more butthurt. every president does this. major supporters get the nice appointments and the career diplomats get whateverstan

but but everyone!

How will he ever navigate the tricky landscape that is the US/UK negotiation for peace?

alonzinator: How will he ever navigate the tricky landscape that is the US/UK negotiation for peace?

I forsee the White House being burned down... again. Thanks, NObama!

Man. I can't believe the republicans didn't see this coming. Guys, we screwed you over on purpose and just wanted to take away your power because we flipped a coin and decided to hate you. No other reason at all. We never expected or even wanted change, it was all just a game to make you miserable and be as unfair as possible.

The whole assbeating in November was just to make you cry. So cry for us now. cry like babies. cry... c'mon. Let's see the snot dripping out of your little noses and your lower lips quivering. You have nothing else left anyway.

hillbillypharmacist: alonzinator: How will he ever navigate the tricky landscape that is the US/UK negotiation for peace?

I forsee the White House being burned down... again. Thanks, NObama!

Please, it's not nice to get people's hopes up.

/I double-dare you lobsterbacks to try again!

Oh, for god's sake...a partially trained parrot could serve as our ambassador to the UK. I couldn't care less about this.

When large donors are sent - for no reason beyond donations - to Moscow or Riyadh, I promise to give a damn, OK subby?

Snarfangel: hillbillypharmacist: alonzinator: How will he ever navigate the tricky landscape that is the US/UK negotiation for peace?

I forsee the White House being burned down... again. Thanks, NObama!

Please, it's not nice to get people's hopes up.

/I double-dare you lobsterbacks to try again!

All it took were 3 commerical airliners to last attack you on your soil, don't test us.

Snarfangel: /I double-dare you lobsterbacks to try again!

Since they lost the coin toss, they still have to wear red and march in a straight line.

/cosby

It's going to be a long four years for the extreme right wing.


I love every minute of it

That is what ambassadorships are for smitty

With modern communications, Ambassadors are largely a useless antiquity, because world leaders can communicate with each other directly. But yes, I'm sure this just proves that everything he does is wrong.

The butthurt is great with this one

SeismicJizzer: It's going to be a long four years for the extreme right wing.

I love every minute of it

I couldn't agree more.

He probably speaks English better than Uh-bama, err, uh, you know, uh, uh, does.

SouthernManDunWrong: He probably speaks English better than Uh-bama, err, uh, you know, uh, uh, does.

impotent troll is impotent

SouthernManDunWrong: He probably speaks English better than Uh-bama, err, uh, you know, uh, uh, does.

I think you misunderestimate him.

I wanna say Obama even admitted that he wouldn't be all upstanding in this vein. I seem to recall the discussion about "change we can believe in" and stuff and how every last little thing was not corrected instantly.

I wanna be the ambassador to Bermuda. THAT would rock!

GAT_00: With modern communications, Ambassadors are largely a useless antiquity, because world leaders can communicate with each other directly.

Not at all. :)

Sure, back in the day ambassadors were the pieds-a-terre of a king that might be hundreds or thousands of miles away. Now, though, they're just as necessary, but for a different reason: the president may paint the broad macro-level strokes of policy, but the micro-level details are filled in by ambassadors and the like.

Similar to cabinet secretaries in that regard. Obama may have his pet issues to tackle in the Justice Department (for example) but he needs an Attorney General to handle the details, who in turn needs subordinates to oversee the FBI, US attorneys, etc., ad inf.

I think the criticism of the President's UK ambassador-designee is ridiculous, but POTUS needs to have a person he can count on in a given spot. In London, you want an upper-crust hob-knobber. In Saudi Arabia, you want a cosmopolitan flatterer. In China, you want a hardass careerist policy wonk. Using the right tool for the right job and all...

...like it remotely matters who our ambassador to the UK is. Our chief talks to their chief, or military talks to their military, our intelligence agencies talk to their intelligence agencies...our ambassador? He gets free rent for 4-8 years since he was so nice with his campaign contributions.

It's not right, but it doesn't matter. It's just one s.o.b. scratching the back of the s.o.b. who scratched his.

Save the "outrage" for the important stuff, eh?

Weaver95: I wanna be the ambassador to Bermuda. THAT would rock!

If I remember correctly, the article where this original issue was raised mentioned the premium positions throughout the world.

Western Europe, Caribbean, and the Oceania area seemed to be high on the list.

Weaver95: I wanna be the ambassador to Bermuda. THAT would rock!

