We have previously discussed how President Obama continues to reward donors with ambassadorships, including some with little background or known talents for the jobs. I have long been a critic of this practice and I remain astonished that the American people allow it to continue. However, fat cat friends are often given trivial ambassadorships like the Vatican or smaller nations. It is still not a good practice but the damage is limited. Obama however have been handing out major posts to those who give him or the DNC millions in bundled dollars. This week the Senate confirmed two nominees to Argentina and Hungary that should outrage people who believe diplomacy should be left to diplomats and do not believe that such posts should be handed out as favors to wealthy friends. It is a national disgrace but we have become accustomed to the effective selling of these government offices. It certainly conveys a truly insulting message to these two countries that neither they nor their problems amount to much of a priority for the United States.
We previously discussed the controversial nomination of major donor Noah Mamet to the top post in Argentina despite the fact that he had never been in the country and does not speak Spanish. You may recall that Argentina is in the midst of serious economic and political upheaval and that a rift is growing between our two countries. It might be a good time to send a trained expert who can speak the language. President Obama sent a bundler instead.
Obama has also succeeded in his appointment of Colleen Bell, a former producer for the TV soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful,” to the top post in Hungary, a nation that is one of the most important spots in Eastern Europe. Hungary is drifting back into the Russian orbit and its leader has stripped away constitutional rights while embracing Vladimir Putin. The loss of Hungary is a serious threat in the balance of the region which is already reeling from the Ukrainian conflict and an arms build up. So President Obama is sending the former producer of “The Bold and the Beautfiul.”
Mamet was confirmed as ambassador to Argentina by a vote of 50-43. Bell was confirmed as ambassador to Hungary by a vote of 52-42.
More than 40 percent of Obama’s second-term picks for diplomatic posts have reportedly been political nominees. Yet, there is virtually no serious coverage in the mainstream media despite past disasters with donors made diplomats.
Ethical relativists of course shrug and just say that people are naive in objecting to such practices. However, this is in my view an easy test for any administrative committed to good government. Years ago, I was at a dinner with an extremely wealthy Democratic donor was talking about how easy it is to get one of these posts if you give enough money to the President’s campaign and how he passed the position to his wife who is delighted to now be called “Ambassador.”
In response to criticism by Senator McCain (particularly to giving away a post like Hungary to a donor), the White House responded that President Obama does not take such nominations “lightly.” No one of course would think that . . . each of these nominees gave at least $500,000 or more.
Buy under his watch he made the moves that resulted in the Wall coming down and the collapse of the USSR.
Unfortunately we then had to go an appoint ourselves the world’s “policeman” – instead of truly cashing in on our “peace dividend” and closing so many of our overseas military bases in countries which are perfectly able to defend themselves.
So it’s a mixed bag.
Too bad I can’t buy the Argentina post. I could become fluent again (my Spanish has really suffered over the years). The food and culture are wonderful, and their horses are renowned. Beautiful country. I hope they stabilize.
And we get what we allow to persist in politics. We have become too jaded.
Karen S – once every 4 years we need to vote someone off the island for 10 years. The Greeks did it and it worked pretty well for them.
I hate this quid pro quo aspect of politics, and the constant currying of favors. It does not represent the best interests of the public.
Business as usual in DC.
I’ve read and been persuaded by the argument that the hosts countries generally LIKE it when a big donor is appointed ambassador. The thinking goes that the donor ambassador generally has better access to and the ear of the President than a professional ambassador. Underlings can take care of all the day to day work. It’s a sad commentary on the influence that money and campaign donations buy, but donor ambassadors are a reflection of that problem; not the problem itself.
Yes, among other things the Reagan’s fed us “Lines”…
“Just say No”
While the CIA was funding the Contras by importing massive amounts of Cocaine into the US fueling the Crack epidemic of the 80’s and the Constitution & Bill of Rights busting laws & court rulings that followed it, many of those laws disproportionately targeting minorities.
We not only swallowed it, we clamored for it – hook, line & sinker – all for a manufacturered epidemic.
But once you start giving up civil Liberties the Government acquires a taste for trampling on them, and that continues to this day. Reagan didn’t start the “War on Drugs”, we can thank Nixon’s need to control the anti-war movement for that, but he is the one that first started using nuclear weapons in it.
wrxdave – didn’t LBJ start a War on Poverty that the Democrats are losing badly.
