Obama's "change" for the Ambassador Corps

[JohnRich 4]

News:

Donors Find a Home in Obama's Ambassador Corps

Obama claimed during last year's campaign that President George W. Bush engaged in an "extraordinary politicization of foreign policy." Mr. Obama said he instead would ensure that hires are based on merit, rather than party or ideology.

The American Academy of Diplomacy, an association of former diplomats, seized on the comments in lobbying him to lower the portion of ambassadors drawn from outside the foreign-service establishment to as little as 10% from the 30% average since President John F. Kennedy's tenure.

Of the Obama administration's 55 ambassadorial nominees so far, 33 - or 60% - have gone to people outside the foreign-service ranks, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Obama's picks include:

Japan: John Roos, a San Francisco Bay area lawyer, the president's chief Silicon Valley fundraiser.

Sweden: Kentucky Internet executive Matthew Barzun, and Obama fundraiser.

Belize: Colorado businessman Vinai Thummalapally, the president's roommate at Occidental College.

Belgium: Howard Gutman, who pulled together a half million dollars in Obama contributions.

London: Mr. Susman, the former investment banker, who bundled at least $100,000 from donors for Mr. Obama.

Ireland: Mr. Rooney, who threw his weight behind Mr. Obama ahead of the Pennsylvania primary.

Paris: Charles H. Rivkin, chief executive of entertainment company W!LDBRAIN Inc.

Switzerland: car-dealership magnate Don Beyer.

"We're not only insulting nations [that] we're appointing these bundlers to, we're risking U.S. diplomatic efforts in these key countries," said Craig Holman, a government-affairs lobbyist at watchdog group Public Citizen.

Full story: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124658149328689699.html

[rushmc 18]

As predicted. Very sad but known to be coming none the less.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[TomAiello 25]

To the victor go the spoils. When you can say "I won" then you can reward your friends and donors.

Government is a trough. Is it any surprise that politics is a feeding frenzy?

-- Tom Aiello

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