1 week ago
Showing posts with label Senate Hold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Senate Hold. Show all posts
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Confirmations: Joyce Barr (State/A), Michael McFaul (Moscow), Other Nominations Remain in "Status Quo"
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| WH photo |
#421 Joyce A. Barr – to be Assistant Secretary of State (Administration)
#503 Michael Anthony McFaul – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Russian Federation.
Earlier the same afternoon, Senator Reid asked for unanimous consent that the Senate take up and confirm the following nominations on the Executive Calendar but Senator McConnell objected to the request.
#421 Joyce A. Barr – to be Assistant Secretary of State (Administration)
#422 Michael A. Hammer – to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Public Affairs)
#501 Mari Carmen Aponte – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Republic of El Salvador.
#502 Adam E. Namm – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Republic of Ecuador.
#503 Michael Anthony McFaul – to be Ambassador of the US of America to the Russian Federation.
#504 Roberta S. Jacobson – to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs),
#505 Elizabeth M. Cousens – to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador.
#506 Elizabeth M. Cousens – to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
The Majority calendar indicates that "All nominations received by the Senate during the 112th Congress, first session, will remain in status quo, notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXXI, paragraph 6, of the Standing Rules of the Senate."
See Rule XXXI #6: Nominations neither confirmed nor rejected during the session at which they are made shall not be acted upon at any succeeding session without being again made to the Senate by the President; and if the Senate shall adjourn or take a recess for more than thirty days, all nominations pending and not finally acted upon at the time of taking such adjournment or recess shall be returned by the Secretary to the President, and shall not again be considered unless they shall again be made to the Senate by the President.
So, the nominees need not have to be resubmitted again, but since the GOP has blocked adjournment, there will be no official 'recess' and the Senate will have scheduled pro-forma sessions during the Christmas break. Which means, President Obama will not/not be able to make any recess appointments.
On the controversial recess appointees, it looks like Ambassador Aponte's nomination (El Salvador) as well as Ambassador Bryza's (Azerbaijan) with the late pleas are not totally dead. (Update 12/20: The Orlando Sentinel reports that Senator Reid's office said Monday there still might be a chance to salvage Aponte's nomination, through complex Senate procedures." I don't know how Ambassador Bryza's nomination could be saved when he did not even get his SFRC hearing, much less the committee's endorsement)
Here is a useful explanation from the CRS:
Nominations that are not confirmed or rejected are returned to the President at the end of a session or when the Senate adjourns or recesses for more than 30 days (Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6). If the President still wants a nominee considered, he must submit a new nomination to the Senate. The Senate can, however, waive this rule by unanimous consent. For example, on November 19, 1999, at the close of the first session of the l06* Congress, Majority Leader Trent Lott asked and received unanimous consent “that all nominations received by the Senate during the 10thCongress, first session, remain in status quo.” Similar agreements were reached in earlier Congresses as well. The majority leader or his designee also may exempt specific nominees by name from the agreement, allowing them to be returned during the recess or adjournment. Just before the recess between the first and second sessions of the 107th Congress, for example, the Senate by unanimous consent agreed to hold all nominations in the status quo except for one, which was returned to the President. Prior to the August recess in the 107thCongress, however, the Senate did not reach such an agreement, and 162 pending nominations were returned. President George W. Bush re-nominated many of the nominees after the recess.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Confirm Matt Bryza: 36 Conservative Foreign Policy Experts Write to Ranking Senators
U.S. Ambassador to Baku, Matt Bryza is the last of President Obama's recess appointments from 2010 whose nomination is snagged in the Senate
(Ambassadors Ricciardone and Eisen were confirmed while Ambassador
Aponte's nomination was derailed this past week). Ambassador Bryza's
nomination was held up last year by twin-pops, Senator Barbara Boxer
(D-CA) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The senators represent the concerns of their Armenian constituencies, which are
against the administration's policy opposing a Congressional resolution
condemning the 1915 Armenian genocide.
WaPo awarded the duo, the Most Craven Election-Year Pandering at the Expense of National Interest Award.
Ambassador
Bryza is posted to Baku, Azerbaijan not Yerevan, Armenia. But it's
complicated since the two countries have fought in more than one war including the Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1988-1994.
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| Ambassador Bryza with wife, Zeyno Baran during the 4th of July reception at US Embassy Baku Photo from US Embassy Baku/FB |
Anyway, Senator Menendez even questioned Ambassador Bryza's "very close ties to Turkey" because his wife is Turkish-born. That the good senator had dragged the ethnic origin of Ambassador Bryza's wife into this confirmation fight was called shameful by the Washington Post.
In a rebuttal to WaPo, Senator Menendez writes:
"For the record, I stand by my position that Mr. Bryza is the wrong person for the job and have made public my hold in the U.S. Senate on his nomination. That position has absolutely nothing to do with the ethnic origin of his wife. It is based on information that I believe raises concerns about Mr. Bryza's ability to remain impartial toward Azerbaijan and Turkey, including his opposition to the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey and his close ties to individuals in both governments."Nuthintodowithit .... it's just all politics. Surprisingly, not a lot of noise on the nomination of career diplomat, John Heffern as U.S. Ambassador to Armenia who was confirmed in September. Ambassador Heffern also stopped short of using the “G” word during his confirmation hearing arguing that “the characterization of those events is a policy decision that is made by the president of the United States." Same-o, same-o, except that he's not married to a Turkish-American scholar.
