Why Obama Is Making Caroline Kennedy The US Ambassador To Japan

The Washington Post reported Monday that Caroline Kennedy will likely be named the U.S. Ambassador to Japan, replacing John Roos, who has held the position since 2009.

But why Kennedy and why now?

The thing to bear in mind is that ambassadorships are frequently offered as rewards to top supporters.

Kennedy, the daughter of the late John F. Kennedy, has long been rumored to be under consideration for a coveted ambassadorship in President Barack Obama's administration.

She has been a high-profile supporter of the President, and her endorsement of Obama during the 2008 Democratic primary — given in a New York Times op-ed,"A President Like My Father" — was seen as a big boost for the relatively unknown-Illinois Senator.

But Kennedy's early endorsement came with a political price, straining her relationship with Obama's rival — and later Secretary of State — Hillary Clinton.

Now that Clinton has left State, however, an opportunity has opened up for Kennedy to take a prime ambassadorship. Her relationship is much stronger with Obama's new Secretary of State, John Kerry, who served alongside her uncle Ted Kennedy as Massachusetts Senators.