Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., declared this morning that appointees to the deficit reduction committee should not have a “preconceived idea” about the process, a principle that conflicts with the pledge from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., not to appoint anyone to the committee who would support cutting entitlement benefits.

Kerry directed his appeal to his Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during an interview on Morning Joe: