Al Kamen writes: The traditional sale of most ambassadorships, so aptly carried on during the Bush administration, may not continue



There is major agita among some key elements of President-elect Barack Obama's juggernaut. For example, the big-money types and "bundlers," the fundraisers who helped put together Obama's stunning financial advantage, are expecting their reward -- say a nice, cushy ambassadorship in Rome or Paris or London. (By tradition, about one-third of the nation's 190 ambassadors are political appointees. They're the ones who get the fine European postings.) Washington Post reporter Al Kamen served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia.

Al Kamen writes: The traditional sale of most ambassadorships, so aptly carried on during the Bush administration, may not continue

Under Obama, the Envoy Convoy May Screech to a Halt

By Al Kamen

Thursday, November 6, 2008; Page A28

[Excerpt]

You'd think everyone on the Obama team would be celebrating today. But you'd be wrong.

There is major agita among some key elements of President-elect Barack Obama's juggernaut. For example, the big-money types and "bundlers," the fundraisers who helped put together Obama's stunning financial advantage, are expecting their reward -- say a nice, cushy ambassadorship in Rome or Paris or London. (By tradition, about one-third of the nation's 190 ambassadors are political appointees. They're the ones who get the fine European postings.)

But the chatter is that they'd better not count on it. The traditional sale of most ambassadorships, so aptly carried on during the Bush administration, may not continue.

Early speculation is that Obama may be more inclined to follow the Clinton model and select people, often political types, with some foreign policy credentials or knowledge of a country's language or culture. Clinton generally picked the high-rollers for smaller -- albeit quite lovely -- places such as Prague or Vienna. So you may have to forget about the Via Veneto.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: November, 2008; Figures; Peace Corps Tunisia; Directory of Tunisia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Tunisia RPCVs; Journalism; Humor; Diplomacy; Presidents - Obama

When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

---

PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

---

November 5, 2008: This Month's Top Stories World Welcomes Obama Win 5 Nov Shays Loses Congressional Seat in Connecticut 5 Nov Steve Driehaus wins Congressional Seat in Ohio 5 Nov Bill Josephson to speak at UMBC on Nov 13 30 Oct Peace Corps to Resume Work in Liberia 23 Oct Tschetter proposes PC Foundation to Further Third Goal 23 Oct George Packer writes: Roof is falling in on Conservatism 23 Oct O'Hanlon writes: How to finish the job in Iraq 22 Oct Mike Paquette writes: Bolivia situation is very troubling 20 Oct McPherson says bureaucracy delays development initiatives 20 Oct Philip Razem writes: Reveling in the spirit of politics 19 Oct Amy Zulman writes: Improving America's Reputation 15 Oct RPCVs film "Once in Afghanistan" 14 Oct Some PCVS angry at Peace Corps Bolivia pullout 11 Oct Hill proposes compromise in Korea talks 11 Oct Mark Schneider proposes mandatory public service 10 Oct Ambassador Stephens Visits School after 33 Years Ago 9 Oct RPCVs promote organic farming with "magic bus" 7 Oct Obama talks about Doubling the Peace Corps 7 Oct Conference on Moritz Thomsen held in Quito 5 Oct New: More Stories from September 2008 and October

---

Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

---

PCVs Evacuated from Georgia The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.

Read the stories and leave your comments.