Caroline Kennedy to be named ambassador to Japan

[cali]

Looks like there will be a Camelot East — make that Far East: Caroline Kennedy is heading to Tokyo to be the U.S. ambassador. Kennedy, whose support for President Obama during his 2008 campaign was seen as crucial, had been widely talked about as a candidate for the plum diplomatic post, but now things have apparently been firmed up.

As the Loop previously reported, the departure of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton helped pave the way for Kennedy:

[A]lthough talks about Kennedy potentially taking an ambassadorship predated John Kerry’s arrival at Foggy Bottom, her relationship with Clinton is just a touch strained — recall Kennedy’s blockbuster endorsement of then-Sen. Obama over Clinton, the party favorite.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/01/caroline-kennedy-to-be-ambassador-to-japan/

[Paladin]

1. If it happens, I hope she does a better job than her grandfather did with England. (nt)

[BlueCheese]

2. I guess ambassadorships are still patronage jobs.

According to the NYT, "Ms. Kennedy does not have any obvious connection to Japan". Does she speak Japanese?

Meanwhile, some other appointments:

Marc Lasry, a billionaire hedge fund manager and Obama supporter, is said to be the president’s pick to be ambassador to France. Former President Bill Clinton told attendees at a pair of fund-raisers last month that Mr. Lasry was set to get the job.

John R. Phillips, a Washington lawyer, is frequently mentioned as a possibility for ambassador to Italy. Several people familiar with the process have said in recent weeks that Matthew Barzun may be appointed as the ambassador to Britain. The job was once thought to be going to Anna Wintour, the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, who was a prodigious fund-raiser for Mr. Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/02/world/caroline-kennedy-is-considered-for-japan-ambassador.html

[Art_from_Ark]

3. I don't think Mike Mansfield spoke Japanese, either

But he was respected in Japan while he held the ambassadorship.

I don't think the Japanese will complain too much about Caroline Kennedy. In fact, I think there will be a lot of oohing and aahing here in Japan about having the daughter of President Kennedy as ambassador.

[RudynJack]

13. Or Tom Foley

and Walter Mondale, both former Ambassadors to Japan.

I think Japan would be pretty flattered to have Ms. Kennedy as ambassador.

[Hekate]

7. Of course they are; they always have been for over 200 years

The permanent career employees are the ones who are supposed to know the languages (my cousin knows about 10, though that is unusual) and various specialties (economics liaison, in cuz's case) and about the cultures and how to run an embassy.

It doesn't hurt if the actual ambassador knows some of these things, too, but it is by no means a necessity. They are there to promote the policies of the president and the country. I fully trust that Caroline Kennedy will have already done her homework regarding her appointment -- she strikes me as a very educated and hardworking Kennedy, not a politician but someone who will earnestly do the job once she takes it on.

Hekate

[Beacool]

4. Well, Obama owes her.

But why Japan? I would think France would be more to her liking.

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Why not Japan?

Ms. Kennedy joins the ranks of such distinguished Democrats as Mike Mansfield and Walter Mondale as ambassadors to Japan. Mansfield, in fact, was ambassador for 11 years. Japan is a prestigious assignment.

[Beacool]

6. Of course it is.

I'm just surprised that she's interested in being it's ambassador.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. Why not?

LIke I said, it's a prestigious assignment, and she joins the ranks of other prominent Democrats who have been ambassador to Japan. She's going in with a big plus as being the daughter of President Kennedy, which will definitely make her job easier.

[JI7]

9. he doesn't owe her anything

[Beacool]

10. Oh, yes he does.

Teddy too. They both endorsed Obama when in the past they had waited until the Democrats had chosen the nominee.

[JI7]

11. that doesn't mean anyone is owed something, sometimes people just work well together

[Beacool]

12. In politics, every winner owes someone something.

Obama is no exception. He tried to get her Hillary's Senate seat and that didn't work out too well. Patterson didn't bite. Caroline didn't help herself either by being almost incoherent during the short time that she tried to introduce herself to the public as a potential Senate candidate. Although she grew up in a political family, she didn't inherit the political gene.

[RudynJack]

14. Alas, no, she didn't.

I really like and respect her, but she's not a great speaker.

I think this is a perfect assignment for her, and I'm sure she'll do very well.

[Beacool]

15. I'm sure she will, she's a lot like her mother.

My only objection had been when the WH tried to pressure Patterson to give her Hillary's Senate seat. Hillary had worked her butt off to get that seat. She had campaigned in every county in the state, going to places where previous Senate candidates didn't bother to go. And Ms. Caroline would have gotten that seat on a silver platter for doing what, endorsing Obama? Hell to the no!!!



BTW, I think that Obama would have offered Caroline an ambassadorship sooner if Hillary hadn't been the SOS for the last four years.