Posted on 02/09/2014 6:23:33 AM PST by Kaslin
Have you thought about becoming an Ambassador, diplomat, or foreign dignitary? Well stop wasting your time trying to build a career… Just bundle a few million dollars in campaign money for your friendly Chicago-style politician, and help him become President. Once he’s in charge, you might even get a nomination to far-away-lands that you know nothing about!
At least, that’s how it seems to work judging by the administration’s latest nominee. Noah Mamet, has been nominated as the ambassador to Argentina. Noah is well traveled, but has admitted that he has never even visited Argentina… (Become a political crony, and visit new lands!)
Certainly, after bundling more than $1.7 million dollars for the President’s campaign efforts, he’s more than qualified for the post. Especially if it turns out that he speaks Spanish – a fact about which the State Department seems a little fuzzy.
State Dept Not Sure If Obama's Bundler Ambassador To Argentina Speaks Spanish
“I don’t have his bio right here with me. But what I will convey is that uh, I think, like I said before, judging somebody’s effectiveness or what role they’ll play, or how strong of an ambassador they’ll be, you can’t do until they’ve spent some time working in the job in the country.”
Did the State Department spokesperson really say what I think she said? Is she channeling Nancy Pelosi? We know he never visited the country, and he may – or may not – speak Spanish… But apparently we should just let him be ambassador so we can find out whether or not he’s actually qualified. Confirm him to find out his qualifications! (Is there some sort of rule that today’s Democrats are not allowed to employ logic steps of verification before supporting an idea, bill or person?)
Noah Mamet’s nomination is not necessarily an isolated case. While political appointments for campaign bundlers is not anything exclusive to Obama, he certainly has adopted a keen understanding of the process. In his second term, our Campaigner in Chief has said “thank you” to 23 top campaign bundlers by appointing them to various diplomatic posts. Together, the 23 politically connected individuals fundraised more than $16 million dollars getting Team Obama elected (and re-elected). Even the liberally inclined Slate magazine has started to point out the “coincidental” relationship between political donors to Obama, and their subsequent appointments to cushy diplomatic posts.
And the best part about it? Back in 2007, when many of these future donors-turned-diplomats were first deciding to support the unknown Senator from Illinois, Obama railed against the practice of handing out political favors:
“They write the checks and you get stuck with the bills, they get the access while you get to write a letter, they think they own this government.” – Obama, 2007.
It’s not as if Mamet is being appointed as the US diplomatic resource on the study of underwater basket weaving. He is being nominated as the Ambassador to a nation that is currently undergoing worrisome economic upheaval. Inflation is growing, the central bank is struggling with its balance sheet, and the general population is growing increasingly fed up with economic conditions. And the man most qualified for the job is a guy who’s only real qualification is campaign fundraising?
Maybe it’s asking too much of a Chicago politician to refrain from handing out political favors to major donors. But couldn’t we at least nominate Obama donors with some degree of competency and qualification, or are those just too hard to find?
Any liberal airhead can purchase themselves an ambassadorship. This is graft and corruption.
Like the owner of the Steelers. Knelt down before Obama and acted the whore to become ambassador to Ireland.
Pay to play Chicago style.
Very well said
While not a campaign cash cow, Sen. Max Baucus, our new Ambassador to China, admitted during his hearings that he didn’t know much about China. Oh well, a political debt paid off and a Senate seat secured for the new Democrat nominee (or so they think). Chicago thug arrogance.
“While political appointments for campaign bundlers is not anything exclusive to Obama, he certainly has adopted a keen understanding of the process.”
And that’s the key here. Every President, D and R, has rewarded big supporters with ambassadorships and the like. I don’t like it, but it’s a fact of life. The extent to which Obama is doing it, and the prime positions he’s giving to political backers versus career foreign service types is the issue.
That he seems to appoint disasters-in-waiting like Cynthia Stroum (seriously, how can you screw up being ambassador to Luxembourg?) and George Tsunis just makes it worse.
Sickens me
Meanwhile the post of Ambassador to Canada has been vacant since last July although it seems to be waiting for confirmation from the senate. Zero has nominated Bruce Heyman, a Goldman Sachs partner from Chicago. Hearings took place on Dec. 11 but time slips by and no vote on him yet.
This is not FAIR! I thought obama was about “fair.” What about the poor? What if THEY want to be ambassadors to some cushy tropical island? They can’t afford the bribes needed for that.
I say we just put everyone’s name in a hat (of course including illegal aliens, children, the homeless, drug addicts, the insane, and felons), and have a drawing. Then the poor can take bribes from politicians on the tropical island and they won’t be poor any more.
I noticed all audio and video of our new ambassador to japan has been made unavailable
She sounds like a ninth grader in desperate need of speech tutoring
It’s why all video is gone
Of course she bought that position.
Whoever runs for pres could say they’ll be doing what they can to restore our reputation in the world. We have a lot of idiocy out there.
The former gov. of Illinois is in jail for trying to sell Obama’s senate seat.
It is the water.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.