News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Feb. 8, 2013: I will never run out of examples of why it is business as usual at The White House with Barack Obama as President. That is good news for the purpose of this weekly commentary, but very bad for any other reason and for the rest of us.
You are right again! U.S. Presidents have always “sold” ambassadorships to the highest bidders. Meaning those who raise the most money for their campaigns! It is not corruption in the legal sense even if it should be. It is ethical and institutional corruption that mixes the needs of government and the American people with personal needs of one individual with all the power.
Do I expect Barack Obama four years ago, let alone now, to stand up and declare “As President the practice of selling Ambassadorships is over. I will not sell ambassadorships for personal gain.” No such luck!
Yes, I would have expected him to do just that as an easy way to prove his promises were true, that he would be a very different kind of President when he was elected in 2008. No such luck.
Or at the very least have publicly admitted the truth of what he is doing: “Yes I am going to continue the practice of rewarding my biggest campaign fund raisers with ambassadorships to various countries because I believe in doing so.” No such luck!
Obama will never admit the truth for two reasons: 1) doing so this truthfully is illegal and an impeachable offense, but 2) even if it were not it would undermine his phony image of himself he has so carefully cultivated. But here is what we have instead.
Let me turn to my often reliable source the New York Times, my partner in verifying the veracity of many Obama commentaries even if they support him while they expose him.
From the NY Times, January 18, 2013 … the article titled: “Well-Trod Path: Political Donor to Ambassador.” Read on …
“As Mr. Obama begins his second term in the White House, the donors and bundlers who raised more than a billion dollars to get him there are pressing hard for appointments. The sheer scale of Mr. Obama’s fund-raising machine has led to an especially intense scramble for plum ambassadorships, with as many as 300 people vying for just 30 or so positions, according to several people involved in the process.”
That’s right 30 ambassadorships available for those who raised the most campaign cash for Obama. But everybody does it. That’s right; everybody including Change Master Barack Obama.
Obama plays this corrupt game as well as any President has.
Here is some more from The Times …
“Interviews with more than a dozen donors, Democratic officials and advisers involved in the discussions revealed some unspoken rules: Volunteer for more than one country. Be prepared to serve for only two years, so that a second round of envoys can be appointed before Mr. Obama leaves office. Don’t mention how much money you raised for the campaign (but don’t expect much if you didn’t raise at least a million dollars). Let it be known where you want to go, but don’t publicly campaign for the job.”
And this ….
“For some would-be diplomats, the hunt began the day after Mr. Obama’s re-election in November, when the president’s top aides began asking his leading fund-raisers if they had interest in serving. Mr. Barzun has been an informal facilitator for donors and fund-raisers, along with Rufus Gifford, his counterpart on Mr. Obama’s campaign staff. Inside the White House, a small group of senior aides — including the counselor Pete Rouse; Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser; the deputy chief of staff, Alyssa Mastromonaco; Brian McKeon, a national security staff member; and Mr. Obama’s personnel director, Nancy Hogan — have met regularly to discuss potential choices.”
HOW can this not be illegal the SELLING of ambassadorships???
Because this is Washington, D.C. and this is how our government operates and it does not matter Barack Obama is President.
And Barack Obama is part of the problem not the solution.
Round and round and round we go. Down this waste drain!
About The Writer: Arthur Piccolo is a professional writer and commentator and often writes about Latin America for New Americas.
