Vice President-elect Joe Biden's departure from the Senate leaves the top spot open on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And the job just might be filled by Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, one of the most fervent critics of the Iraq war.

Feingold is now fourth in line on the committee, behind Biden, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts. But Dodd wants to stay on as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and Kerry is being talked about as a potential secretary of state.

Feingold would be next. The Wisconsin Democrat opposed the Iraq war before it began, has repeatedly called for a plan for withdrawal of the troops there and recently publicly questioned the need for more troops in Afghanistan.