In a letter dated December 15, 2011, 36 conservative foreign policy experts have now written to ranking senators to plead for the confirmation of Ambassador Bryza. His recess appointment expires within a couple of weeks.
Excerpted from letter via The Cable:
Matt has conducted himself as an exemplary Ambassador to Azerbaijan, a country of growing importance to U.S. interests. He has the right combination of everything – contacts, trust, strategic vision, operational ability, leadership – everything.
Matt’s confirmation is being held up because a small minority of activists accuse him of being a “genocide-denier” – someone who denies that the Ottoman Empire committed genocide against Armenians in 1915.
United States policy under successive Administrations has been neither to affirm nor deny that a genocide occurred. Rather, it is to avoid having the United States place a label on the events that took place at the close of the Ottoman Empire, and in so doing, to help provide the best chance possible for the current states and people of Armenia and Turkey to explore their history together, and to build new relations and trade, in the interests of all people in the region.
To be sure, U.S. policy is to make clear that what happened to Armenians in the closing days of the Ottoman Empire was nothing short of mass murder and forced expulsion. Yet because U.S. policy is not to label these acts, Matt – as a career professional – has done what any professional American diplomat would do: adhere to the policy of successive U.S. Administrations and avoid labeling those acts on his own.
This in no way means Matt is insensitive to their occurrence, their nature, and their importance. And it in no way disqualifies him to serve with distinction as U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan. Indeed, such professional discipline in the face of extremely difficult and emotional issues only demonstrates his suitability to serve as Ambassador.
The signatories includes Elliott Abrams, former Deputy National Security Advisor for Global Democracy Strategy; R. Nicholas Burns, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Robert Kagan, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; Thomas R. Pickering, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and former Ambassador to Jordan, Nigeria, El Salvador, Israel, the UN, India and Russia; Randy Scheunemann,
former National Security Advisor to Senate Majority Leader and others.
Read the full letter here.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Ambassador Aponte's Nomination "DeMinted" Over Old Boyfriend, LGBT Op-Ed, and [Fill in the Blank]
The Senate rejected on a 49-37 vote late Monday the cloture on the nomination of Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador. Ambassador Aponte is the first Puerto Rican appointed as U.S. ambassador.
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| Ambassador Aponte Photo from US Embassy San Salvador/FB |
Nevada Sen. Harry Reid issued the following statement after Republicans blocked her confirmation:
“Senate Republicans once again put politics above policy by blocking the confirmation of a dedicated public servant. In the fifteen months Mari Carmen Aponte has served as our ambassador to El Salvador, she finalized an important international, anti-crime agreement and forged a strong partnership between our nations. The Puerto Rican community and all Americans are right to be proud of Ms. Aponte’s accomplishments as a diplomat representing our nation, as I am.
“I am disappointed Republicans continued a long-running trend of obstructing qualified nominees just to score political points. Unfortunately, defeating President Obama is more important to Senate Republicans than confirming qualified nominees to represent our country in Latin America.”
Ambassador Aponte's chief opponent in the Senate is no other than Jim Demint, the junior senator from South Carolina and chief defender of creatures big and small except gay people. According to CNN, Senator DeMint, writing last month in Human Events, assailed Ambassador Aponte for the op-ed and revived the old speculation about her personal life.
"Our relationship with the Salvadoran people has been one of trust and friendship for decades," DeMint said. "We should not risk that by appointing an ambassador who shows such a blatant disregard for their culture and refuses to clear unsettled doubts about her previous relationships. It's time to bring Ms. Aponte home."NYT's Gail Collins writes a warning about The Ghosts of Boyfriends Past which should be required reading for all women with ambassadorial aspirations.
New unnerving development in Congress: Some senators are claiming that a woman nominated to be ambassador to El Salvador can’t have the job because they don’t like a boyfriend she lived with almost 20 years ago.
[...]
Whenever these things happen, the Democrats race off to try to placate the aggrieved Republican. They gave DeMint access to Aponte’s F.B.I. file, even though instances of DeMint’s being placated by anything are about as frequent as confirmed sightings of space aliens.
DeMint then complained that the file was out of date. But, by then, he seemed to be losing interest in the boyfriend issue and had moved on to fuming that while she was in El Salvador, Aponte had written an op-ed essay in a Salvadoran newspaper “lecturing their people on the need to accept and support the gay lifestyle.”
So basically, Ambassador Aponte's nomination is derailed by the ghost of an old boyfriend, and for writing an op-ed on a policy championed by the administration she serves. But even if she did not write that op-ed, who's to say that her nomination would not be "deminted" ... after all there are other blahs to complain about .... her shoes or something...
I suppose there is still hope while Congress is in session. But time is against her. With only a few days to go before Congress breaks for the holidays, it seems like this nomination may now be seriously dead.
Update:
It looks like this nomination is not quite dead yet but not sure how long this will stay in life support. Ambassador Aponte's nomination is currently listed for reconsideration in the senate's executive calendar dated December 17. A few days ago, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) announced its disappointment in the Senate's recent failure to confirm her as U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador. According to its press release, "the USHCC, America's premier Hispanic business organization and the primary advocate for the interests of nearly three million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that combined generate in excess of $420 billion annually, has been impressed with Aponte's achievements regarding economic development in El Salvador."
