Category Archives: Opinion

Thomas Pickering on the chain of command: Ambassador to secretary of State

By Carol Felsenthal – 05/13/13 08:35 PM ET
At the start of the Obama administration, when I was writing about the rookie president’s appalling continuation of the tradition of appointing bundlers/donors to the most glamorous embassies, I called Thomas Pickering. The professional diplomat, or “career officer,” as he called himself (he joined the Foreign Service in 1959), is being treated by a growing number of Republicans as if he’s some hack or patronage toady who’s looking to be secretary of State in the Hillary Rodham Clinton administration to come.

http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/299447-thomas-pickering-on-the-chain-of-command-ambassador-to-secretary-of-state