Heh, after the Duke of Windsor abdicated, he and Hitler became buddies, and the PM became concerned that the two were plotting to hand over Britain in some kind of Vichy arrangement with the old king (now the Duke of Windsor) reinstated. As a result, the Duke of Windsor was appointed ambassador to Bermuda for the WWII years.

NeauxFear: Weaver95: I wanna be the ambassador to Bermuda. THAT would rock!

Heh, after the Duke of Windsor abdicated, he and Hitler became buddies, and the PM became concerned that the two were plotting to hand over Britain in some kind of Vichy arrangement with the old king (now the Duke of Windsor) reinstated. As a result, the Duke of Windsor was appointed ambassador to Bermuda for the WWII years.

Hey, if you gotta be put out to pasture, Bermuda ain't a bad place to go. you could sit on the beach, sip rum and coconut juice and read your dispatches from the home office.

hmm....I wonder how to find out if anyone is hiring computer types in Bermuda?

Is this an Op-Ed piece, or is it actually supposed to be a news story?

American commentators denounced ...
Critics said ...

He cites only two sources (finally, halfway down the page) - an ex-New-York-Sun reporter/blogger, and a former G.H.W. Bush aide, neither of whom I'd ever heard of.

NeauxFear: GAT_00: With modern communications, Ambassadors are largely a useless antiquity, because world leaders can communicate with each other directly.

Not at all. :)

Sure, back in the day ambassadors were the pieds-a-terre of a king that might be hundreds or thousands of miles away. Now, though, they're just as necessary, but for a different reason: the president may paint the broad macro-level strokes of policy, but the micro-level details are filled in by ambassadors and the like.

Similar to cabinet secretaries in that regard. Obama may have his pet issues to tackle in the Justice Department (for example) but he needs an Attorney General to handle the details, who in turn needs subordinates to oversee the FBI, US attorneys, etc., ad inf.

I think the criticism of the President's UK ambassador-designee is ridiculous, but POTUS needs to have a person he can count on in a given spot. In London, you want an upper-crust hob-knobber. In Saudi Arabia, you want a cosmopolitan flatterer. In China, you want a hardass careerist policy wonk. Using the right tool for the right job and all...

Excellent point. I'd add to that that the socializing that the ambassador's paying for out-of-pocket (it's not all on the govt.'s dime) in a place like London calls for a guy of means. Hob-knobbing on the scale he's going to be expected to do isn't cheap. A guy who can make wild contributions to a political party for personal favor is the same guy you're going to want as your official palm-padder to a bunch of snooty Brits.

lotustuned: All it took were 3 commerical airliners to last attack you on your soil, don't test us.

3?

/Oh, right, it was a missile that hit the Pentagon.
//Not going to say anything about homegrown terrorism or bus bombs.

Uppity President.

/we're at war. please support the troops by supporting him.

You could appoint a chimp to a diplomatic post in the UK and not do any damage. It's not like the UK is going to come over and burn the White House again.

NeauxFear: As a result, the Duke of Windsor was appointed ambassador to Bermuda for the WWII years.

Governor of the Bahamas, actually.

Churchill2004: NeauxFear: As a result, the Duke of Windsor was appointed ambassador to Bermuda for the WWII years.

Governor of the Bahamas, actually.

now THAT is even better!

I'm serious too - if I could find a decent paying job in the Bahamas, i'd sell the condo and move there in a heartbeat.

Joelogon: lotustuned: All it took were 3 commerical airliners to last attack you on your soil, don't test us.

3?

/Oh, right, it was a missile that hit the Pentagon.
//Not going to say anything about homegrown terrorism or bus bombs.

Fair enough, there were four airliners. Now where would one get 4 airplanes from ?

Bucky Katt: more butthurt. every president does this. major supporters get the nice appointments and the career diplomats get whateverstan

but but everyone!

EVERY president doesn't do this. RECENT presidents have, to be sure.

but but CHANGE. Change my ass.

torch: but but CHANGE. Change my ass.

i agree. i think that it's not change unless absolutely everything changes. especially when it comes to decisions as paramount to our republic as the selection of an ambassador to great britain.

slayer199: You could appoint a chimp to a diplomatic post in the UK and not do any damage. It's not like the UK is going to come over and burn the White House again.
Sharpton would get pissed.

Is this headline serious? Really guys?

Can I echo the above comments?

Lionel Mandrake: Oh, for god's sake...a partially trained parrot could serve as our ambassador to the UK. I couldn't care less about this.

slayer199: You could appoint a chimp to a diplomatic post in the UK and not do any damage.


I would just like to say that I think not only could a parrot, OR a chimp do it, I think a ZEBRA would also be a good ambassador. Anyone else think of any animals that might be good?

