This is John Batchel, speaking with colleague Mary Kissel, Executive Vice President Stevens

Incorporated, who was many years in the State Department as executive assistant, senior

advisor to the Secretary of State, commenting on the success of Marco Rubio, not only to return

one of the hostages held by the Kabul government, the Taliban,

but also in general to have established a stable and extremely careful, extremely careful

administration at the State Department that has in the past rejected appointments from the presidency.

So here's Mary to explain Rubio's quiet success at

state and in the federal government and in his career. More of this later.

I think Marco Rubio is very well light across the aisle for several reasons. First, because he had a distinguished

career in the Senate. He was seen as someone who was a reasonable person, very grounded, clear

principles, but who could cooperate with Democrats when they could find common ground. And secondly,

I think in the administration, he has also seen as someone who is relatively

more of a realist and a foreign policy hawk than others in powerful roles.

He has comported himself ably at state.

You don't see a lot of leaks about him, which is typically

how the State Department bureaucracy, you know, gets back at the seventh floor, which is the

executive floor at Foggy Bottom. They just ring up their friends at the New York Times and, you

know, leak memos or complaints about the secretary.

You don't see a lot of that.

But thirdly, I think the president has confidence in him

because he named him National Security Advisor

concurrently with his role as secretary.

...