American diplomats are condemning what they view as President Barack Obama’s selling ambassadorships to high donors. This has long been a problem, which I criticized in earlier administrations, and Obama supporters are likely to return to the refrain that he is just doing what his predecessors did. That is never a very satisfying answer. This is a form of corruption as presidents give high diplomatic posts to people who give them loads of money. Obama has apparently expanded on this sordid practice to a level that is alarming diplomats. The fact is that all ambassadorships should be confined to people selected for their diplomatic skills, preferably from the ranks of our career diplomats or academia.
For years, I have been in conversations with people close to the White House and President Obama who openly discuss the amount of money required to secure an ambassadorship. Just last week a ranking Democratic operative told me that a friend had put together around $2 million in donations because he was told that “the price had gone up.”
That is the very point of the article below where it is being reported that the price is up to $1.8 million. It is not clear why the White House does not simply post the price list on the website to facilitate these purchases. I recently gave a speech and had dinner with a major donor who said that he gave “his” ambassadorship to his wife. She loved being called an ambassador.
Some donors raise so much that they are allowed to travel around the world playing ambassador. Obama’s campaign finance chairman, Matthew Barzun, was given the choice diplomatic post at the Court of St James’s, which comes with a residence with a garden that is second only in size to that of Buckingham Palace. He just finished a stint as ambassador to Sweden.
Thomas Pickering has denounced the practice as “simony” or the selling of public office. He is obviously right that “it has the effect of diminishing perhaps the sense that the US is treating these countries with the respect they deserve.”
Susan Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), has also denounced the record of Obama in these dubious transactions.
I remain astonished that we have allowed this practice to continue. Obama apologists have to do more than simply say that he is simply following the same corrupt practices of his predecessors. It appears that he is a standout in the selling of public offices.
Source: Guardian
I am not sure what it is that justateacher is talking about above but the comment that is offensive is the one way up there where some commenter refers to Richard M. Nixon as Tricky Penis Nixon. I point out that there was no Monika, no Marilyn Monroe, no accusation of any unfair use of his office or orifice. I recall the unfair
The readers here would like a list of the donors and the jobs that they got.
AY nailed it. What he said. Mr. Turley saw this “Yah but..” coming but his preemptive attempt to prevent was fruitless. Hell, he even had his integrity questioned. He struck a raw nerve!
LOL, when I was being raised as a more or less catholic and had to go to confession I would occasionally make up ‘sins’ just t keep the priest interested. Even with the screen I could tell that the priest really was bored by all the venal sins we 10 year olds had to recount. LOL, it is a lesson that has informed many of my opinions. NOBODY really gives a rat’s patooti about venal sins, not even the guys getting paid to.
All of my political life I knew ambassadorships were sold but generally people that were the buyers got sent to little, pretty countries where nothing was happening and they couldn’t get us in trouble. A venal sin at best. A meritocracy is better but I’m not going to stay up nights worrying about it. What is worrying is sending buyers that aren’t competent to countries that we would be fools to upset by sending unqualified ambassadors. Just buying a title, if one is qualified, is a venal sin. John Bolton as UN Ambassador (or Ambassador to anywhere- based on personality alone) is a cardinal sin.
From the linked article:
“Johnson estimates the percentage of ambassador posts given to political appointees rather than career diplomats has remained roughly steady under Obama at around 30%, but most of these are in parts of the world unattractive to wealthy donors. The share taken by political appointees in western Europe and wealthier Asian capitals has reached between 70% and 85%, the AFSA estimates.”
Is that high? Low? I don’t know but I don’t like those numbers (70%-85%) on their face. Numbers that high just offer a lot of wiggle room for incompetence if they are all based on money, which the article suggests is the case. The article also indicates that there is a dearth of professional, career diplomats in the State Department.
It looks like the State Department needs re-building in the diplomatic corps and the Obama administration needs to dial back the business as usual. Maybe think outside the box. Why not start ‘drafting’ people from academia, the sciences, Oprah- she’s between shows, smart, convivial, good at business- you get my drift. 🙂
And I’m off the rails now, but I don’t think Obama has ordered one phucking probe to be inserted into any vaginas but there are any number of governors (party to remain nameless but includes the peerless governor of the soon to be less beautiful state of Wisconsin) and 100s of legislators that have done so.
The rank of Ambassador was first used by the United States in 1893. Prior to that date, the highest-ranking U.S. diplomats were Ministers.