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is not the only one disappointed. Apparently, the Puerto Ricans in Florida are similarly disappointed. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) must have heard their disappointment. WaPo's Al Kamen writes that "if it turns out that Rubio gets sufficient votes to break the filibuster, a Senate vote would be rescheduled on Aponte’s nomination."
Ambassador Eisen Gets to Stay at the Petschek Villa
The Senate voted 70-16 late Monday to break a Republican hold on the nomination of Norman Eisen to be ambassador to the Czech Republic. The Senate then approved him on voice vote.
Ambassador Eisen's recess appointment would have expired on January 5, 2012. Now he gets to stay put until after the election, or beyond depending on the outcome of the 2012 election.
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| Petschek Villa Residence of the U.S. Ambassador in Prague Photo from US Embassy Prague |
Friday, December 9, 2011
Senate to vote on cloture motions on the Eisen and Aponte nominations, December 12
Image via Wikipedia
Image via WikipediaThe Senate Calendar for Monday, December 12 includes the following entry:
Norman L. Eisen (Cal. No. 360)
Mari Carmen Aponte (Cal. No. 501)
Ordered, That at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, December 12, 2011, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations concurrently: Norman L. Eisen, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Czech Republic and Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador; that there be one hour for debate equally divided in the usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of time the Senate proceed without intervening action or debate to vote on cloture on the Eisen nomination; that if cloture is invoked, the Senate immediately vote on confirmation of the nomination and following the disposition of the Eisen nomination, the Senate proceed to vote on cloture on the nomination of Mari Carmen Aponte; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions and the Senate then resume legislative session.
Ordered, That relative to the cloture motions filed on the Eisen and Aponte nominations, the mandatory quorum under Rule XXII be waived.
According to senate.gov, cloture is the only procedure by which the Senate can vote to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster. Under the cloture rule (Rule XXII), the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours, but only by vote of three-fifths of the full Senate, normally 60 votes.
Additional items below from the Senate Floor Schedule for Monday, December 12:
Upon disposition of the Eisen nomination, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Aponte nomination. Further, if cloture is not invoked on the Eisen nomination, the Senate will vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Aponte nomination.
Therefore, at approximately 5:30pm on Monday, Senators should expect up to 3 and at least 2 roll call votes in relation the following:
- Motion to invoke cloture on the Eisen nomination
- If cloture is invoked, confirmation of the Eisen nomination
- Motion to invoke cloture on the Aponte nomination
Additionally, Senator Reid announced that the Senate expects to consider the following additional items next week: additional nominations, remaining appropriations bills, balanced budget amendments, and payroll tax, unemployment insurance, Medicare reimbursement, tax extenders, all of which are set to expire at the end of the year.
Related item:
CRS: Invoking Cloture in the Senate
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Congress gives board sitter nominations "expedited procedures" but not ambassadorial nominations? C'mon ...
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had cleared the nominations of multiple nominees for the State Department. If Congress gets its head screwed right, these nominees would have their confirmation by the full Senate already. But you know how it is. With the clock running out, some nominees on recess appointments may have to pack their bags and return home, and some nominations will have to be resubmitted next year. While some may actually get confirmed before our lawmakers go home for the holidays, I'd rather not hold my breath. The Senate has stuff on its schedule until December 15 but that's only days away.
Anyway, on nominations -- multiple board sitters (for the National Council on the Arts, United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, the Board of Trustees of the James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, and others) are listed in the December 7 Executive Calendar as "PRIVILEGED NOMINATIONS" that is, pursuant to S. Res. 116, 112th Congress, nominations labeled as such are entitled to expedited procedures.
It is as clear as day now -- board sitters are definitely way, way more important than ambassadors.
Under the "may have to pack their bags and return home" category:
Norman L. Eisen, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Czech Republic, to which position he was appointed during the recess of the Senate from December 22, 2010, to January 5, 2011.
This nomination was cleared for the second time by the SFRC on Sep 13, 2011. On September 19, 2011, Senator Grassley had filed a NOITO, which sounds naughty and all :-). When a NOITO or notice of intent to object is given to the appropriate leader, or their designee, and such notice is submitted for inclusion in the Congressional Record and the Senate Executive Calendar, or following the object ion to a unanimous consent to proceeding to, and, or disposition of, matters relating to nominations and treaties on their behalf, it shall be placed in the section of the Senate Executive Calendar entitled “Notice of Intent to Object”. (S. Res. 28, 112th Congress).
At least Senator Grassley is on the record about his objection to this nomination -- something to do with the June 2009 removal of Gerald Walpin as Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). See more from The Cable here.
* * *
Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador, to which position she was appointed during the recess of the Senate from December 22, 2010, to January 5, 2011.
During Ambassador Aponte's 2010 confirmation hearing South Carolina Republican Senator Jim DeMint led the charge against Aponte raising several "issues" including a relationship she had with a Cuban American more than 15 years ago. I don't recall GOP congressional folks ever giving male nominees the same third degree burn treatment over old romances.
Her nomination together with that of Ambassadors Eisen (Czech Republic), Ricciardone (Turkey), Bryza (Azerbaijan) and Ford (Syria) were held up. Ambassador Ford was eventually confirmed and the other four were given recess appointments by President Obama. Ambassador Ricciardone had since been confirmed.
A side note -- Ambassador Bryza's nomination has not been cleared by the SFRC and is still in committee, but is already subject to two Senate holds, and a tug of war between Armenian-Americans and Azerbaijani-Americans.
