NPR reports:
Japan’s recent elections have ushered in a period of political change, and the new government is likely to revise its relationship with the United States. The Obama administration’s new ambassador to Japan is not an expert on the region, but rather a Silicon Valley lawyer and political fundraiser.
This is just one sign of how President Obama is continuing a time-honored tradition of rewarding donors with plum assignments abroad.
When Obama came into office talking about change, he raised some expectations that he would alter the way he would choose new ambassadors.
“My general inclination is to have civil service, wherever possible, serve in these posts,” he said in January.
At the time, he told reporters that there would be some political appointees to ambassadorships, but that he wanted to reward the rank and file, too. . .
But so far, more than half of the ambassadors he has named are political appointees — including several so-called bundlers, or superfundraisers who organize and collect campaign contributions, according to Dave Levinthal of the Center for Responsive Politics.
Reform always looks better when you’re out than when you’re in.
(Via Instapundit.)
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