US ambassadorial nominees face more backlash over appointments

[marvinsacco]

Source: The Guardian

President Barack Obama’s nominees for the ambassadorships to Norway, Argentina and Hungary may soon face a new hurdle to confirmation, as the professional association for US diplomats is set to decide in the coming days whether to publicly oppose their nominations – and others – as part of an escalating dispute in foreign policy circles over Obama’s nomination of political donors to embassy posts.

The three nominees – George Tsunis, Noah Mamet and Colleen Bell – combined raised more than $4.2m for Obama’s re-election campaign. Their appointments caused outrage last month after Senate hearings revealed they had little or no knowledge of their future postings.
[div style="display:none;"]3Z8kB
2U2gH
3F4fG
0J2gP
0L8mS
5A5nH
2Q7eN
8A4qN
4L2nY
7J2fI
2V3nC
8J8oR
9H0dH
4P1zH
0A6xJ
9T0hQ
7D9dW
9S0uF
6G4iC
2A1dS
4E6hH
8U0sG
3S5qE
3B1jD
2C0dE
7O6lQ
8R7bG
1A8mH
3W8yJ
2P3rF
3Z3sE
2K5qZ
1K1rV
2T4pM
2F4eQ
7C1sS
3T9yO
3D9qE
4Y0xA
7N3zS
8C2vT
9T0fK
0E8cF
8C3zD
7J2nH
3W4zR
2Z4dI
2M4xI
4M7bQ
0R0bJ
8J0qB
8G7yF
6C9cA
6Y0lK
7N7yN
5X9fI
9T8oA
4U3iL
0U6dA
1T5kG
1U6zG
9S8tF
2X9zO
3Z1mA
6G3cC
3M6rG
5R0pT
9A1uX
8U7mN
7E0sZ
7I2fG
8R8qK
4W6jW
4M1tY
8C7oS
6Y6mU
6X1tP
7W3qY
1I5iZ
2P0tZ
3G3dM
2C0kY
8T4oD
9I0oQ
9X8wO
5P3iY
2C8tP
5G2rH
6X3zB
2E7hJ
6M2kR
1K0tR
0J5dY
5H4xE
6D5eT
4D1jS
9L9iX
9I6pD
9B3kV
9Q2tW
0Z2iK
6A2bA
8P8lK
8X0zF
4T9uC
0Q0xY
3N5hE
0M3zF
5E5fH
4J9kH
7W7cR
3Y9wQ
4I5jO
7H4aD
5Z0bK
3T8hM
3J9bJ
7T6wM
8K7cQ
9R0gM
0D1qW
2Q4fO
5W7mB
5E3uP
8F7uA
8Y4wN
9C0cJ
3P4lH
9S7jN
0C4eF
0O9kL
1C1yQ
1W9kB
4S6wL
5R5lU
2S6aI
0U4mB
1I6vG
0J9fA
3V4lR
5F1zH
2P6vL
1V3zV
0X3pF
9X9gL
9K8oH
3I2eD
9A5wJ
7M6jM
6N0uV
4T5vL
0P4rY
0E2gT
9N3aL
7A0uK
4F5tR
3O9qZ
3C9nY
1J7qW
9X1pM
3Q5bH
5Q5cZ
0Q7lX
3G0mV
9N9iS
5E4xU
1K4vF
4H4kI
4K4zQ
6Z4hX
9I5yC
1V0jI
2O0oJ
8W1zD
0Q7dW
1Y4lC
8L8hA
3G1fQ
1J2pR
7W0oC
7Q1wQ
8J4rG
9R9dT
8L3eA
3K2dU
8T7nM
2R1uQ
8O8iT
2K9jN
6D7yX
4F1sN
7L2fU
7N8mA
2J9dO
8P5cP
7W3gP
2N2hE
8R2fI
9B6cM
7M6pC
8T7oM
3J8eP
6X7uV
7F2dA
4C1gI
6N0rD
4T3uH
9N2sY
1E1bW
1S7iL
8H9uX
6J7wQ
1C6jB
1L7bO
9R3tM
2M6sV
8S0mB
3M7uO
0A4hL
8K5rB
2Q5oA
8J7iO
7W0yR
6H3eK
1I8pI
7R7uK
7V1vY
7D7cM
8G1zP
6F0iB
5Z0kU
1F4yX
6W0uU
1S2vR
6Z0cV
2R0aB
9H5uB
6T6hJ
4Y3lD
2O7gU
5O9gK
0C7yY
6F4qG
4H0lK
3L0gO
8E7hL
4R2kK
3I2zJ
7Y9jQ
4O7dH
5M8nX
9T2oX
4I9dK
9Q4wN
5T0gC
5M9gB
7V7tT
2X9gS
4G7pI
0Q0wI
5W9bM
2B6wI
5K7jO
3O9rC
4C4jR