Back to US Mission El Salvador, in June this year, Ambassador Aponte wrote an op-ed in El Salvador's La Prensa Gráfica titled "For an end to prejudice, wherever it exists".
Apparently, echoing Secretary Clinton's "gay rights are human rights" got Ambassador Aponte right smack into the crosshairs of Senator Demint (again); he who is a great defender of human rights for straight people only:
Under the "don't pack your bags yet" category is the nominee to be Ambassador to the Russian Federation.
Michael Anthony McFaul, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Russian Federation (Nov 29, 2011 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report).
Josh Rogin of the Cable confirmed last week that Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) placed a hold on the nomination Mike McFaul. The reason for the hold? Senator Kirk apparently "wants written assurances that the United States will not provide Russia with any currently classified information on the missile defense system."
On November 29, the following nominations made it out of the SFRC:
Roberta S. Jacobson, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Executive Service, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Western Hemisphere Affairs), vice Arturo A. Valenzuela, resigned.
Adam E. Namm, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Ecuador.
In late November, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he will oppose the nomination of Roberta Jacobson to be the assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Rubio also said that he reserve his right to block or vote against any other future Western Hemisphere nominees "until the Administration takes meaningful action to change its policies," which the senator described as one "defined by appeasement, weakness and the alienation of our allies."
Senator Rubio also said he would oppose the confirmation of Mari Carmen Aponte as ambassador to El Salvador and Adam Namm as ambassador to Ecuador. The WHA problem, see?
That leaves us three other nominees who made it through the SFRC hearings and awaiting confirmation by the full Senate without any apparent snags that we know of at this time:
Joyce A. Barr, of Washington, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Assistant Secretary of State (Administration), vice Rajkumar Chellaraj, resigned. (Oct 12, 2011 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report).
Michael A. Hammer, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Public Affairs), vice Philip J. Crowley, resigned. (Oct 12, 2011 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report).
Elizabeth M. Cousens, of Washington, to be Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. (Nov 29, 2011 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.)
Elizabeth M. Cousens, of Washington, to be an Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during her tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (Nov 29, 2011 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.)
There are over a dozen nominees for the State Department who are currently pending in committee. As of this writing, no nomination hearings are scheduled at the SFRC for next week.
Monday, September 26, 2011
If only the State Dept could figure out how to clone Ambassadors Crocker and Ford?
Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and a senior editor of the Middle East Quarterly who previously worked as a staff adviser for Iran and Iraq in OSD/ISA/NESA at the Pentagon (where he was seconded to Iraq according to his bio), recently wrote a piece on Commentary Magazine praising two ambassadors while slamming two:
I certainly share Max Boot’s praise of Ryan Crocker and Robert Ford for the professionalism with which they distinguish themselves in a crisis. However, what really distinguishes how honorable is Crocker’s character—as opposed to so many of his Foreign Service colleagues—is how he distinguished himself outside the halls of the Foreign Service.
[...]
In recent days, for example, Mark Parris, ambassador to Turkey between 1997 and 2000 and long a cheerleader for the ruling AKP government, has just become the non-executive director of a Turkish-British company with tens of millions of dollars in Iraqi Kurdish oil interests, a position he could not attain had he not remained in the Turkish government’s good graces. Marc Grossman, pressed into service post-retirement to fill Richard Holbrooke’s shoes, had also profited from contacts with Turkey’s ruling party during his retirement when he began to work with Ilhas Holding. Likewise, when Libyan rebels overran the intelligence ministry in Tripoli, they found recent minutes of a meeting between former Assistant Secretary of State David Welch and Qadhafi regime officials. Welch retired from the State Department to win Libya contracts for Bechtel. Welch’s behavior might be legal, but it is shameful.
[...]
But, since Ford is such a high-value asset in a Department which has so few, why not send Ford to a post where the United States could truly use his skill, like Turkey or Lebanon, both of which have ambassadors now who are particularly weak and who have not shown themselves to be effective?
Active links added above. Read in full here.
The US Ambassador to Turkey is career diplomat, Frank Ricciardone. The US Ambassador to Lebanon is 25-year veteran, Maura Connelly. I'm sure neither one would appreciate being called "particularly weak" in the lead up to the promotion sweeps.
Max Boot who was cited in this piece also writes, "If only the State Department could figure out how to clone them–or at least inspire more of their colleagues to imitate their sterling example."
I don't think innovation at the State Department actually includes reproductive human cloning at this time. But when they figure out how, there will be a background briefing with senior administrative officials, I'm sure of it.
About Ambassador Ford, Josh Rogin of The Cable reported last week about the GOP’s new-found love for our Ambassador to Syria.
The State Department senses that the tide is turning on the Ford nomination as well, and is pushing Ford out to the media this week. He conducted on-the-record interviews with The Daily Caller¸ the Huffington Post¸ and with your humble Cable guy.
In a phone call with The Cable, Ford laid out the reasons he believes that he should be allowed to stay in Damascus.
"When an ambassador makes a statement in a country that's critical of that country's government, when that government visits an opposition or a site where a protest is taking place, the statement is much more powerful -- and the impact and the attention it gets is much more powerful if it's an ambassador rather than a low-level diplomat," Ford said.
