Oh, but I am not buying it!

Even though I am a Republican, I still hope that Obama will change the culture in Washington.  But I report in this area of Ambassadorships, Obama has turned into a Bush clone.  I have written previously about how Bush gave Ambassador posts as a reward (Bush once gave a posting to the CEO of Ameriquest Mortgage, to the Netherlands after his company went out of business and was sued over 160 times for help causing the sub-prime meltdown) for raising money for him.  Obama seems to have forgotten his promise to change the culture in Washington DC in this area.  Here is my report on the latest Ambassadorships that have been given out thus far.

80 nominations or confirmations since January 2009.  56% have been given to political appointees.  So who is getting the jobs?

Beatrice Wilkonson Welters- Trinidad and Tobago.  Bundler for Obama.   Raised more than $10 million for his campaign.

Charles Rivkin- Paris.  A bundler who raised $800,000.

Alan Solomont- Madrid.  Raised $500,000.

Louis Susman- London.  Raised $500,000.

Don Beyer-Bern Switzerland.  A bundler that raised $745,000.

Nicole Avant- Nassau, Bahamas.  Raised $800,000.  Talk about a cushy job!

And then there are the loyal Democratic ‘friends’  who have received a post in some exotic country.

Philip Murphy-Germany.  Former finance chairman of the DNC.  Oh and he has given $1.5 million to the party.

Anne Andrew-Costa Rica.  Her husband is a former DNC chairman.

 Career diplomats are fuming about this practice.  These political pycophants get appointed to these posts and don’t even speak the language, bypassing many qualified diplomats who have spent years learning the customs and the people.  Here is a quote from Susan Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Association, 

” We believe the appointment of non-career individuals to lead American Diplomatic missions should be exceptional and not  the routine practice it has become over the past three or four decades.” 

The practice began in 1960.  Since then, each president has given his top cronies lavish postings as a reward for their support.  But with drug trafficking, kidnappings, wars, are we better off with these folks in key offices around the world?  You notice they aren’t getting posts to Haiti, Serbia, or less inviting places.  Oh, those are for the career diplomats who know what they are doing.

But let’s bring it locally to Sacramento.  Eleni Tsakopoulos daughter of Angelo Tsakopoulos, got posted to Hungary.  Her family has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars (over $400,000 and counting) for the DNC, Clinton and my opponent Doris Matsui.  

So I ask you, where are the “Hope and change” and “changing the culture in Washington D.C.” we were promised?    These types of things that tell me nothing has changed and it’s business as usual for the elites in this country.  Maybe I am still an idealist who believes that if you want to change a culture you have to start with yourself.  If you give your word on what you will do, then you should do it.  A friend of mine once said this simple sentence to me one time.

“You can’t change without changing.”

Sounds like that message is not being heard much in D.C.    Our diplomatic corps is being under served by this practice.  It’s time for a change.  Do any of you hire folks because of how much money they have raised for a cause?  Heck no, you hire folks because of their skill level and how much benefit they will bring to your organization.  Is the diplomatic corps any different?

So here is a career opportunity for you.  Learn how to become a ‘bundler’, for the next president.   You, too, can get a posting to the Bahamas.  Sign me up folks!

Visit my website and help me make the change to return Congress to the people. WWW.PaulSmithforCongress.org