The administration doesn’t even bother to come up with remotely plausible lies anymore. The press sec. with the Dickensian name “Josh Earnest” said with a straight face: “Well, I can tell you that that’s [$$$] not the reason she was chosen.”
I’d rather this clown had just said, “Hey, she’s pretty MILFy. Those bohunks will totally buy her shit.”
I mean, if you’re just gonna tell people to eff off, at least go for style points.
issac. A war that a Democrat president got us into and you must be referring to the Carter years. At least Bush 41 wasn’t an outright LIAR.( after the Iraq war they found 8 tons of yellow cake uranium ) Iike Obama is
schulte
Reagan was nothing more than the Doctor Feel Good America needed after the decades of shame that surfaced with the realization of the slaughter of three million Vietnamese and the realization of how racist the country actually was. The sixties and early seventies were years of tooth pulling transformation. Reagan kept up the us and them line, never stopped spouting the ‘We’re number one.’ lines and was just what the country needed, or at least enough of the country.
But hey, if all you want is a paint job, then he was a great President.
issac – ad hominem is your middle name.
I hope Argentina and Hungary declare these two “ambassadors” persona non grata and refuse their recognition.
That would be awesome.
The people of Argentina and Hungary should be outraged and insulted. The President is treating their countries and their futures as if they are just party favors to be given away casually to people he likes and to people who have paid enough for them.
Argentina for sale! Hungary….now discounted! Buy now!
Pres. Obama campaigned in 2008 with themes of “Change” and “No More Politics as Usual”. It appears that the “change ” is politics on a grander scale. Presidents in the past have appointed thirty percent of ambassadors due to political rewards. Pres. Obama has appointed forty percent for political rewards. I find it troubling that only one Senator out of one hundred, Sen. McCain, has concerns with these appointments.
I wonder if the fact that the democrats were about to be in the senate minority convinced them it was better to make a political statement than to seriously critique these appointees.
The senators who voted for these nominations are just as complicit as President Obama.
I hope Argentina and Hungary declare these two “ambassadors” persona non grata and refuse their recognition. That would be a true rebuke of President Obama’s cronyism especially if these nations announced publicly the refusals.
More information on my views can be read here:
http://jonathanturley.org/2014/02/09/soap-opera-diplomacy-the-u-s-government-continues-to-field-unqualified-ambassadors-who-were-once-large-election-fundraisers/
Dave,
Good point; since Obama won’t have Harry Reid running interference come January, we’ll see how a Senate controlled by Republicans choose to stop this President’s ridiculous nominations.
While the president’s nominations are outrageous, blame the Senate. They’re supposed to vet and act as a line of defense against poor candidates.
Many whine about Executive overreach yet Congress permits clearly unqualified persons to hold these posts. Where’s that lawsuit.
What do you expect from a country that elected a vacuous actor for President, twice, an idiot brat for President, twice? Both resulted in recessions bordering on depressions. Both were seen by the rest of the world as an example of American standards. Perhaps those who make big enough bucks to donate a half a million should be ambassadors. They actually made big bucks. They actually did more than spout jingoes. There is a vast and competent diplomatic corps to do the work. The ambassadors are not much more than go betweens and party goers. They have little to do with the foreign affairs.
The real stuff is being done behind the scenes. Also, what can I get for $5,000? It has to be warm but not too warm, cold but not too cold. I was thinking Malta, maybe.
issac – you forget that the vacuous actor had been the head of a union who negotiated with the studios, as well as being elected governor of one of the largest states in the United States. That is opposed to a part-time teacher, part-time legislaturer and part-time Senator, with no background and since we cannot see his records, no background. A man who had someone else write his biography, filled in with details of the real author’s life. This is the same man who threw his mother under the bus in order to support the father who abandoned him.
What difference does it make if ambassadors are just polite front office receptionists covering for a back office filled with espionage hooligans?
The best government money can buy.
“The best government money can buy.”
~+~
I disagree. Despite the increase in price there has been a rapid decline in quality.
Darren – sadly, the quality has declined while the price has increased.
The current administration long ago gave up the idea of good governance. They view the agencies as tools of policy implementation instead of career employees that will be around long after this and the next President have left town.
Actually, having a producer as ambassador could be a great fit. They have to deal with cut-throat agents and actors (good and bad), plus most have actually had to meet a payroll. Additionally, they had to put up with the networks. Really, I think this one could be a great fit.