Former US Ambassador Rufus Gifford with President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and their wives (Twitter)
Rufus Gifford, Business Insider: I was once an ambassador, and I believe that the Trump administration's ambassadors have wrecked a once important part of America's foreign policy
* President Barack Obama appointed Rufus Gifford to be the US ambassador to Denmark; he served from 2013 to 2017.
* There's been a critical rethinking of the role of politically important ambassadors.
* President Donald Trump's ambassadors have been consistently inadequate, Gifford says, including his own successor.
* Gifford says it's time to ask ourselves the question that if the system can allow for people to be confirmed to a position where they are so clearly putting ideology and political party over Constitution and country.
* Rufus Gifford was part of the senior leadership of Obama's presidential campaigns and a former candidate for US Congress in Massachusetts' 3rd District.
There have been so many headlines decrying the quality of politically appointed ambassadors. The New Republic declared "Mega-Donor Ambassadors Are Corrupting Americans Diplomacy." The Atlantic: "As the Rich Get Richer, the Ambassadors Get Worse."
Even Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren took aim at the idea of politically appointed ambassadors.
"The practice of auctioning off American diplomacy to the highest bidder must end," Warren said.
These headlines have drawn my attention because I was a politically appointed ambassador.
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WNU Editor: President Trump was very slow to fill empty ambassador slots when he was inaugurated, and was criticized for it. Now he is being criticized for his choices. You just can't win.
Rufie Gifford has no problems mugging it up with Grifter Biden. Rufie has no credibility.
ReplyDeleteOf course, he fails to mention how much damage the mob-like US Congress has done to US foreign relations with its insane sanctions laws and other equally ridiculous restraints on the ability of the president to even conduct the foreign relations of the United States.
ReplyDeleteI mostly agree with what Carl says.
ReplyDeleteToo many people in Congress are acting like mobsters. Too many are running money laundering operations through Ukraine.
I do not know that McConnell is money laundering through Ukraine like other members of Congress. McConnell has earned the nickname of "Turtle." He is also said to be beholden to his relatives or in-laws Chinese interests. That is 2 strikes against him. He is not terribly effective and he is not terribly good. He needs to retire or be primaried.
Yes re McConnell.
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ReplyDeleteAnd the asshole Bob "One trick Pony" Huntley chimes in with the big picture.