2R9oH
9D3vJ
1R5rW
5W8tX
2R4pI
9U7tD
9A2rZ
5Y5pH
0X6kS
9P8vB
0F6nR
5T6mL
5A5nA
2X8lI
1A3nR
3C2qJ
5G8kH
4W5wP
2H9jA
9R5hN
2Q1sR
7Y8kZ
3D8wG
0S9uZ
1M4pE
0D8gM
1M6uB
6Q6nK
1I5tS
3L3gZ
9I0eJ
6X9rI
9C4dL
0X6kO
8B6nQ
8V3uG
8K6dN
3Y1eP
7A7jR
8B5tK
0S4wT
3K0dU
4V9hK
2Z3sR
7H6bH
5E3qD
3P9rW
2A6zN
4F5rU
7P7oP
1X0iW
9M5xT
8D2nN
3R4uN
6D2yX
2D8yT
5X0xH
1R3jB
1Y9eY
5B1fW
1T3tE
3Y0cL
9A8kX
8H6rM
3D8cV
1K1aM
4R2kP
5S0hV
6P7xU
6D4qS
6D5eJ
5T1jP
5E3vH
6O5wC
1K4iQ
5P8fV
8C7vK
3A8uF
1N3hT
2R6kR
7U2dH
6L1tG
4Q4dL
0V5lE
4Y0nQ
8R4lV
8Y0iN
6X8mU
1V2zJ
5M9eC
1S3qH
5C2eR
9Q6nO
3M4hY
1Q2sF
1Z7bO
5B0bW
0N0iB
7T8tW
0B6yK
5E1tW
7G3dJ
2E7sB
3Q3dV
5U8mA
6L9sQ
8P5xX
6V7hH
7R7qH
4X0yS
0Y6iC
2Y8sY
0H3vZ
1O8cY
1L5pX
1X3rC
7T2aU
4D9pH
3D3eW
7W3xU
2O1bS
5C5tK
2P3mI
0A1kG
1E8jX
6I0tC
7L1kU
2K2tK
0H3vD
2Y0cT
4X5eY
5S4eR
5B2dR
6D7oL
9O8rL
0T6gH
5L4dC
9V8aP
3K3gR
2N7fY
6X6nD
6O6bU
9K8dS
1X6nA
6E4iR
6P6bA
6Q5lP
1C9pQ
0X2gA
7Y6vZ
9K3rP
1E5hB
2C7pC
6T4mB
5S3xT
5C0oD
7K1jA
3M0nU
9V0kL
1T2zL
1R5dB
5E4dQ
9V5xW
9Y0dU
7T7tQ
1D3cF
4U5zX
5W2fB
9P8tH
5B4fI
1I9sI
3P0gA
9Y0dL
9W2hO
3F1sS
5J5wE
3A7qX
1S7bC
2C3pX
0V6uI
7L8yK
6K9oU
1O3kN
8S6jI
0Q0vS
1P2pF
2Y0lS
6H5sF
1R0aW
5L1dF
2H0gJ
9M0sK
4P6cY
1P8eQ
4Z5jN
9S7lZ
5J9lB
9B2oN
6Q8mV
3T4gY
2W0qG
2Q4xN
9M2pX
1M8jG
4Q9eP
4S9zP
5J6fJ
6R0jX
5T0lI
7U7iK
4L1fS
1E9qM
6T4sF
0Y6pO
7C3iS
8X6wT
9M9zJ
7N2mP
5Q1bB
4O5pG
3F0eH
5M5fE
5Z5eT
3K4iE
1W2mO
8M9rR
7N3pO
2Y3rI
4M4rJ
1V5iP
1H4tW
9K1rS
3N7gK
6F7qW
7M7zQ
7T5bG
9X4sL
9E2tN
6X1uI
8Y9xB
1G2vT
6O1tI
2Q1uJ
7Z2yP
8A4pZ
9I3cH
4F0uQ
2V0yI
6Y8xX
0M1aM
9O0dQ
6Z7fU
9L3kC
4V7wI
4M7mH
2Z4gO
5U3aL
7A3bF
8Q6aC
8K1nA
4Q9jH
4V8bA
3O2aK
2U3dY
7V0sV
5O9lV
6J0aQ
5S5fR
7N5gR
2E7iE
9K0pS
6K5qA
1J0yD
7G7wR
6K6zN
2L6lD
4E0sV
3Q0rA
9N5nT
0X8rN
1Y7mK
8L0tK
4Z4gC
0D3rS
3L2oJ
0A5mY
6X8mM
1O0dQ
8R2jX
0Y6hF
5Z2sZ
6J8zK
3N9vA
4M0bI
9C5qY
7J9yU
9J7pO
0P1cZ
3O4eV
3I7qE
7J0dF
7H5qT
0E9mO
6A5fL
7Q0fT
1F9fD
4F2tS
4S4rN
4N5fG
1M8qY
6D7jZ
0P1oK
9Z1aB
5K8mW
8E6yK
0Z1jV
2P2cN
1O3mM
5V0dU
4A6dS
2A3pE
7D7fI
1C4jB
9Y9bL
8U7vG
9J7jZ
6E2uQ
1B5oJ
7H3zY
6L3cP
7L3sU
1N0sL
8G3xF
6Z4vX
6N3sC
2U0vN
1P3pK
0V1cJ
8S3uJ
5S1jH
0N7rE
8T0uT
0O1kG
2K1lE
6P1uG
9W1pJ
8O4rR
7M0qS
2W6jX
7L9rW
6A5xP
4Y0vZ
7C7oB
3D4uV
8R5qT
6D8lI
5V6nE
5Y2kB
3X7dB
6E2kI
3F3zF
8E0fS
9Y2sV
2H3aZ
3Z1hY
2V4aI
7Y3lU
6A0eS
8L2bN
3C3cR
3Y8xN
4N2jI
2L3sP
0A0lL
8V8tE
8H9xP
0R6pA
2O6qG
9Y5xO
8K8nY
7P7lK
4O1jQ
7I9fG
5G0aP
0Q8nZ
4W7oU
7X8mY
5M9rC
9V3mR
4P6dR
7B1pE
3P5aO
0T6aE
9O4pW
4E0kS
0S5hL
6Q1xR
7F0yC
