Obama Gives Political Ambassadors Their Pink Slips

WashPost ^ | 12-3-08 | Glenn Kessler

[STARWISE]

The incoming Obama administration has notified all politically-appointed ambassadors that they must vacate their posts as of Jan. 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office, a State Department official said.

The clean slate will open up prime opportunities for the president-elect to reward political supporters with posts in London, Paris, Tokyo and the like. The notice to diplomatic posts was issued this week.

Political ambassadors sometimes are permitted to stay on briefly during a new administration, but the sweeping nature of the directive suggests that Obama has little interest in retaining any of Bush's ambassadorial appointees.

[huldah1776]

Obaminations supporters will never know because they’ll never read another political news article, in fact, they only watch saturday night live or youtube.

[perez24]

It’s your memory. President Bush left some Clinton holdovers in some spots, but these people are typically fired...and know it when they take the job.

Of course when President Bush fired people it was a huge faux scandal.

[MaxMax]

Ambassadorship to the Klingon's.

[freema]

Hubby says, “Uh, well. As long as she goes away.”

[Mark was here]

Pinging - the lawyers for the attorneys that Bush canned ...

[shield]

Is he even president-elect yet? I thought that happened with the electoral college’s votes.

[AIC]

So, what do these politically-appointed ambassadors do other than go to party's and I'm sure that whomever is appointed will and can do that real well.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

Well, well well, so as Obama vacates Bush’s appointments, when will the Senate hearings start to find out, WHY??

How much does anyone want to bet that he will ask for resignations of ALL US Attorneys as well and there will be nary a peep from his sycophant, butt-kissing, Congressional colleagues, including Republicans???

[Hardastarboard]

Is such wide-spread housecleaning the “norm” when a new President comes in to office?

It should be. Unfortunately, it wasn't with Bush. That's what caused a great deal of his problems, IMHO.

[razorback-bert]

I think she would fit in fine in Zimbabwee.

[pabianice]

Where’s the outrage? I mean, Bush fired nine Leftie US attorneys and the Libs want to send him to jail. But The One gets to fire EVERYONE and the press whores remain silent. Again.

[celtic gal]

WAIT A MINUTE.... He can’t do that...we need an investigation...heck if Bush could not let federal judges go on a whim...neither can 0bama do this..it ain’t fair I tell ya!

[Sender]

Here comes your change. Now we will be represented worldwide by bamboozled quislings. Yes, your excellency, things have completely changed in America’s foreign policy. We are now able to accommodate the new arrangements we have discussed.

[Ax]

Certainly, politically appointed ambassadors attend a lot of cocktail parties, but they don't normally spend a lot of time there. The powers-that-be in any given country would much rather have a political appointee as the U.S. Ambassador. Politically appointed ambassadors are usually big contributors to a president's campaign, and the ambassadorship is their payback. The locals would rather have a friend of the president's, who can pick up the phone and get right through to the Oval Office than a career Foreign Service Officer that worked his/her way up the ladder and doesn't have the juice that a big contributor has.

I was in Gabarone, Botswana, some years ago, and the Ambassador there was a big contributor to Reagan's campaign and was rewarded with the post there. He was a big game hunter, and for him, Botswana was paradise.

[celtic gal]

I can’t afford to bet against you cuz I think you are right on target. Oh we will all scream and Rush et al will hollar about it but it won’t mean a thing...
What do tyou bet that on his Inaug day THE ONE now declares we are now to be known as the United Socialist States of America!

[prismsinc]

The GOP is a big reason this occurred. Bringing us McLame? Please. What did the GOP expect would happen? The only reason McLame was competitive was the Palin selection. McLame saved face with his VP selection, as the GOP was facing a complete blowout at the ballot box. Communist A vs. Socialist B. What choice did voters have?

Palin, Jindahl, Gingrich and a few select others are left with saving the party. There is hope for us yet.

[Mila]

"I recently spoke with a liberal who said that Bush’s firings of US Attorneys was scandalous, while the Clinton firings were perfectly okay."

Both Clinton and Bush, upon taking office, began to dismiss most of the U.S. attorneys from the previous administration and appoint new ones. This is what usually happens when an administration of the opposite party takes over. From what I can gather, the controversy that exists is not because of that type of Bush administration dismissal, but because of questions concerning the reasons behind the rather unprecedented second term dismissal of seven U.S. attorneys that were in fact Bush appointees.

[Texas Eagle]

Looks like Whoopie Goldberg is going to get her ambassadorship. It’s all she can talk about lately.

To the Greek island of Lesbos no doubt.

[Chode]

do I really have to say it???

[Eye of Unk]

The condition of the founding fathers’ spirit and intention for America was eloquently stated by Samuel Adams:

“The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks. We have received them as a fair inheritance from our worthy ancestors: they purchased them for us with toil and danger and expense of treasure and blood, and transmitted them to us with care and diligence. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.”