NBC’s Andrea Mitchell reported Wednesday night on the political nature of President Obama’s nominees for ambassador posts.
It is not uncommon for a president to award those close to him with plush posts overseas, but the nominee typically has at least some shred of credibility.
"If you collect more than two million dollars for the president’s reelection campaign like the soap opera’s glamorous producer Colleen Bell did," Mitchell said, "It’s apparently a ticket to represent the U.S. in Hungary."
The White House has been mocked and grilled over the overt cronyism of Bell’s appointment.
Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) was shown during a recent speech on the Senate floor where he slammed Bell.
Bell has "No experience in foreign policy or national security, no familiarity with the language, country or the region." McCain said. "But that fact is, this nominee is totally unqualified."
A record 41% of President Obama’s ambassador’s are political.
Mitchell pointed out that it is not uncommon for political operatives close the president to be nominated for ambassadorial positions, but even Bell’s supporters know "diplomacy is not a soap opera."