Ambassador Baucus (China)

[RogueBeaver]

Politico just breaking the news that Max Baucus will be nominated as the next US Ambassador to China.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Wonder why he got the position and not somebody from the foreign relations committee.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

U wot m8

Also, cue Brian Schweitzer threads.

[anvi]

Oh, my God.  Looks like the administration no longer intends to take China or U.S.-China relations very seriously.  What's Baucus going to do?  Challenge the Chinese military heads to a boring contest and see if he can get them out of sensitive airspace that way?

[Badger]

If true, it could give Democrats the opportunity to appoint a non-placeholder candidate and make a race of it next year.

The question is, given the contested Dem. primary for Baucus's seat, which one?

[RogueBeaver]

Bullock will appoint Walsh... who trailed 52/35 in PPP's November poll.

[Beet]

Wonder why he got the position and not somebody from the foreign relations committee.

Expertise doesn't seem to have much to do with ambassadorial appointments.

[Badger]

Bullock will appoint Walsh... who trailed 52/35 in PPP's November poll.

Exactly. A year's worth of incumbency may turn this into a race.

[Bacon King]

Excellent pick. Remember that Baucus was the point man on bringing China into the WTO.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Excellent pick. Remember that Baucus was the point man on bringing China into the WTO.

Well, that explains everything then. I am not as familiar as I would like to be with Baucus's (along with most Senators) complete history.

[anvi]

He postures a lot as a hawk on China though, and with he and Kennedy, both relatively uninformed about Chinese and Japanese political situations at a time of high tension, as our chief diplomats in East Asia, I'd prefer real specialists at both of those posts. 

[henster]

Schweitzer would make this race immediately a tossup he'd actually be favored if he was a sitting Senator. Dems would be smart to get him to reconsider running, they should offer him something special in the Senate.

[RogueBeaver]

Schweitzer told RCP's Scott Conroy he has no interest in the seat. Plus WaPo already reported Walsh's imminent appointment.

[TNF]

Wonder if he'll sell us down the river with that job in the same way he sold health care reform down the river.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Oh, my God.  Looks like the administration no longer intends to take China or U.S.-China relations very seriously.  What's Baucus going to do?  Challenge the Chinese military heads to a boring contest and see if he can get them out of sensitive airspace that way?

Walsh seems the most likely, since like Senator Schatz, the governor already chose him to be his running mate.