Theres been much talk that for all the talk about change the Obama administration has not always been making radical departures from traditional ways of governing. For example President Obama has not strayed all that far from the Bush administrations foreign policies.
And based on some early signals that seems to be the case when it comes to the venerable tradition of rewarding mega-contributors and pals with fine ambassadorships in excellent locations such as Rome London Paris and Madrid. (Traditionally 30 percent of the 160 or so envoy positions are political picks while the rest go to career Foreign Service officers.)
The Obama folks have indicated they were going to at least limit the number of such vanity or cash-only ambassadors and maybe even try to send emissaries who are not completely clueless. But the buzz is that big donors and bundlers wont be shut out.
The basic list actually has been pretty much set for a while. The plan apparently is to roll out the nominees in a bundle so to speak slipping the truly wealthy in with the truly competent. That might be one reason few ambassador picks have been announced -- vetting the super-rich can be time-consuming.
The Clinton administration tended to favor a cash-plus approach in which big donor Democrats often had a modicum of knowledge of the languages or issues in the countries to which they were sent.
Until the full list comes out its unclear what Obamas overall policy will be but some of the names circulating for plum posts include several who have contributed or bundled to the campaign or the inaugural or the Democratic Party some very serious money.
Weve reported the chatter about a London posting for Louis Susman of Chicago an early supporter who with his wife gave $106500 to Obama-related committees though he bundled only between $200000 and $500000 for the campaign. Charlie Rivkin former Jim Henson Co. chief and an executive producer of Nickelodeons Yo Gabba Gabba! has been talked about for Paris.
He headed California fundraising for Obama and bundled more than $500000 for the campaign and another $300000 for the inaugural. Boston financier Alan Solomont mentioned for Madrid bundled the same amounts to the campaign and the inaugural.
On the other hand you dont have to be a big contributor to serve. For example David Thorne a Boston-area investment adviser and entrepreneur is up for Rome. Hes a longtime very close friend of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and is the twin brother of Kerrys late first wife.
IN DEFENSE OF CASH
And now this stirring defense of White House economy czar Lawrence Summers from David Rothkopf former Clinton administration deputy undersecretary of commerce for international trade policy.
Speaking of executive branch sacrifice one more point Rothkopf blogged yesterday on Foreign Policy.com. Whats up with the attacks on Larry Summers for making a good living the last couple years? The guy was Treasury secretary and president of Harvard for goodness sake. Where did you expect him to work White Castle? As those who know him and love him will tell you he probably doesnt have the interpersonal skills for that type of work.
Maybe after the training program?
FIELDING FOUND
Everyones been wondering: Whither Bush White House counsel Fred F. Fielding? Well turns out hes returning to his old law firm. Ah not so fast. Not that law firm. His really old law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius where he started as a summer clerk in Philadelphia in 1963. After his stint in the White House counsels office for President Richard M. Nixon he returned to Morgan Lewis until 1981 when he became President Ronald Reagans White House counsel. He went private in 1986 at Wiley Rein & Fielding.
He did various public service stints including one on the 9/11 Commission and another vetting personnel for President George W. Bush in 2001 before returning as White House counsel in 2007.
EXTREMELY CURRICULAR
Georgetown law students signing up for this summers course on public corruption no doubt expected to be taught by someone who investigates official misconduct. What they might not have expected was to be taught by someone whos under investigation for official misconduct.
But thats exactly what students who signed up for JD 349 might have had in one of their instructors Brenda Morris who was lead prosecutor in the governments case against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) our colleague Henri Cauvin reports.
Stevens was convicted last fall and lost his bid for reelection but Morris and some of her colleagues from the Justice Departments Public Integrity Section are now the ones in hot water.
The judge in the case scolded prosecutors repeatedly for withholding information from the defense and in February after another violation came to light the judge held Morris and two other Justice attorneys in contempt. Last week Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said he would ask the judge to dismiss the charges.
But Morris and the others are under investigation by the Justice Departments Office of Professional Responsibility. She called the school yesterday and withdrew.
