Political Quotes

“I wish to express my reservations about the nomination of John Rakolta, Jr., to be Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Historically, the United States has sent career foreign service officers to serve as ambassadors to the United Arab Emirates, men and women well-versed in the complexities and challenges facing the region. Mr. Rakolta would be the first political nominee to serve as Ambassador to this critical post. The U.S. mission in the United Arab Emirates has benefitted from experienced, trained diplomats who can adroitly navigate our important security partnership while also addressing some of our major policy disagreements, particularly regarding involvement in conflicts throughout the Middle East. In nominating Mr. Rakolta, this administration is putting a political nominee with no diplomatic experience at the helm of one of our most critical Middle East posts. While Mr. Rakolta possesses extensive business experience, he lacks knowledge of the arms sales process, security commitments, and complex diplomacy that we should demand of our emissaries to the United Arab Emirates. This is a risky venture that could jeopardize our effectiveness in the region. It also is part of a concerning trend that has reduced the number of career ambassadors serving abroad. The historically even split between political and career nominees is becoming further skewed toward political ambassadors. Mr.…”