Introducing Edward Follansbee Noyes who served as Rutherford B. Hayes’s Minister to France from 1877–81, a patronage reward for his strong support of his fellow Buckeye soldier during Hayes’ presidential campaign.
It’s been going on a looooong time.
Further, I would respectfully ask the Professor what he responded to his dinner partner when told of such corruption? Did he express his concern, distaste, contempt, shock and his intent to publish this information?
And Nick – pot- kettle – black. You have used up your quota of the hacknayed Chicago bullsh*t and quotes from Casablanca when wringing your hands about corruption. Love to hear from you on a bunch of other topics, but a little humility on the topic of corruption is in order.
“However, it is quite clear Mr. Turley and the Guardian article have pointed out, in the specific area of Ambassador positions, it has gotten much worse w/ the Obama administration. Do we agree on that?”
The price has gone up, but the practice is apparently no more prevalent than it has ever been. According to the article, “Johnson estimates the percentage of ambassador posts given to political appointees rather than career diplomats has remained roughly steady under Obama at around 30%.” Not that Obama deserves praise for following the same corrupt practices of his predecessors.
nick spinelli 1, July 11, 2013 at 1:45 pm
Dredd, My cryptology machine is being repaired. Could you please decrypt your last comment for me. Thanks.
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Was it “Second Breakfy” that mystified you?
It is a cultural thingy.
The root cause is private funding and the high cost to run a presidential campaign. Either accept that things like this occur and will occur and get behind campaign finance restrictions (any meaningful ones are likely unconstitutional after Citizens United, except for possibly massively increased public funding).
There ya go, justateacher.
For some unknown reason (it wasn’t long, strangely formatted or contained many links), the spam filter had it. You’ll have to pardon the spam filter. It’s been misbehaving for some time now but slowly seems to be getting . . . less misbehaving. 😀
I don’t know Raff why the professor seems to label things that Obama does….. As bad… But equally he bashed Bush….. I think that Obama offered transparency as his platform…. I think this singles out Obama as a hypocrite…..
To be honest all big city’s and even small ones have pretty much a quid pro quo…. But here, come on…. Chicago is known for the best justice you can buy…. The governors office, no exception… To cops that can kill just because…. Then there’s no consequence….
I was not an Obama supporter, never have been…. I would have voted for Hillary…. But just call me a racist… Because I’ve expressed my displeases with Obama… Been called it before…. Don’t really care…. But, I like everyone unless I have a reason to not interact with them anymore…. Life is like that…..
Somebody want to check and see if there is a post of mine stuck in moderation? It speaks of Issa and congressional investigations.
Further, Professor Turley ought to NAME those who have made these dinnertable confessions! If the offense is so damnable, let’s get some evidence admitted here so we are not simply reacting to rumor and anecdote. Or are we all Beitbarts now?
And let’s get that stellar congresscritter to run another enlightening House investigation into such scandalous activities. Yeah, that one – the incredible auto thief, probable arsonist Daryll Issa. Bengazi, Bengazi, BEEENGAAAAZI!
BTW, I hope I can count on you to support your favorite social welfare organization. They do wonderful work. They are devoted to throwing blah presidents out of office and eliminating the possibility of health care for millions of poor Americans.
Your concern over corruption disgusts me.
Oh, yeah! Chicago community organizers have been corrupting Chicago for YEARS. And those Acorn people were scary dangerous! Need to get those good clean Koch brothers (and their “security” army {masked and armed with automatic weapons}) who have bought the state of WI running things – right Nick?
Better get your visits in to Ashland real quick before that quarter of WI becomes a giant hole in the ground.
Succinctly:
C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N
That’s what it’s about.
Actually, raff, the practice is more than a century old.
Thank you Swarthmore for stating that the selling of ambassadorships is not the “Chicago Way”. It can’t be if it has been going on for decades. Plus, unless and until we get money out of political campaigns entirely, we will continue to get politicians who jump for the dollar bill.
It really isn´t about whose fault it is. This finger pointing is annoying. What is also annoying is living abroad, learning the language and culture and then having some Goldman Sachs guy representing the US as ambassador. He gave an interview on election day last year on German TV in “German”. Cringe. They should have had subtitles. The subtitle writer probably had no idea what the ambassador was trying to say and therefore couldn´t do his job. I would really like, someday, to be proud of our ambassador to Germany. That´s what it´s about.
White Elephant Sale… Everything Must Go!
Personal Data… SOLD!
Ambassadorships… SOLD!