Will Congress find new love too for stuck-on you Ambassadors Ricciardone (Turkey), Bryza (Azerbaijan) and Eisen (Czech Republic) whose nominations have all been filed in the back folder since forever. I think their recess appointments will expire in December.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
August 2 SFRC Hearings: Once More - Ambassadors Frank Ricciardone (Turkey), Norm Eisen (Czech Republic) and Robert Ford (Syria)
Today at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations:
Presiding: Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Date: Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Time: 02:30 PM
Location: 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Nominees:
Panel I
The Honorable Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr.,
of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey
Download Testimony
The Honorable Norman L. Eisen,
of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador to the Czech Republic
Download Testimony
Panel Two
The Honorable Robert S. Ford,
of Vermont, to be Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic
This is the second time the nominees have appeared before the SFRC since their nominations. Their nominations together with that of Ambassador Bryza (Azerbaijan)
Updated @10:05 PST
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
SFRC Clears Gration, Patterson, Gavin, Shear, Johnson Cook, Tong, Also Clears Nominees to UNGA and WHO
The following executive nominations were cleared yesterday, Apr 12, 2011 by the Committee on Foreign Relations as reported by Mr. Kerry. Nominations will now go to the full Senate for a vote.
KENYA
KENYA
Jonathan Scott Gration, of New Jersey, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Kenya.
TURKMENISTAN
Robert Patterson, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Turkmenistan.
BOTSWANA
Michelle D. Gavin, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana.
VIETNAM
David Bruce Shear, of New York, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
STATE DEPT/Religious Freedom
Suzan D. Johnson Cook, of New York, to be Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, vice John V. Hanford III, resigned.
STATE DEPT/APEC
Kurt Walter Tong, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as United States Senior Official for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.
UNGA
Joseph M. Torsella, of Pennsylvania, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador.
Joseph M. Torsella, of Pennsylvania, to be Alternate Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform.
WHO
Nils Maarten Parin Daulaire, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health Organization, vice Joxel Garcia.
Update: (thanks JL)
Before you get all excited, enter Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) via http://twitter.com/GrahamBlog.
Graham -- No nominations go forward in Senate until we address CHS port. #scpol #sctweets #scports 12:37 PM Apr 12th via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Graham -- Our provision was not an 'earmark.' It applied to a dozen ports across the US. #scport #scpol 12:32 PM Apr 12th via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Graham -- 260K jobs in SC tied -- directly and indirectly to operation of Port.
12:24 PM Apr 12th via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Graham -- Unfortunately, our language to allow Army Corp to begin CHS harbor deepening study was not included in CR. #scpol #scports
12:22 PM Apr 12th via Twitter for BlackBerry®
Related articles
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Recess Appointments: Ambassadors Bryza, Eisen, Ford and Ricciardone
On December 29, President Obama announced his intent to recess appoint six nominees to fill key administration posts that have been left vacant for an extended period of time. Four of the six recess appointees are for ambassadorships in Baku, Prague, Damascus and Ankara!
The President announced his intent to recess appoint the following four nominees for ambassadorships:
- Matthew J. Bryza, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Department of State (Senate hold by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
- Norman L. Eisen, Nominee for Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Department of State
(Senate "hold" by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO)
- Robert Stephen Ford, Nominee for Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic, Department of State. His nomination was announced on February 16, 2010, cleared by the SFRC on April 13. He had been waiting since. Who placed a hold on the Ford nomination? Who knows? It's a secret hold. One or more of these 13 GOP Senators? One of these 8 GOP Senators?
- Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr., Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey, Department of State (Senate "hold: by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-KS)
Politico's Laura Rozen who reported on this here points out that "recess appointments last for one year beyond the remainder of the Congress’s term. In addition, the White House could decide to resubmit the nominations during the 112th Congress."
Related posts:
- Confirmation Good News and Bad News and a Merry Christmas to you, too! Thursday, December 23, 2010
- Senate Hold and Jam Roundup: Bryza, Ricciardone, Eisen and Ford Friday, October 8, 2010
Related item:
President Obama Announces Recess Appointments to Key Administration Posts | December 29, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Confirmation Good News and Bad News and a Merry Christmas to you, too!
Confirmations: Nides, Brownfield, UNGA nominees, USAID, MCC and OPIC nominees
- Also confirmed three FSOs nominated to the rare rank of career ambassador
- Not confirmed - nominees to Syria, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, El Salvador and Venezuela
The following civilian Executive Nominations were confirmed by the Senate during the current congress on December 22, 2010.
PN2260 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Thomas R. Nides, of the District of Columbia, to be Deputy Secretary of State for
Management and Resources.
PN2210 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
William R. Brownfield, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Class of Career Minister, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs).
PN2354 * FOREIGN SERVICE
Nominations beginning James Franklin Jeffrey, and ending Earl A. Wayne, which 3 nominations were received by the Senate and appeared in the Congressional Record on November 18, 2010. (Note: This is the nomination for the rank of career ambassador for three nominees, the third name is Nancy Powell, the current Directory General and top HR person for the State Department)
STATE/UNGA
PN2133 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Carol Fulp, of Massachusetts, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
PN2134 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
PN2135 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Roger F. Wicker, of Mississippi, to be a Representative of the United States of
America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
PN2136 * DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Gregory J. Nickels, of Washington, to be an Alternate Representative of the United
States of America to the Sixty-fifth Session of the General Assembly of the United
Nations.
USAID
PN2248 * UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Paige Eve Alexander, of Georgia, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United
States Agency for International Development.
MCC
PN2259 * MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
Mark Green, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years.
PN2261 * MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
Alan J. Patricof, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of two years.
