WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney is rejoining the board of directors at Marriott International, taking a step back into the business world four weeks after the end of his unsuccessful presidential bid.
Romney’s return to the large hotel chain’s board indicates he is not ready to enter a traditional retirement after his long quest to become president.
“It is an honor to once again be able to serve in the company of leaders like Bill Marriott and Arne Sorenson and to support the work of the tens of thousands of Marriott associates who make Marriott International the renowned success that it is,” Romney, 65, said in a statement.
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Romney has served on the board of the large hotel chain several times. He was on the board from 1993 to 2002, leaving when he was elected Massachusetts governor. He returned to the board from January 2009 to January 2011, the only job he took in the private sector in between his two presidential bids.
Romney earned nearly $114,000 from being on the board for the previous year, according to campaign finance records that Romney filed in 2011.
Romney’s ties to the Marriott family began at his birth. Romney, whose first name is Willard, was named after the hotels chain’s founder, J. Willard Marriott, who was friends with Romney’s father, George. Marriott was also the preferred hotel of choice during his presidential campaigns.
Members of the Marriott family have been longtime contributors to Romney’s political super PACs.
“We will benefit from his tremendous energy and capability to guide long-term success in an increasingly complex business environment,’’ J.W. Marriott Jr., the company’s executive chairman, said in a statement.
Since he lost the election, Romney has largely retreated from public view as he contemplates what to do next. He is planning to move into an office within Solamere Capital, an investment firm on Boston’s Newbury Street that was cofounded by his oldest son, Tagg, and his campaign’s national finance chairman, Spencer Zwick.
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Romney is subleasing the space but has no plans to have a role in the firm.
Last week, he had private lunch at the White House with his campaign rival, President Obama. Both sides said the meeting was cordial, although few specifics were released on what was discussed. - MATT VISER
Kerry colleagues speculate about secretary of state post
WASHINGTON – Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has been steering clear of speculation about a possible nomination for secretary of state.
That has not stopped his colleagues from openly discussing his possible selection, especially now that UN Ambassador Susan Rice – who is said to be the first choice of President Obama for the job – has encountered resistance among senators.
On Monday, Senator John McCain, one of the senators raising questions about Rice, had a bit of fun at Kerry’s expense at a Capitol Hill press conference about a disabilities treaty.
“Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary,’’ McCain said after Kerry introduced his Arizona colleague. The remark drew laughs as Kerry stood awkwardly by. The Massachusetts senator had recovered and was ready with his own quip by the time McCain gave up the podium.
“Thank you very much, Mr. President,’’ Kerry said, a good-natured dig at McCain’s losing 2008 campaign. Kerry, of course, lost his own presidential bid in 2004. - CHRISTOPHER ROWLAND
Cheney working on book about his heart ailments
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NEW YORK — Former vice president Dick Cheney, one of the world’s most prominent heart patients, is working on a book about his many battles with coronary disease and the revolutionary changes in treatment that helped keep him alive.
Cheney, 71, is collaborating with his cardiologist, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, and with his daughter, Liz Cheney. Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Monday that the book is scheduled for next fall. It is currently untitled.
‘‘It explains and talks about all the developments in cardiology by going through my own case,’’ the former vice president said Monday during a brief telephone interview. ‘‘I’m alive today because of the tremendous advances that have been made.’’
Financial terms were not disclosed, although a ‘‘portion of the authors’ net proceeds from the book will be donated to charity,’’ according to Scribner.
Cheney and his daughter also worked together on his memoir ‘‘In My Time,’’ published in 2011. Cheney, who received a heart transplant in March, said the new book will be completely ‘‘non-political.’’ - ASSOCIATED PRESS
Obama wants DNC’s chairwoman to stay on
WASHINGTON — President Obama wants Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz to stay on as his party’s chairwoman.
Wasserman Schultz has overseen the Democratic National Committee since early 2011. Party officials credit her in part with helping the president carry her home state of Florida, as well as leading the party to an expanded majority in the Senate and more seats in the House.
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‘‘I’ve asked Debbie Wasserman Schultz to continue her excellent work as chair of the DNC,’’ Obama wrote on Twitter Monday. ‘‘Thanks for all you do, Debbie.’’
The tweet was signed ‘‘bo’’, which the White House says is a signal that the president wrote it personally.
Wasserman Schultz also took to Twitter to respond, writing, ‘‘Thank you, Mr. President. I am honored to serve.’’
Democratic officials said Obama asked DNC members to back Wasserman Schultz when they meet in January, just after the president’s inauguration.
A mother of three and a breast cancer survivor, Wasserman Schultz, 46, has represented a reliably Democratic Fort Lauderdale-area district since 2005.
Along the way she has earned a reputation as a workhorse and as an outspoken liberal happy to duke it out on television with her Republican counterparts. - ASSOCIATED PRESS