时事资讯:奥巴马选大使唯"钱"是举?_时事

时事资讯:奥巴马选大使唯"钱"是举?

【英文原文】

Donors Find A Home In Obama's Ambassador Corps

摘要：前副总统蒙代尔(Walter Mondale)、前参议院多数党领袖曼斯菲尔德(Mike Mansfield)和贝克尔(Howard Baker)及前众议院议长福里(Tom Foley)都曾担任驻日本大使，他们在这个充斥着军事与贸易紧张关系的地区经营着美国与日本这一复杂而重要的盟友的关系。

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo has seen its share of luminaries in the ambassador's suite. Former Vice President Walter Mondale, former Senate Majority Leaders Mike Mansfield and Howard Baker and former House Speaker Tom Foley are among those who have brokered relations with a complex and critical ally in a region bristling with military and trade tensions.

President Barack Obama's pick for the post is from a different mold: John Roos, a San Francisco Bay area lawyer, was the president's chief Silicon Valley fundraiser and contributions 'bundler.' He has no diplomatic experience.

Mr. Obama's choice of Mr. Roos, along with other political boosters -- from former investment banker Louis B. Susman, known as the 'vacuum cleaner' for his fundraising prowess, to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney -- has raised eyebrows among some who thought the president would extend his mantra of change to the diplomatic corps.

'We're not only insulting nations [that] we're appointing these bundlers to, we're risking U.S. diplomatic efforts in these key countries,' said Craig Holman, a government-affairs lobbyist at watchdog group Public Citizen.