OPIC
PN2092 * OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Kevin Glenn Nealer, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Overseas Private Investment Corporation for a term expiring December 17, 2011.
The following nominations failed:
Congress went home for the holidays yesterday and the Senate clerk issued the final executive calendar of the year with the following note:
The treaties remaining on the Executive Calendar are, under the rules of the Senate, automatically rereferred to the Committee on Foreign Relations at the sine die adjournment of the Senate, and remain pending in committee for action in subsequent Congresses. All nominations remaining on the Executive Calendar, under the rules of the Senate, failed of confirmation at the time of sine die adjournment of the Senate and are returned to the President (together with other nominations received by the Senate and not acted upon by the committees to which they had been referred), and must be resubmitted in the next Congress to be further considered.
That includes the following ambassadorial nominees to six countries. Not that this is totally unexpected given the packed schedule in the lame duck session and the political wranglings surrounding these nominations.
We'll be in the lookout if these names will be resubmitted to the 112th Congress in January,and if the WH will provide stronger push next year. For now US Missions in Syria, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan will have to make do without the president's top representative. The chief of mission in San Salvador must also be renominated. And Venezuela? Well, of course, Caracas will read this as the US caving in to its demand not to send Mr. Palmer there.
* 812 1455 Robert Stephen Ford, of Maryland, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Syrian Arab Republic. Apr 13, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.
* 831 1260 Mari Carmen Aponte, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of El Salvador. Apr 28, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. (NOTE: Ambassador Aponte is currently chief of mission in San Salvador on a recess appointment)
* 1051 1949 Francis Joseph Ricciardone, Jr., of Massachusetts, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey. Aug 03, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign
Relations, without printed report.
* 1114 1901 Norman L. Eisen, of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Czech Republic. Sep 21, 2010 Reported by Mr.Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.
* 1117 1825 Matthew J. Bryza, of Illinois, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Azerbaijan. Sep 21, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report.
* 1217 1904 Larry Leon Palmer, of Georgia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Dec 14, 2010 Reported by Mr. Kerry, Committee on Foreign Relations, without printed report. (NOTE: Venezuela has withdrawn its agreement to this nomination this past week. Now that the nomination is dead in the Senate, the WH will have to pick a new nominee. This is one instance where there won't be a renomination, unfortunately. We suspect that Mr. Palmer will be nominated to a different post eventually. Stay tuned!) We'll take a blog break now ....
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Eid Mubarak, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Joyous and Peaceful New Year to you and your loved ones!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Senate Hold and Jam Roundup: Bryza, Ricciardone, Eisen and Ford
Four ambassadorial nominations currently snared in Senate hold and jam have been a lot in the news lately. By far, the Bryza nomination has garnered the most ink (and passion), followed closely by the Ricciardone nomination, which has taken a rather strange turn this week with the appearance of an old fan mail from the senator blocking Ricciardone's current nomination.
On October 5, Wall Street Journal has criticized delays in appointing U.S. ambassadors to Azerbaijan and Turkey (Bryza and Ricciardone) in its piece, Undiplomatic Hold-ups:
"The Senate's confirmation powers aren't supposed to be an excuse to indulge the pet causes of individual Members. Azerbaijan and Turkey are important American allies in a tough neighborhood, and the U.S. needs good ambassadors there. The previous ambassador in Ankara, James Jeffrey, left for Iraq in July. The embassy in Baku has been without an ambassador since July 2009."
"Distracted by its many other troubles, the White House has declined to press the Senate to vote on the President's appointees. The limbo these diplomats find themselves in may help Ms. Boxer's campaign or make Mr. Brownback feel good, but it undermines the executive's ability to function and American foreign policy."Read the whole thing here via today.az. Read in WSJ if you have a subscription.
US Azerbaijanis lobby ambassador-designate's opponents (Matthew Bryza)
The US Azeris Network has written to Senator Barbara Boxer over her opposition to the appointment of Matthew Bryza as US ambassador to Azerbaijan.
“Your placing of a hold – twice – on President Obama’s nominee for the position of US ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mr Matthew Bryza, has greatly surprised and disappointed the Azerbaijani-American community, who are active members of the US Azeris Network (USAN), the largest Azerbaijani-American grassroots advocacy organization, and on whose behalf we are writing to you to express our sentiment as a community,” the diaspora letter said
Ambassadorial Vacancy Disables US Policy in Azerbaijan and Beyond (Matthew Bryza)
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor | By Vladimir Socor
Militant Armenian Group’s Senate Allies Oppose US Ambassador To Azerbaijan (Matthew Bryza)
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor | By Vladimir Socor
US policy in South Caucasus - real target of US Ambassador’s opponents (Matthew Bryza)
Tue 05 October 2010 06:38 GMT | 9:38 Local Time | by Vladimir Socor
"By seeking to block and derail this nomination, ANCA and its supporters are actually attempting to change US policy on the South Caucasus, in line with ANCA’s uncompromising nationalist politics. They have targeted Bryza precisely for representing US policy loyally and impartially, during more than ten years of work on the South Caucasus."
Matthew Bryza's not-at-all-surprisingly rough road to Baku
Foreign Policy | By Steve LeVine Wednesday, October 6, 2010 -
Some of the big U.S. newspapers -- the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post -- are unhappy with how ambassador-designates are being treated in the vetting process for posts in the oil- and geopolitics-soaked lands of Eurasia.
