So Obama nominated a close personal friend to a sensitive diplomatic position and Senate Republicans are the bad guys? K, let's go with that
1. Should presidents never appoint anybody they're personally close to? If so, where would a president start in assembling a team he trusted?No, but that shouldn't be the
only qualification.
2. Explain what's sensitive about our relationship with the Bahamas, because I've never heard that before.
You wouldn't rather America be represented by a professional diplomat in one of her neighboring states?
So Obama nominated a close personal friend to a sensitive diplomatic position and Senate Republicans are the bad guys? K, let's go with that
Just put your blue avatar back up, Vosem, for Christ's sake.Once Trump loses or dies or something.
Other personal friends who presidents have appointed:
James Baker - George H. W. Bush's Secretary of State had known him for over 30 years and the they became particularly good friends when Bush provided support to Baker as he dealt with the death of his wife and Baker returned the favor by managing Bush's various campaigns
George Herbert Walker, III - George W. Bush's Ambassador to Hungary who happened to be his cousin
...so what?
And just how sensitive a position is the Ambassador to the Bahamas? It has always been a cupcake posting for friends/donors/etc and always will be, no matter what party is in charge. Are you worried Communist Cuba is going to invade The Atlantis Resort?
Erm, it's a poor nation right on our border whose economy is in large part dominated by tourism from the United States, whose main import and export partners are the United States. You don't think they'd rather the American Ambassador be someone who can represent the country rather than a pretty face?
The general practice of appointing donors to ambassadorships, whichever party does it, is a horrible one that needs to diaf. Even if Tom Cotton did this purely out of spite, it's still the right move.
