Picking Lemons for the Plums?

Bush selects some rich but unqualified ambassadors

One of the choicest plums in Government is a diplomatic posting in an agreeable locale. And what a pleasant task it is for a new President to reward old friends and fat-cat party contributors by handing out such assignments. Judging from the appointments he made during his first six months in the White House, George Bush must be finding that task very pleasant indeed. A study by Government Executive magazine, a journal serving public officials, found that of Bush's first 37 ambassadorial nominations, 70% have been political appointees rather than career Foreign Service officers. That compares with 59% for Ronald Reagan...

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