Yet the main reason for these newspapers' angst is the ambassador's post in Azerbaijan, which has been empty for some 14 months now. Perhaps not since the kitty-cat John Bolton was nominated to the United Nations has a designee attracted at turns such adoration and venom as Matthew Bryza, the choice of the George W. Bush and now the Obama administrations for the Baku post, as Laura Rozen has reported at Politico.
In dueling editorials published in a space of three days, the Journal and Post mourn Bryza's woes, since two senators have used their prerogative to freeze his confirmation. Bryza is "respected by all sides" and should be "waved through the Senate," says the Journal. Instead, the paper says, he is being held up by "Caucasian tribal obsessions" -- meaning Armenian lobbyists.
[..]
Bryza is exceptionally close not only to presidents, but to a number of journalists (for the record, I have interviewed him numerous times since 1997), to whom he delivers sometimes inflated accounts of his role as a "key architect" of the triumphant Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline (an admittedly not-so-unique offense -- many officials claim that mantle). Bryza sought the celebrity limelight with his 2007 Istanbul wedding, which was attended by invited senior-level Azeri and Turkish guests, and was the talk of the Turkish city.
Some colleagues attribute Bryza's rise in the last administration to his connections to Condoleezza Rice, and have advised Bryza to work his way to the top like everyone else by serving first somewhere as a deputy chief of mission. Bryza may be right that his nearly two decades in the State Department are credential enough, but he -- and the newspapers -- shouldn't be surprised at the roadblock to his confirmation.
Egyptian democracy activist praises diplomat Ricciardone
Via Politico | Laura Rozen
Egyptian American sociologist and pro-democracy activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim told POLITICO in an interview Wednesday that he strongly endorses former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. to become the U.S. ambassador to Turkey.
"[H]e was very popular with the Egyptian people,” Ibrahim said of Ricciardone. “He will go to all the important popular and folkloric events, they called him Sheikh Ricciardone, he would sit with the people and eat with them, and he was very popular in that respect, he was not just a diplomat, he did what we call public diplomacy and was very popular with the Egyptian people.”
But what's this? Senator Brownback was for Ricciardone before he was against Ricciardone?
Brownback letter thanked diplomat for "great job representing America's interests"
Here is the link to the letter from the good Senator from Kansas now running for governorship:
“I pushed hard for your confirmation because I knew in my heart that you would do a great job representing America’s interests."
“When I heard the initial reports from the Philippines on Friday, it was reassuring to know that you were there. Your insight on the situation provided me with the information I needed to assist the family in their time of need.”
Under his signature, Senator Brownback hand-wrote: “Thank you so much Frank! You have done wonderful work!”
As Nero Wolfe would say, "phooey!"
Which led this blog to conclude that Sam Brownback loved Francis Ricciardone Jr. before he stalled his nomination for ambassadorship
"Remember "Dyslexic Heart" that awesome Paul Westerberg song from the '90s? "Do I love you? Do I hate you? I got a dyslexic heart," the former Replacements frontman waffled. Somebody should gift Sam Brownback the song on iTunes."
Another Obama ambassadorial nominee held up indefinitely (Norm Eisen, Matthew Bryza)
The Cable | Josh Rogin
Norm Eisen, President Obama's nominee for ambassador to the Czech Republic, joins the long list of State Department nominees facing opposition in the Senate, and the path forward for his nomination is unclear at best.
Eisen, who left his post as White House ethics czar in August, is being held up by Finance Committee ranking Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO) over alleged actions and misrepresentations related to the June 2009 removal of Gerald Walpin as Inspector General for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), a position where he oversaw government programs such as AmeriCorps.
[...]
Shortly after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved Eisen's nomination on Sept. 21, sending it to the Senate floor for consideration, Grassley made his opposition known.
"I object to the proceeding to the nomination because of Mr. Eisen's role in the firing of the
inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service, CNCS, and his lack of candor about that matter when questioned by congressional investigators," Grassley said in a statement entered into the Congressional record.
[...]
For Bryza, his nomination is being held up by two Democrats, Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who are seen to be representing the Armenian voting constituencies unhappy with the administration's policy opposing a Congressional resolution condemning the 1915 Armenian genocide.
"It's the policy of this administration to oppose the genocide resolution, as has been the case for past administrations," pointed out one GOP senate staffer who supports the nomination. "It's not his job to make this policy. Putting him in a position to oppose his own administration's policy would get him fired."
State Dept.: stalled ambassador nomination is impacting relations with European ally (Norm Eisen)
The Cable | Josh Rogin
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told The Cable that the stalled Eisen nomination came up in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's bilateral meeting Wednesday with Czech First Deputy Prime Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who was in town to announce the deployment of more Czech troops to Afghanistan.
"The Czech Republic is understandably concerned about the extended absence of a U.S. ambassador," Crowley said. "His absence does affect our relationship. The Secretary reiterated our commitment to the nomination and hopes that Mr. Eisen will be confirmed in a lame duck session."
Grassley's office hasn't specified what exactly Eisen or the administration could do to encourage him to lift his hold. If he doesn't relent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would have to file cloture and hold a roll-call vote on the nomination, which is possible but difficult due to the scarcity of floor time during the post-election Senate sessions.
US laments delay in approving envoys to Turkey, Syria (Ricciardone, Ford)
Ford's nomination ignited a festering row with Republicans over Obama's signature policy of seeking to engage US foes.