Theres been much talk that for all the talk about change the Obama administration has not always been making radical departures from traditional ways of governing. For example President Obama has not strayed all that far from the Bush administrations foreign policies.
And based on some early signals that seems to be the case when it comes to the venerable tradition of rewarding mega-contributors and pals with fine ambassadorships in excellent locations such as Rome London Paris and Madrid. (Traditionally 30 percent of the 160 or so envoy positions are political picks while the rest go to career Foreign Service officers.)
The Obama folks have indicated they were going to at least limit the number of such vanity or cash-only ambassadors and maybe even try to send emissaries who are not completely clueless. But the buzz is that big donors and bundlers wont be shut out.
The basic list actually has been pretty much set for a while. The plan apparently is to roll out the nominees in a bundle so to speak slipping the truly wealthy in with the truly competent. That might be one reason few ambassador picks have been announced -- vetting the super-rich can be time-consuming.
The Clinton administration tended to favor a cash-plus approach in which big donor Democrats often had a modicum of knowledge of the languages or issues in the countries to which they were sent.
Until the full list comes out its unclear what Obamas overall policy will be but some of the names circulating for plum posts include several who have contributed or bundled to the campaign or the inaugural or the Democratic Party some very serious money.
Weve reported the chatter about a London posting for Louis Susman of Chicago an early supporter who with his wife gave $106500 to Obama-related committees though he bundled only between $200000 and $500000 for the campaign. Charlie Rivkin former Jim Henson Co. chief and an executive producer of Nickelodeons Yo Gabba Gabba! has been talked about for Paris.
He headed California fundraising for Obama and bundled more than $500000 for the campaign and another $300000 for the inaugural. Boston financier Alan Solomont mentioned for Madrid bundled the same amounts to the campaign and the inaugural.
On the other hand you dont have to be a big contributor to serve. For example David Thorne a Boston-area investment adviser and entrepreneur is up for Rome. Hes a longtime very close friend of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and is the twin brother of Kerrys late first wife.
IN DEFENSE OF CASH
And now this stirring defense of White House economy czar Lawrence Summers from David Rothkopf former Clinton administration deputy undersecretary of commerce for international trade policy.
Speaking of executive branch sacrifice one more point Rothkopf blogged yesterday on Foreign Policy.com. Whats up with the attacks on Larry Summers for making a good living the last couple years? The guy was Treasury secretary and president of Harvard for goodness sake. Where did you expect him to work White Castle? As those who know him and love him will tell you he probably doesnt have the interpersonal skills for that type of work.
Maybe after the training program?
FIELDING FOUND
Everyones been wondering: Whither Bush White House counsel Fred F. Fielding? Well turns out hes returning to his old law firm. Ah not so fast. Not that law firm. His really old law firm Morgan Lewis & Bockius where he started as a summer clerk in Philadelphia in 1963. After his stint in the White House counsels office for President Richard M. Nixon he returned to Morgan Lewis until 1981 when he became President Ronald Reagans White House counsel. He went private in 1986 at Wiley Rein & Fielding.
He did various public service stints including one on the 9/11 Commission and another vetting personnel for President George W. Bush in 2001 before returning as White House counsel in 2007.
EXTREMELY CURRICULAR
Georgetown law students signing up for this summers course on public corruption no doubt expected to be taught by someone who investigates official misconduct. What they might not have expected was to be taught by someone whos under investigation for official misconduct.
But thats exactly what students who signed up for JD 349 might have had in one of their instructors Brenda Morris who was lead prosecutor in the governments case against Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) our colleague Henri Cauvin reports.
Stevens was convicted last fall and lost his bid for reelection but Morris and some of her colleagues from the Justice Departments Public Integrity Section are now the ones in hot water.
The judge in the case scolded prosecutors repeatedly for withholding information from the defense and in February after another violation came to light the judge held Morris and two other Justice attorneys in contempt. Last week Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said he would ask the judge to dismiss the charges.
But Morris and the others are under investigation by the Justice Departments Office of Professional Responsibility. She called the school yesterday and withdrew.
