Real World

Meet the new people, same as the old people.

Obama Offers Prime Posts to Those Who Helped Bankroll Campaign

By Jonathan D. Salant and Julianna Goldman

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Louis Susman has one thing in common with many of his predecessors nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom: money.

Susman, 71, a retired Citigroup Inc. senior investment banker, raised between $200,000 and $500,000 for President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and another $300,000 for his inauguration. On Wednesday, Obama nominated Susman to the post formally known as the Court of St. James.

Like Andrew Mellon, Joseph Kennedy and Walter Annenberg before him, Susman’s credentials stem more from involvement in financing party politics than foreign policy experience.

Even with his pledges to change government, Obama is following the tradition of his predecessors by offering some ambassadorships to top campaign backers, including four of the 12 nominations this week. The president acknowledged in a news conference in January that donors might get plum postings.

Bloomberg.com: News

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

DarrylS

Makes one wonder about the relevancy of ambassadorships to nations like England, Ireland, Switzerland etc... the real work is done by the Embassy Staff and the position is largely titular... maybe it is time to do something different than just award these to political donors.. make them a professional position..

Bush did the same thing..William Farish III was appointed to the English Ambassadorship.. he was a wealthy Houston Business man.. the guy who followed him Robert Tuttle was a big fund raiser for George.. so it is the DC game played over and over again..

The position pays about 150K per year, so for these guys their service comes at a great sacrifice..

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Real World

My point exactly. Meet the new people, same as the old people. That's all I'm saying.


"It's time to fundamentally change the way that we do business in Washington."
Barack Obama


"I don't take a dime of their [lobbyist] money, and when I am president, they won't find a job in my White House."
Barack Obama

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

DarrylS

I am just raising the issue of relevancy of Ambassadors.. they are largely a feel good position, the career diplomats do all the work.. not disputing what you said at all.

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"Being the best doesn't mean you always win. It just means you win more than anyone else".. tweet from Kurt Warner to Tom Brady.

Real World

It's change we can believe in.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

NEPatriot

4X150K=600K during Obama's term. She gave Obama between 300k and 400k. She earned more than what she GAVE Obama in addition to all the bonus that she receives when she is a US ambassador.

Does she still come out ON TOP? I think so.

efin98

Hiring your friends and bankrollers is the oldest unwritten rule in politics...people change, unwritten rules like that don't.

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"As long as we have Belichick, I always think that we're going to be just fine."...Tom Brady, in reference to his coach.

“It is what it is, but it ain’t what you think.”...Brandon Spikes

tanked_as_usual

obvious spin...........so obama is not about change since you gravitate to the 'bush did the same thing'

Real World

So basically, it's politics as usual. My point exactly.

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

Bigdogx

I swear if i had a penny for every time i heard the "It's Bush's fault" excuse i could pay off our country's debt! Isn't it funny how things like 9/11 had nothing to do with blow job billy, but now all the sudden it's the in thing to blame the previous administration.