If approved, Ford would be the first US ambassador to Damascus since Washington recalled its envoy after Lebanon's former prime minister Rafiq Hariri was killed in February 2005 in a bombing blamed on Syria.
Josh Rogin of The Cable has pointed out that the recess appointment appears out as an option for the president this year:
The Senate adjourned for their pre-election break last week. Normally, if senators are out of town for more than 30 days, nominations would have be resubmitted and go through the committee process all over again. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) avoided that by keeping the Senate in "pro forma" session through the break (knocking the gavel ceremoniously every few days). That tactic has the collateral effect of preventing Obama from installing the nominees as "recess appointments."
Therefore, unless Reid agrees to file for cloture on the nomination and push for 60 Senate votes, the process will stall. Reid isn't likely to take the time to push forward the nominations in the brief lame duck sessions post election, so Eisen, Ford, Ricciardone, and Bryza probable shouldn't pack their bags until at least next year.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Senator Menendez on Bryza hold: "absolutely nothing to do with the ethnic origin of his wife"
Robert Menendez, a Democrat representing New Jersey in the U.S. Senate was not happy with WaPo's Sept. 24 editorial "A toxic hold" and has written to the newspaper to make clear that his opposition to Matthew Bryza's nomination to be US Ambassador to Baku has "absolutely nothing to do with the ethnic origin of his wife."
I am so very relieved, are you? Read on ...
Why I oppose Matthew Bryza's nomination as ambassador to Azerbaijan
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
WaPo | Sunday, October 3, 2010; A18
The Sept. 24 editorial "A toxic hold," in criticizing Sen. Barbara Boxer's and my opposition to the nomination of Matthew Bryza as ambassador to Azerbaijan, cited an unsubstantiated comment from a junior member of my staff as my position. This was despite the fact that a Post editorial writer had a full conversation with my foreign policy adviser and an official written statement regarding my position, which was entirely consistent with my statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The suggestion that my office "backpedaled" is incorrect. The Post is entitled to its own opinion, but not to its own facts.
For the record, I stand by my position that Mr. Bryza is the wrong person for the job and have made public my hold in the U.S. Senate on his nomination. That position has absolutely nothing to do with the ethnic origin of his wife. It is based on information that I believe raises concerns about Mr. Bryza's ability to remain impartial toward Azerbaijan and Turkey, including his opposition to the recognition of the Armenian genocide by Turkey and his close ties to individuals in both governments. Perhaps it is not so unusual for a U.S. ambassador to have acquaintances in regional governments, but when those relationships affect the ability of the individual to represent the interests of the United States, it is my prerogative to withhold support of the nomination.
Finally, at the core of my opposition to Mr. Bryza's nomination is respect for the Armenian people. The Armenian genocide was one of the great atrocities of modern history. We should not be sending a top diplomat to the region who does not support recognition of what is considered among historians to be the first modern genocide. Nor should The Post label the Armenian National Committee of America as "noxious" simply for demanding recognition of this historical fact.
So his main beef -- "We should not be sending a top diplomat to the region who does not support recognition of what is considered among historians to be the first modern genocide."
Good grief! Has the good senator from New Jersey been under a rock during the Bush Administration's years in office?
NYT reported in October 2007 that "President George W. Bush and two top cabinet members urged lawmakers on Wednesday to reject a resolution describing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians early in the last century as genocide - a highly sensitive issue at a time of rising U.S.-Turkish tensions over northern Iraq." And they did.
Remember Ambassador Evans? He was recalled officially for undisclosed reason -- the "firing" have something to do with using the "G-word" and confusing the public with his own personal opinion and that of the official position of the Bush Administration. He had to issue an official clarification -- the whole thing from the informal comment he made in California to the clarification, and clarification of the clarification statement and the recall from Yerevan, followed in great detail here.
In an interview later in 2007 with LA Times, he was quoted as saying, "I never in 35 years had encountered a U.S. policy that I could not at least live with." After this incident, he was "eased out after about 18 months," and was "basically asked to go ahead and retire."
What did then Senator Obama said about this in early 2008?
"Two years ago, I criticized the Secretary of State for the firing of U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, John Evans, after he properly used the term "genocide" to describe Turkey's slaughter of thousands of Armenians starting in 1915."Now apparently, President Obama, had not used the word in a statement honoring the memorial in 2009 after he became president. Foreign Policy in Focus reported in March this year that "The Obama administration, citing its relations with Turkey, has pledged to block the passage in the full House of Representatives of a resolution passed this past Thursday by the Foreign Relations Committee acknowledging the 1915 genocide by the Ottoman Empire of a 1.5 million Armenians."
Sounds familiar? The Bush and Obama administrations, a historian complained in the History News Network "...both sing the same old song."
So Senator Menendez essentially found Mr. Bryza lacking for not articulating a policy position that got another ambassador canned. Can we call this an example of a no-win/no-win situation?
Senator Menendez, of course, faults Mr. Bryza for the one thing that is admirable/distressful (take your pick) with professional diplomats - the suspension of a personal opinion. As a career diplomat, Mr. Bryza and all diplomats like him are allowed one opinion - the official opinion/position of the administration of the day. They work 24/7, 365 days a year and they're on-duty even when they're off duty. Their "opinions" do not go beyond the chalk lines, that is -- until they retire, and are free again to say what they really think.
So to ask that Mr. Bryza support a position beyond what his bosses are willing to officially articulate is quite absurd, no?
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