Thursday, March 01, 2012

Obama Fundraiser Lousy Ambassador

Another promise broken by the Obamatron: ambassadorships for funds. He said he would end giving ambassadorships away as prizes for key campaign fundraisers, but that did not stop him from hiring Nicole Advant who proved she does not know what she was talking about when it comes to diplomacy. According to the State Department's Inspector General, Avant presided over "an extended period of dysfunctional leadership and mismanagement" at the US embassy in the Bahamas, that is when she was actually there. Avant spent 276 days between September 2009 and November 2011 away from her office. Only 23 of those days were on official business. Avant showed a preference from operating from her Los Angeles home which "contributed to poor mission management" and a "perception of indifference". Before getting her plump patronage appointment, Avant was Southern California finance co-chair for Obama and VP of Interior Music Publishing. Unfortunately for taxpayers Ms. Avant's deputy ambassador who was left in charge of the embassy during her frequent absences was also inept. Despite being an idyllic local, the US embassy and its staff points out the Inspector General is important to US anti-drug policy since the Bahamas serves as a transshipment point for the international drug trade and illegal immigration. Since resigning her public job, Avant has returned to fund raising, something she does well, apparently. She joined co-president Michelle Obama at a Beverly Hills residence for a fundraiser with husband Ted Saranados who is an executive with Netflix, the movie rental business on January 31st. On February 15th according to White House logs, she sat down to a $35,800 per plate (the maximum allowed by law) dinner that included George Clooney, Jim Belushi, and Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa.

Avant is just the latest example of fundraisers gone awry in the diplomatic service. Ambassador Howard Gutman caused a stir in Belgium when he suggested Israel caused anti-Semitic feelings. Former Ambassador Cynthia Stroum left the Luxembourg embassy in disgrace after causing a work environment that was "aggressive, bullying, hostile and intimidating". With ambassadors like these, no wonder we fight so many wars. Sounds like a job for US Person; quick Cheeves, the smoke signals!