Churchill2004: Governor of the Bahamas, actually.

Hehe, I knew I should have wiki'd the details.

Weaver95: I'm serious too - if I could find a decent paying job in the Bahamas, i'd sell the condo and move there in a heartbeat.

I hear a bank in Antigua needs some folks...oh, wait, never mind.

Weaver95: Churchill2004: NeauxFear: As a result, the Duke of Windsor was appointed ambassador to Bermuda for the WWII years.

Governor of the Bahamas, actually.

now THAT is even better!

I'm serious too - if I could find a decent paying job in the Bahamas, i'd sell the condo and move there in a heartbeat.

try here

lotustuned: Fair enough, there were four airliners. Now where would one get 4 airplanes from ?

Dunno, where would one get a bunch of hydrogen peroxide and thermos bottles from?

/Damn, I wasn't going to mention bus bombs.

SouthernManDunWrong: He probably speaks English better than Uh-bama, err, uh, you know, uh, uh, does.

Hey, at least he puts food on his family, unlike some of you.

Katie98_KT: I would just like to say that I think not only could a parrot, OR a chimp do it, I think a ZEBRA would also be a good ambassador. Anyone else think of any animals that might be good?

A trained seal.

Not an UNTRAINED seal, mind you...it has to be trained first.

Megain: try here

*sigh*

No IT jobs listed.

Lionel Mandrake: When large donors are sent - for no reason beyond donations - to Moscow or Riyadh, I promise to give a damn, OK subby?

FYI, the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia is a political appointee. Previous ambassadors include the lawyer who helped finagle George W. Bush's escape from his Harken Energy crimes wholly inadvertent reporting errors.

Weaver95: Megain: try here

*sigh*

No IT jobs listed.

yeah, i noticed that. thought i'd try to help send you packing anyway ;-)

I hope the Ambassador to the U.N. speaks U.N. or at least knows how to write letters.

torch: Bucky Katt: more butthurt. every president does this. major supporters get the nice appointments and the career diplomats get whateverstan

but but everyone!

EVERY president doesn't do this. RECENT presidents have, to be sure.

but but CHANGE. Change my ass.

Dude, not even Dancin in Anson is up in arms about this. Drop it.

The only easier diplomatic appointment would be Canada. Speaking of which, I am willing to accept the call of my country to serve as ambassador to Canada. Mmmmmm Tim Horton's, Laura Secord and poutine...

An ambassador is a diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by one government or sovereign to another. Ambassadors are ministers of the highest rank, with plenipotentiary authority to represent their head of state. And yet, you Obama-lovers think a parrot, chimp, or etc. could "do that job". Now it ALL makes sense why you guys voted for Obama...

If all Americans lived overseas for a while, even years like some of us have, you would realize that there is more to diplomacy than just "war or peace" with another country. Other issues that affect UK and US relations are trade, economic, anti-terrorism cooperation, intelligence, and military cooperation (i.e. Iraq/Afghanistan, Nato). Remember, only roughly 50% of UK's population has a positive view of the US, which is high compared to the world's average of roughly 35%. But, especially during this world economic crisis, we need ALL the best minds in government positions around the world - not the richest - because conditions are only going to get worse before they get better.

Look where experience landed us thus far...

I say, we fire congress and hold new elections. This career politician crap has to stop.

Good for Obama.
Let's hope he hires more inexperienced folks. The magnitudes of corruption and financially driven private interests in politics are so high it devalues experience to a negative level, where experience is actually hurting us. A bunch of outside observers united under public interest (this is where we could debate Obama's particular choice for Ambassador with respect to public interest) would do much better. You could at least expect some things to improve.

steelpeg: Ambassadors are ministers of the highest rank, with plenipotentiary authority to represent their head of state.

That may be so, but it's just not a hard job for places like the UK.

Being a mouthpiece for the US is just not that hard.

"What do I tell them? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay. And if they don't go for that? Okay. All right then. Talk to you next month."

steelpeg: Other issues that affect UK and US relations are trade, economic, anti-terrorism cooperation, intelligence, and military cooperation (i.e. Iraq/Afghanistan, Nato)

The current incumbent is a car dealer with no previous overseas experience in either the business or diplomatic fields. Tuttle is, by all accounts, personally gauche and managerially barely perceptible, and has been a thorn in the side to the local authorities.

During his ambassadorship the UK has maintained, and in some ways strengthened, its position regarding the latter three issues you've raised, despite a background of widespread public disapproval of President Bush. To me that tends to suggest that the skills of the holder of the ambassadorial position are far from crucial.