Conspiracy Theory

I have a suspicion about the GOP support for John Kerry as the new Secretary of State.  As soon as Hillary Clinton announced her intention to step down - months and months ago now - they started pushing him as a candidate who would breeze through confirmation because of his exceptional credentials and qualifications.  This is in stark contrast to what they said about him as Presidential candidate in 2004.   It is also in stark contrast to what they said about Susan Rice.

So what is my suspicion?  I think it has nothing to do with Secretary of State.  I think they remember Scott Brown winning a special election for Senator of Massachusetts just a few years ago.  I think they see this as a way to claw back one of the Senate seats they lost in 2012.  Scott Brown would be the favorite to win the seat if he decides to run.  If Kerry doesn't get State, they have to wait several more years and the voting public's memory of Scott Brown could start to fade.  A Democrat would have plenty of time to build up their grassroots and fundraising machine in a largely Democratic state. 

Perhaps part of the reason they were so vehemently against Susan Rice was that they wanted Kerry back in the running for State.  The Senate is really close and one more vote could make a huge difference.  Is that too cynical, even for me?