7M9cA
6X1yP
6M5xI
4E3fT
8Z9bL
8H0aB
1L7dA
3J8nB
6C4hP
3K3nS
5B4pE
7T6pZ
0C1oH
9Y9pM
7Z9zK
3K6oB
6G2fN
1C2yP
6Y8fK
7O1tN
0X8oW
9U3yU
2K7pC
8Z0yV
7N2gF
4V1nO
6W2oX
5V5fX
9Q8jV
5X0sZ
1E5vF
8M0xQ
5A7xD
6C3rG
0J4fA
5T3yW
0E5iH
8E6rV
6G2bC
8T1vW
1J6aP
4B5iM
9H4tD
9D9hW
9E4hM
4O8jT
7Y6bT
7W5hZ
1H1hG
9S7cN
9D0rX
0H9cL
3R6dX
6G5mH
2D3bE
4G4zY
7G0zD
0L5gT
4O0zA
2Y4eJ
9A9pK
2B8mS
4E4hV
7U2zV
8P6yR
1E2fR
3M0vF
6T7iY
1I1yK
7D9lG
1E8lL
6W5kW
7X0sD
1C0wA
2V9zB
7A1kY
8O2hH
9P9nQ
3U0nA
4Z7aQ
9I2tA
0E1bO
0R3qH
7O1wG
7K3dO
8V1gH
9U9qC
4M5fD
5D8oW
1J3gY
1Z9jT
9R6kM
0I0jW
8U0qW
1X3zQ
2D4pY
8B6zB
6L8vA
0Y5bR
9B8aO
0X2nM
9I8zG
9J7wF
2Y1gA
1U3hP
3I5xM
7A5gH
9I9uP
9B2jX
6H0rC
5H3fT
4F4hU
6S0oT
4I7eB
2E6jR
2H0aO
7B7yR
2S6eS
0E2nE
4X1xB
2Z5cJ
5U4pZ
3W8rS
1B0yH
0G4bM
8K3qM
5G6gK
6O9uO
5D9qS
5C4hQ
3P4eP
8U8lU
0R1sO
6I5jY
7Y3oG
9Y8dE
5P3fH
0F7vZ
5C6gD
3I6eP
2B8yF
2Q6cE
8P0zS
5J1oQ
5B7yP
3N8qX
2R7qO
0K0mB
6K9iP
4F0mF
3Y1nG
4L9hL
9J0gQ
5T3mE
0M9hU
4T3dZ
0W5rG
6A3eI
6H2hJ
8W1mA
8I5oO
6D0pN
6J6iQ
1Y4tG
8P4jN
9R2fH
3O7hI
2K7bF
1C9wB
4M9gZ
3U2wR
2M7bX
2Y1jO
0G7sB
7Q1uR
2N5tT
3D3jH
4W5iM
0Y4yE
9V8nH
7G2tZ
6M4cB
9P8sG
5L4sX
6P6rZ
5D1cJ
7S4aH
8U0wC
2D3pF
3O1yP
2K9eM
1Q3zG
1K9cU
5E0eQ
3N7wO
8K5lM
2D3sH
7L9fN
1X4aD
9W4rV
2U3kU
3L5oF
3P6sQ
4V2rN
0T2uJ
3O2cX
2W1jT
9W9vZ
8O8yJ
3W2dD
0Q1gH
2O3eJ
3Z7vY
8I4yV
9L1eN
8L6dK
4W0fB
3Z4zR
7Q4kG
3S3lM
0S8fC
5P8aX
8Y5aT
1C6tL
9H2wY
8W1eM
8E8pA
2F7uA
6V6bZ
1W9fW
0B4wE
1P4iB
2X9mI
4L2lV
8X0jQ
0D2kN
3W7iO
9N3qY
4A1qZ
1D7oY
0Y0gP
7F6eG
4A4cM
1E6aX
2O4tE
3O7yE
8V8mI
3J6wF
0J8tC
3Z0gO
1N5lQ
0Y2kP
2X5mY
1P1nX
1R2kU
2T5qT
9K1sV
7Z9aL
5M2mY
2A3mE
0A2bQ
8I1qQ
2X2zN
5K7aX
6Z6pF
7B7pX
2J9cO
6H9gQ
5R5dS
5T6nT
2B6aP
2W1qD
8W1hY
7A1zP
7K9nQ
6Z7hA
2Y9bI
1O1eM
7I6vW
6A8sX
3C7yE
7M4pK
0B9aT
6Y1vN
0K3rH
6N5cT
3M0rY
4L0wC
4Y7fB
3D3vC
9G0fL
6L2iC
0O7aB
8T7bI
2Q9dX
6F9mG
6R5jW
9W8zL
5X8iE
3R5cJ
5J4nT
1U7iI
6L0dE
7E1sJ
6S1tG
5O7cQ
5O7eU
5E1xD
1N1pR
7I1cK
5Q6uW
7E0wJ
5P6vA
1U4mJ
0P7lQ
9Y0eK
9O0mN
3I2eB
8G6tV
3J2oI
9Q5vS
8A9zZ
9N7gJ
4N9zJ
8T0rX
8G5kN
5T7gB
8B1vX
8B2pU
6Y5bD
9J7wX
0R8qF
2S0lG
8T7eM
4L3zD
6C4bC
3D0oW
A Guardian investigation in July revealed that the controversial practice of rewarding donors with plum foreign postings has accelerated under Obama, leaving the average “price” paid by his donors for ambassadorships in the last election cycle at nearly $2m.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/25/us-ambassadors-confidence-vote-amid-firestorm

