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PEBO Acknowledges Some Democratic Fat Cats Will Get Ambassadorships

January 09, 2009 3:09 PM

President-elect Barack Obama today acknowledged that some of the ambassadorships he assigns will go to big-money Democratic donors, and not to experts in the diplomatic corps. However, the president-elect said he'd try to keep those "political" appointments to a minimum.

Mr. Obama was asked today if he’d be appointing financial donors to serve as ambassadors, as has often happened in the past, or if he'd pick ambassadors from the ranks of the diplomatic corps.

The Democrat admitted that there would inevitably be some donors who end up being assigned ambassador posts.

"There probably will be some," he said. "It would be disingenuous for me to suggest that there are not going to be some excellent public servants but who haven't come through the ranks of the civil service."

But the president-elect said that his general inclination is to have civil service "wherever possible" serve in these posts.

"We have outstanding public servants, and I've spoken with secretary of state designee, Hillary Clinton, about the importance of rejuvenating the State Department. I want to recruit young people into the State Department to feel that this is a career track that they can be on for the long term. And so, you know, my expectation is that high quality civil servants are going to be rewarded."

Within his first year in office, former President Clinton appointed five $100,000-plus fundraisers to ambassadorships.

More than two dozen of President Bush's $100,000-plus fund-raisers were appointed to ambassadorships.

U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins, for instance, had raised more than $200,000 for Mr. Bush, though he'd only been to Canada once before becoming ambassador -- about 30 years before his 2005 appointment.

In 2005, correspondence was opened to the public showing how Nebraska trucking magnate Duane Acklie claimed he'd be delivered a sweet ambassador gig for raising cash for then-Gov. George W. Bush in 2000.

Acklie had written to Gov. Mike Johanns to protest after the ambassadorship wasn't delivered. When Johanns left the statehouse to become Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Acklie's correspondence to him was reported by the Associated Press under the state's open records laws.

Acklie wrote that Bush fundraising chair "Jack Oliver told me several weeks ago that he was informed that I would not receive one of the eight major ambassadorships but would be receiving an ambassadorship... Most of the appointments have been made. That is perfectly OK, and if others have done more work for the party, are better qualified or have helped the Bush team more, I certainly understand... I don't understand why I haven't heard a single thing after Jack Oliver's comment to me." 

Mr. Acklie never became an ambassador.

Writing in the publication American Diplomacy, retired Foreign Service officer Alan Berlind wrote of the need to repair "the enormous damage done" to international relationships, and that the task of "restoring our reputation, credit, and influence in the world will fall in large part to America’s diplomats, most particularly, American ambassadors, i.e., the senior representatives of the American government and people abroad. ... How often has it been asked, rhetorically but reasonably, whether it would make any more sense to assign businessmen, campaign contributors or professors to senior military or naval command positions ordinarily manned by generals or admirals? Any more sense than it does to place them at the helm of American embassies?"

-- Jake Tapper and Sunlen Miller

January 9, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (97)

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So, what's wrong with PAY TO PLAY?

Posted by: sensealot | Jan 11, 2009 6:21:14 PM

Exactly what he (Obama) campaigned (promised). What is new?

Posted by: LongV | Jan 11, 2009 6:08:03 PM

One term. You can charm people for about 15 minutes. After that, you better know something.

Posted by: LongT | Jan 11, 2009 12:08:29 PM

You guys that ridicule, critisize and express jaded views of Obama before he has even been sworn in have just as little sense of fairness as lock in step Democrats.
Obama promised to do his part to change the culture of Washington. Let's recognize that leadership is about setting an example and working to overhaul our governmental system, which was built to resist change and preserve the status quo, will take time and public support.

Posted by: Steve | Jan 10, 2009 5:54:13 PM

Lets see, what did the commentor say, its not right, but at least Obama was candid about it? So, in other words, one can behave unethically, but as long as I tell you I have, then thats okay. How wonderful! No wonder our country is in the state it is in when its citizens can no longer tell the difference between right and wrong and put up with it unethical behavior. What happened to the "change," you know business as usual in Washington will no longer be tolerated, thats what the man said. Of course he has to reward those who helped finance him, he has obligations. He said he was going to be different, What a laugh, he is the ultimate politician.

Posted by: Mary | Jan 10, 2009 4:54:27 PM

Well, Goodiee,Goodiee, Obama will be the 44th president & in all our childrens history books.

That is not the issue people, It's The Economy Stupid!, It's The Backpedalling, Yes We Can - Turning Into No We Can't! And The man ain't even in office yet!!!

Ya Voted in No experience & Your getting Your Trainee at your expense!

Priceless!

Posted by: disgusted in Ohio | Jan 10, 2009 4:52:19 PM

Simple minds. Only the naysayers expects Washington to magically change the first -10 days into office. If you don't already recognize the change, beginning with openness and honesty, you've missed the point. Obama told you everyone that this would be a major challenge, before the people elected him. You've been lied to for so long that you wouldn't know the truth if it stamped itself on your foreheads. The abusee is still in love with the abuser. Just admit its hard for YOU to change.

