Obama Firing All Bush-Appointed Ambassadors

Washington Post:

The incoming Obama administration has notified all politically-appointed ambassadors that they must vacate their posts as of Jan. 20, the day President-elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office, a State Department official said.

The clean slate will open up prime opportunities for the president-elect to reward political supporters with posts in London, Paris, Tokyo and the like. The notice to diplomatic posts was issued this week.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Kungfublood]

11:56 AM on 12/04/2008

Ralph Nader for head of the EPA with a decent budget and his proven ability he would be a good choice.

[taddles]

11:33 AM on 12/04/2008

Considering Bush picked people based on their religious affiliations rather than their job qualifications, simply getting rid of the lot is probably the only way to cure the anti-intellectual cancer that has spread throughout the Bush administration. Just flush the sinking lot and wipe the bowl clean.

[lunchlady]

09:01 AM on 12/09/2008

You'll need a Joe the Plumber licensed plunger to unclog the pot a few times- all that BS. Yes, get the Pat Robertson grads out of the diplomatic corps. Thank you Obama.

[stevi]

10:48 AM on 12/04/2008

I'm not getting the point of your headline, Huffpost people. It is expected and traditional and perhaps constitutional for all political appointees to resign at the end of the term of office of the President who appointed them. Why the appearance of some sort of mass firing going on here? Are you trying to stir up controversy?

[stevi]

10:51 AM on 12/04/2008

Well not ALL appointees, judges for example will not be expected to resign. Most would have been a better word.

[karmical]

11:04 PM on 12/03/2008

Attention all Bush-appointed Ambassador Cronies (is that redundant?)

You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here...

[Daly]

10:33 PM on 12/03/2008

A clean slate is best; bush has an uncanny ability to pick dunces and space cadets

[lunchlady]

09:03 AM on 12/09/2008

He deliberately picks people like that. Anyone who really knows what they're doing is too durn intellectual for him. And somehow those smartpanties aren't religious enough.

[DoctorWhoDat]

09:47 PM on 12/03/2008

I want to be Ambassador to Amisterdam. We need US participation in the C a n n i b i s C u p

[whit4brains]

12:38 AM on 12/04/2008

Might need to spell it correctly - Amsterdam. What an awesome gig that would be :-)

It's such a beautiful city!

[GabrielXL]

12:59 AM on 12/04/2008

A lot of words come to mind when I think of Amsterdam, but beautiful isn't one of them. There are a multitude of joys and sins to be experienced in the city and it is a rich melting pot. It's architecture is equally intriguing and pragmatic and your eyes can be filled with all sorts of quirky, artsy type of folks mixing with businessmen and "the man on the street". ...But beautiful... I'm inclined to think not.

[ddanimal]

12:54 AM on 12/04/2008

Thats what the drug czar ought to be doing. Unfortunately, it looks like Obamas drug czar would probably instead go to Amsterdam to moralize to americans about drugs and declare marijuana a threat to life as we know it, to "protect the children". Drug policy reform and medical marijuana policy would no doubt send a powerful message to children that the government wants them to all become drug addicts, right?

[canucklivinginUSA]

11:01 AM on 12/04/2008

Jumping to conclusion already I see

[canucklivinginUSA]

09:31 PM on 12/03/2008

Hey Mr. PE, may I suggest my father as Ambassador to Haiti? He already lives there, he knows everyone in the government, speaks the language, is extremely educated and quite personable. Ok, thanks

[sloreader]

08:20 PM on 12/03/2008

How ironic so many of Mr. Bush's appointees will be looking for work at such a terrible time. Please excuse me while I tune up my miniature sad violin.

[iwantpie]

10:31 PM on 12/03/2008

LMAO

[Lahonda]

10:50 PM on 12/03/2008

... well, isn't that special!!!

[Oonagh]

08:10 PM on 12/03/2008

A clean house is required.... hopefully they will be replaced with smart people, maybe people who speak the language of the country they are assigned to.....................

[YouDisgustMe]

02:25 AM on 12/04/2008

I KNOW RIGHT?!??

[betz55]

07:50 PM on 12/03/2008

GET RID OF THEM ALL.

[theone718]

08:30 PM on 12/03/2008

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ILikeH00ters]

07:19 PM on 12/03/2008

I wonder who will be the ambassador for Congo, Somalia and Zimbabwe.

[heal57]

01:09 AM on 12/04/2008

I think it's Mark Foley, Norm Coleman, and Sarah Palin.

[Alternate Reality]

07:10 PM on 12/03/2008

Obama needs to purge all Republicans from the Government. That way he'll be able to implement his new policies without opposition. There should only be one party in our Country. The Democrat party. Go Obama!

[vietveter]

08:03 PM on 12/03/2008

ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY

other than that little truism...... I pretty much agree ;~)

[HWNA]

08:25 PM on 12/03/2008

I like your enthusiasm, but I think there should be no parties, only individuals running on their own values and ideas.

That said, I will take a President Obama as leader of the Democratic Party any day!

[hortonhearsawho]

06:32 PM on 12/03/2008

Can we get a firing squad?

[jqcitizen]

04:53 PM on 12/03/2008

Just as it should be. Do the same for ALL US Attorneys. Fire all of them.

On Jan. 21st re-hire those that have done their job well, after they have been fully checked out.

Ambassadors are genuine diplomats, not political flunkies. US Attorneys are individuals that can,not only read, but correctly enforce constitutional law.

Wouldn't bother me none if all of these positions were filled with NO affiliation to the Republican or Democrat party.

[RiggsMD]

06:30 PM on 12/03/2008

I agree 100%!

[rosal]

07:47 PM on 12/03/2008

I would hire back all the ones that Gonzalez fired. They were fired exactly because they didn't want to be Bush's sheep following orders, they were interested only on following the law.

[Lahonda]

10:53 PM on 12/03/2008

Yup!

[patianneb]

04:45 PM on 12/03/2008

There's a step in the right direction toward cleaning up our image.