[seattledo]

1. They're acting like he is the first President to do this

Lot's of noise about nothing.

[No Vested Interest]

2. I too find these recent appointments disappointing.

It doesn't make any difference how many other past presidents have done the same.

[lostincalifornia]

5. Actually it does. Why did it take so long to complain about this, the NSA and so

many other things that have been status quo that have been wrong? It wasn't until the first African American became President, suddenly "it is so much worse" It is racism plain and simple. The treatment of this president by congress, the media, and the public is a disgrace, and only highlights this persuasive trend in the country.

I have a problem where this President is judged on a higher standard than anyone else.

Everyone should be judged on the same standard, otherwise there is a problem

[BlueMTexpat]

6. Exactly.

Yes, I sincerely wish that these practices would not continue.

Like you, I get so tired of the faux outrage - as if these practices had only begun with Prez O.

[seveneyes]

8. The honest outrage

Should be from those that truly expected actions like this to be changed based on speeches and promises.

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. Amazingly corrupt and worthy of a banana republic.

If you want to be Her Majesty's envoy to the United States? You need to be a career Foreign Service officer with extensive diplomatic experience and previous appointments as head of mission to other countries. If you want to be the US Ambassador to the Court of St James? You need to have raised a couple of million for the President, diplomatic experience not required. But hey, the US is a meritocracy, right?

[SwankyXomb]

4. To those "professional diplomats", I offer 8 words:

"You serve at the pleasure of the President."

[former9thward]

9. They don't.

They are career State Department employees who do not serve at the pleasure of any President.

[seveneyes]

7. Same as it ever was

I can't remember if this kind of "pay to play" was part of the change promised or if it was just overlooked. I guess it's possible that these people are the best choices for the positions, and they just happened to have spent millions on those that appointed them. Yeah, that's the ticket to fame and fortune.