Posted by: Coherent1 | Jan 10, 2009 4:10:27 PM

kat (11:48 PM); excellent point of view.

Posted by: LongT | Jan 10, 2009 8:49:38 AM

It's just the way it works people. Don't make it right, but it's reality. I must admit though, Obama is candid about it.

Posted by: LongT | Jan 10, 2009 8:46:05 AM

Don't blame me, I voted for Ron Paul. The only candidate the has the nerve to tell his fellow senators no when it is unconstitutional or bad for the country. He has more integrity than any person running, and that is why they gang up on him during the one debate they let him join. When he brought up issues the other candidates did not want to admit a position on they refused to let him join in on any more debates. This country will be like this until it fails because the foxes are guarding the hen house. Until we have an automatic run off voting system where people can vote for the candidate they believe in instead of voting against the candidate they are most afraid of we will never fix this problem.

Posted by: James4570 | Jan 10, 2009 6:27:54 AM

Interesting to see all the anti-Obama propagandists coming in here pretending to be this and that - only to badmouth or name call.

I'm wondering if they're paid positions or just extremists with time on their hands.

Posted by: pefros | Jan 10, 2009 3:02:25 AM

Those of you musing on whether Obama will be impeached or not needn't do so. He will not be impeached. His message of change will continued to fade as he backpedals and he will be so ineffective a chief executive that he will sink into obscurity behind his so-called dream team. When 2012 rolls around Biden and Clinton will fight it out for the nomination and the illusion of change in professional politics will vanish from sight.

Posted by: Publius | Jan 10, 2009 2:03:52 AM

It still boils down to the same old politics. I voted for him and now I see that all politicians are the same. We would do as well to hire a business to run the government.

Posted by: jms | Jan 10, 2009 12:22:02 AM

Gee say it an't so Obama paying off contributors (wait you have not seen anything yet) - our nation has been betrayed by our government and the press -

The democrats are now the lowest form of life known to man. How they stay in power is amazing. The day will come you will all wish Bush was back - yea wish - but don't worry that will never happen.

Only in America can there be so many losers.
Do you like our cime rate?
Do like the fact we have more people in jail than any other country?
Do like the fact your government did nothing to stop what has happened to us?
Do you like all things - laws - programs that palose and ried have put in place?
Do like the fact no one is standing and taking responsibility for what happen?
Do you like the fact that people are losing their jobs by the thousands yet they getting a raise?

Obama paying off - hell this is not just Obama they all do it - we will all learn soon enough th=at the do nothing obama will continue to do nothing - were all in trouble

Posted by: a citizen | Jan 10, 2009 12:03:41 AM

It may be a silly issue to you Bert, but it isn't to many people and as usual the Republican and the right wing show up on the porky side of the issue.

Clinton appointed 5 fund raisers to ambassadorships.

Bush appointed more that 24 fund raisers to ambassadorships.

This is called fat cat, money raisers getting their ego, prestige and pork pay off with a publicly-funded position in return for their partisan money support.

That about says it all. Republicans might want to think twice about hypocritical criticism.

Posted by: pefros | Jan 9, 2009 11:56:23 PM


Do you really care who is the ambassador to Belgium or Trinidad and Tobago? Any competent (legal) fund raiser isn't going to be drooling all over themselves and they can probably do a decent job of representing US interests.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Yes, I do. There's a lot more to the world than out immediate environment. I'm humble enough to acknowledge that and the importance of an ambassador knowing the language, culture, and history of the assigned country. Most of us would certainly expect a Belgian or Toboggan ambassador to speak English and know our history and culture. The same expectations should apply to the people we send. Don't get me wrong- we're fortunate to be Americans, but that doesn't mean we have privileges above and beyond the rest of the planet.

Posted by: kat | Jan 9, 2009 11:48:18 PM

Shhh Punch is snowing you.

This class of appointee is called "non-career" meaning that they dont come from the ranks Foreign Service.

Bush has 133 of them Clinton had 129.

But ultimately I think this is a silly issue. Do you really care who is the ambassador to Belgium or Trinidad and Tobago? Any competent (legal) fund raiser isnt going to be drooling all over themselves and they can probably do a decent job of representing US interests. And showing up at dinners and funerals as necessary.

Posted by: BertieW | Jan 9, 2009 11:13:00 PM

Clinton appointed 5 fund raisers to ambassadorships.

Bush appointed more that 24 fund raisers to ambassadorships.

That about says it all. Republicans might want to think twice about hypocritical criticism.

Posted by: pefros | Jan 9, 2009 10:40:03 PM

Hey, As If ... impeached for what?

If Bush hasn't been impeached for sending Ameicans off to die and get maimed based on a lie then I don't think Obama has anything to worry about.

Posted by: I've had it | Jan 9, 2009 10:00:35 PM

Bush not only rewarded big contributors with Ambassadorships, he put some at the controls of one of our nuclear subs and let them sink a Japanese fishing boat, killing about nine Japanese students and passengers. Remember that???

Posted by: Shockolit | Jan 9, 2009 8:07:32 PM

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