The Influence Industry: Obama gives administration jobs to some big fundraisers

Washington Post ^ | 03/08/12 | T.W. Farnam

[MissesBush]

Big donors considering whether to work the phones raising money for President Obama’s reelection campaign might consider the fate of his 2008 bundlers. Many of them, it turns out, won plum jobs in his administration.

Obama campaigned on what he called “the most sweeping ethics reform in history” and has frequently criticized the role of money in politics. That hasn’t stopped him from offering government jobs to some of his biggest bundlers, volunteer fundraisers who gather political contributions from other rich donors.

More than half of Obama’s 47 biggest fundraisers, those who collected at least $500,000 for his campaign, have been given administration jobs. Nine more have been appointed to presidential boards and committees.

At least 24 Obama bundlers were given posts as foreign ambassadors, including in Finland, Australia, Portugal and Luxembourg. Among them is Don Beyer, a former Virginia lieutenant governor who serves as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

“In filling these posts, the administration looks for the most qualified candidates who represent Americans from all walks of life,” said White House spokesman Eric Schultz. “Being a donor does not get you a job in this administration, nor does it preclude you from getting one.”

It is a time-honored tradition to reward political supporters with administration jobs, ambassadorships in particular. And Obama’s administration falls in line with the previous one in terms of the share of ambassadors who are political appointees rather than career Foreign Service officers.

The Foreign Service Act of 1980, however, states that “contributions to political campaigns should not be a factor in the appointment of an individual as a chief of mission.”

Obama has appointed 59 ambassadors who were not career Foreign Service officers, and of those, 40 percent were bundlers.

[MissesBush]

Where's the rest of the media on this? If Bush had done this to this extent, it would have grabbed headlines for weeks. But we know where the media is---too busy obsessing about Limbaugh calling a skank a slut.

[tcrlaf]

REMEMBER KIDDIES!
It’s NOT cronyism if Done-While-Democrat!!

Just ask anybody at CNN

[Gator113]

** President Newt Gingrich-”Our beloved republic deserves nothing less.”

[rockvillem]

Well golly Sargeant Carter!

Who could have seen this coming :)

[DustyMoment]

Big donors considering whether to work the phones raising money for President Obama’s reelection campaign might consider the fate of his 2008 bundlers. Many of them, it turns out, won plum jobs in his administration. Obama campaigned on what he called “the most sweeping ethics reform in history” and has frequently criticized the role of money in politics. That hasn’t stopped him from offering government jobs to some of his biggest bundlers, volunteer fundraisers who gather political contributions from other rich donors.

Wow, Obama engaging in influence peddling? A DEM politician from Chicago, where the former governor was just convicted of trying to sell zero's senate seat?

Gee, who'd a thunk it?